Common Sense Media just released a report called, Social Media, Social Life: Teens reveal their experiences. The report is a nationally representative survey of more than 1,000 kids age 13 to 17, in the US and tracks changes from 2012 to today, showing how teens’ social media use continues to evolve. James Steyer, Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media states the following in his opening letter as an overview of the findings:
Like teenagers themselves, this research presents a complex picture that defies simplistic judgments. For example, on the one hand, teens feel social media strengthens their relationships with friends and family, provides them with an important avenue for self-expression, and makes them feel less lonely and more connected. At the same time, teens acknowledge that social media can detract from face-to-face communication and make them feel left out or “less than” their peers. In general, however, teens are more likely to say that social media has a positive effect on how they feel.
–James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media
Much of what I read, supports the research and findings I include in Social LEADia especially in that the report challenges some assumptions adults often make. I will definitely need to spend some time re-reading this report, and will likely revisit many ideas here, but below are some of the quotations that stood out to me on my first read:
Very quickly, I went from demonizing social media to realizing the power and possibility it inhabits. Here is the truth: Social media is social currency for young people. It is a portal to potential and possibilities, even for people who feel hopeless, uninspired, scared, and alone.
–Aija Mayrock Author, The Survival Guide to Bullying: Written by a Teen
“Across every measure in our survey, teens are more likely to say that social media has a positive rather than a negative effect on how they feel” (page 3).
“Despite the increased use of social media among teens between 2012 and 2018, there has been no increase in the proportion of these more vulnerable youth who say they feel negative effects from their social media use; but there has been an increase in the proportion who report a positive effect (see Figure E). For example, in 2012, 11 percent of low-SEWB teens said using social media made them feel less depressed; today, 29 percent say it makes them feel less depressed. In other words, it is possible that the beneficial effects of social media, for vulnerable teens, have increased over the past six years” (page 5).
Nearly three out of four teens (72 percent) believe that tech companies manipulate users to spend more time on their devices. And many teen social media users say that social media often distracts them from other important things: Fifty-seven percent agree that using social media often distracts them when they should be doing homework, and 54 percent agree that it often distracts them when they should be paying attention to the people they’re with. A large proportion of all teens (44 percent) say they get frustrated with their friends for being on their phones so much when they’re hanging out together” (page 6)
“Fully a third (33 percent) of teens say they wish their parents would spend less time on their devices, up from 21 percent in 2012” (page 6)
“More than one in four teens (27 percent) say social media is “extremely” or “very” important to them for expressing themselves creatively. Using social media for creative expression appears to be especially important to the most vulnerable teen social media users—those lowest on the scale of social-emotional well-being…For example, in openended responses to the survey, one 17-year-old white girl wrote that one of the benefits of social media is that she can “get my artwork out to the public”; a 14-year-old African American girl wrote that “[s]ocial media allows me to have a creative outlet to express myself”; a 14-year-old white boy said he likes social media because “I get to share things that I make”; and a 16-yearold Hispanic/Latino boy wrote that he likes using social media because “I get to post my costume and design work'” (page 7)
Helping Others
Many teens say they have tried to help someone who has been cyberbullied. Among the ways they’ve helped are talking to the person who was cyberbullied (19 percent of all teens say they’ve done that), reporting it to adults (10 percent), posting positive stuff about the person being cyberbullied online (8 percent), and challenging the cyberbully online directly (5 percent)”(page 34).
Download the full report and read it for yourself. Would love to talk about it with you!
