Teens and Social Media
Social media plays a key role in any teenager's life and there is no denying that. It is a whole new world that they create and feel accepted when the world outside their phone may be different, scary, and unknown.
Can she get the same reactions from others in person? Is she someone who feels left out or socially awkward?
Article #1 - What is "Finsta" Teens and their Secret Instagram Accounts
I was not sure what to expect about this article. What exactly is "Finsta?" It was the first time I had heard the word. "Finsta" is a combination of the words "Fake" and "Instagram." The article described it as a second Instagram account created by teenagers for a smaller audience. I did not understand the purpose of having a second account, but then I wondered if it was because a teenager would want to hide what they are posting because they did not want others (parents that follow their accounts) to see something super personal. How long does it stay personal until someone traces it back to them?
Article #2 - 10 Things to know about how social media affects teens' brains
One of the startling facts that was in the article stated "1 in 3 teen girls reported having seriously considered suicide in the past year (Turner, 2023). Honestly, I can see this with all the stresses a teenager has to deal with as they are figuring out their identity and how they fit into the world. How does social media make this better? The article went on to talk about ten takeaways for educators, parents, and caregivers. As I read the ten takeaways, I could understand overall that "likes" and "followers" can influence a teenager. I can see the excitement behind it, but then the obsession to post more because the positive feedback of others is encouraging. Another idea I could not wrap my head around was "social media can also make "psychologically disordered behavior" look good (Turner, 2023). As a parent, I found it troubling what my own kids are exposed to in person, but then online. What are they really seeing and doing behind my back?
My Final Thoughts
Overall, these three articles gave me a bit of a perspective of a teenager's mind. What can we do to offer suggestions to teenagers to help balance the use of social media and life? The world has so many opportunities for teenagers to see and explore beyond a screen.
What we can do is have that conversation with them about technology, even if it is hard, or they will not listen. They can also get guidance from school about ways to balance their time. The most we can do, as teachers and parents, is to be there for them and hopefully that will be enough.
Turner, C. (2023). 10 Things to know how social media affects teens' brains. NPR.https://www.npr.org/2023/02/16/1157180971/10-things-to-know-about-how-social-media-affects-teens-brains
Imagine this image for a second. A teenage girl posts a selfie of herself in a brand-new homecoming dress on social media. Instantly, she gets "likes," followers, and comments. She begins to feel that excitement and acceptance for everyone that sees her post.
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Image Source: Musebridals.com |
Can she get the same reactions from others in person? Is she someone who feels left out or socially awkward?
Teenagers and social media are a touchy subject, and this is clear when one does a simple Google search. As a parent and a teacher, what can I do to understand this hard subject? Let us examine three articles that focus on this hard topic and my thoughts on the articles.
Article #1 - What is "Finsta" Teens and their Secret Instagram Accounts
I was not sure what to expect about this article. What exactly is "Finsta?" It was the first time I had heard the word. "Finsta" is a combination of the words "Fake" and "Instagram." The article described it as a second Instagram account created by teenagers for a smaller audience. I did not understand the purpose of having a second account, but then I wondered if it was because a teenager would want to hide what they are posting because they did not want others (parents that follow their accounts) to see something super personal. How long does it stay personal until someone traces it back to them?
Article #2 - 10 Things to know about how social media affects teens' brains
One of the startling facts that was in the article stated "1 in 3 teen girls reported having seriously considered suicide in the past year (Turner, 2023). Honestly, I can see this with all the stresses a teenager has to deal with as they are figuring out their identity and how they fit into the world. How does social media make this better? The article went on to talk about ten takeaways for educators, parents, and caregivers. As I read the ten takeaways, I could understand overall that "likes" and "followers" can influence a teenager. I can see the excitement behind it, but then the obsession to post more because the positive feedback of others is encouraging. Another idea I could not wrap my head around was "social media can also make "psychologically disordered behavior" look good (Turner, 2023). As a parent, I found it troubling what my own kids are exposed to in person, but then online. What are they really seeing and doing behind my back?
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| Image Source: usatoday.com |
Article #3 - We asked teenagers what adults are missing about technology. This was the best response.
This piece was the most eye opening of the three articles I read. This was a winner of an essay contest that MIT Technology Review hosted. The question was "What do adults not know about my generation and technology?" The focus was that social media helps teenagers be seen and not hidden. The one thought that was brought up was that social media makes teenagers unsecure, but if adults are worried, we should involve them in the conversation about technology. This made me think a bit. We do listen to teenagers, but how do we offer them suggestions about technology, when they want to do their own thing?
This piece was the most eye opening of the three articles I read. This was a winner of an essay contest that MIT Technology Review hosted. The question was "What do adults not know about my generation and technology?" The focus was that social media helps teenagers be seen and not hidden. The one thought that was brought up was that social media makes teenagers unsecure, but if adults are worried, we should involve them in the conversation about technology. This made me think a bit. We do listen to teenagers, but how do we offer them suggestions about technology, when they want to do their own thing?
My Final Thoughts
Overall, these three articles gave me a bit of a perspective of a teenager's mind. What can we do to offer suggestions to teenagers to help balance the use of social media and life? The world has so many opportunities for teenagers to see and explore beyond a screen.
What we can do is have that conversation with them about technology, even if it is hard, or they will not listen. They can also get guidance from school about ways to balance their time. The most we can do, as teachers and parents, is to be there for them and hopefully that will be enough.
Turner, C. (2023). 10 Things to know how social media affects teens' brains. NPR.https://www.npr.org/2023/02/16/1157180971/10-things-to-know-about-how-social-media-affects-teens-brains
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