Teens: social media positives outweigh the negatives

[Shawn Knight]

Through the looking glass: Social media may not be corrupting today’s youth as much as some of us would like to believe… at least, according to teens themselves.

In a recent survey of US teens ages 13 to 17, Pew Research Center identified several positive outcomes that teens associate with social media use. For example, 81 percent of teens said social media makes them feel more connected to their friends and 69 percent believe it helps teens interact with a more diverse group of people.

Similarly, 68 percent said social media makes them feel as if they have people who support them through tough times. Teens also overwhelmingly said social media makes them feel included, confident, authentic and outgoing versus excluded, insecure, fake and reserved.

Conversely, the percentage of teens that see the negatives in social media is substantially less.

According to the survey, only 45 percent of teens said they feel overwhelmed by the drama on social media. As for content, 43 percent said they feel pressure to only post stuff that reflects them in a positive light while 37 percent said they feel pressure to post content that will generate a lot of likes and comments.

It's interesting to get teens' takes on social media as it's all they've grown up with. Some of us who are a bit older and were around before social media may have vastly different opinions on the phenomenon and its impact on society.

Lead image courtesy View Apart, Shutterstock

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https://www.techspot.com/news/77624-teens-feel-social-media-positives-outweigh-negatives.html

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Because teenagers are never wrong or defensive about the things they like, or act like contrarians for the sake of being contrarian, right guys?

Meanwhile, social media use is often linked to depression and anxiety, and those who intensely use it seems disconnected from reality, screaming into the void about benal matters and freaking out over minor altercations. There is also the issue of online friendships, which are tenuous and can break with the most minor of differences, something young people dont understand very well.

the number of young adults that struggle with basic things like holding down a job, acting mature, or respecting others, and the number that freak out so easily at any major news story, would indicate the prevalence of social media has made them oversensitive and more closed off to new ideas, and frankly more miserable as well. So many young people are upset over politics and the world because they are reading about them 24/7 on social media, it consumes their life.

 

[Uncle Al]

What would you expect from people that never saw a "real news cast"? Come on, get these surveyors to make an honest effort rather than pump out this stuff that can only be honestly labeled as "fraud and fake news" ........

 

[TomSEA]

LOL...that's pretty funny. You're going to ask teenagers to be objective about their addiction? Seriously, you take away their phones and social media apps and they go into shock and then severe withdrawals within 5 minutes.

 

[144hzGamer]

Because teenagers are never wrong or defensive about the things they like, or act like contrarians for the sake of being contrarian, right guys?

Meanwhile, social media use is often linked to depression and anxiety, and those who intensely use it seems disconnected from reality, screaming into the void about benal matters and freaking out over minor altercations. There is also the issue of online friendships, which are tenuous and can break with the most minor of differences, something young people dont understand very well.

the number of young adults that struggle with basic things like holding down a job, acting mature, or respecting others, and the number that freak out so easily at any major news story, would indicate the prevalence of social media has made them oversensitive and more closed off to new ideas, and frankly more miserable as well. So many young people are upset over politics and the world because they are reading about them 24/7 on social media, it consumes their life.

Bla bla bla when industrial revolution occured "omg soon no one will have jobs bcause machines" blablabla when walkmans appeared my grandpas would say "teens are gonna have ear problems and are too dpendant on walkmans on the bus beach everywhere" blablablabla when movie rentals appeared "omg teens spend all their day watching vhs and reading comic books whats the future" blablablabla now internet and social media are a thing and ppl complain. Is called evolution and we all still here and out of curiosity the average life time even increased.

Stop being so picky about modern times, stop being a "grandpa"

 

[senketsu]

Studies seem to show overwhelmingly that social media use is detrimental to this age group. If they think otherwise are they not like the addict that says "I don't have a problem!"

 

[TomSEA]

Because teenagers are never wrong or defensive about the things they like, or act like contrarians for the sake of being contrarian, right guys?

Meanwhile, social media use is often linked to depression and anxiety, and those who intensely use it seems disconnected from reality, screaming into the void about benal matters and freaking out over minor altercations. There is also the issue of online friendships, which are tenuous and can break with the most minor of differences, something young people dont understand very well.

the number of young adults that struggle with basic things like holding down a job, acting mature, or respecting others, and the number that freak out so easily at any major news story, would indicate the prevalence of social media has made them oversensitive and more closed off to new ideas, and frankly more miserable as well. So many young people are upset over politics and the world because they are reading about them 24/7 on social media, it consumes their life.

Bla bla bla when industrial revolution occured "omg soon no one will have jobs bcause machines" blablabla when walkmans appeared my grandpas would say "teens are gonna have ear problems and are too dpendant on walkmans on the bus beach everywhere" blablablabla when movie rentals appeared "omg teens spend all their day watching vhs and reading comic books whats the future" blablablabla now internet and social media are a thing and ppl complain. Is called evolution and we all still here and out of curiosity the average life time even increased.

Stop being so picky about modern times, stop being a "grandpa"

This isn't the "industrial revolution" and it's not about getting with the "modern times". The comparison is laughable. Social media addiction is a real thing, especially among teens. I work right next to a high school and when they come out on their class break, every one of them...EVERY ONE OF THEM...are staring at their phones and not talking to anyone else. Go to any high school football game if you need more proof. The kids in the stands are not watching the game, but glued to their phones.

I also work as a first responder. Want to know how many car wrecks I respond to that involve drivers screwing around with phones while driving? How does 70% sound to you?

It's obvious you're young and fall into this category, so you want to blow it off as "old man nonsense." But I have news for you pal, this is a real thing, and it's a dangerous thing.

 

[gollum21]

Because teenagers are never wrong or defensive about the things they like, or act like contrarians for the sake of being contrarian, right guys?

Meanwhile, social media use is often linked to depression and anxiety, and those who intensely use it seems disconnected from reality, screaming into the void about benal matters and freaking out over minor altercations. There is also the issue of online friendships, which are tenuous and can break with the most minor of differences, something young people dont understand very well.

the number of young adults that struggle with basic things like holding down a job, acting mature, or respecting others, and the number that freak out so easily at any major news story, would indicate the prevalence of social media has made them oversensitive and more closed off to new ideas, and frankly more miserable as well. So many young people are upset over politics and the world because they are reading about them 24/7 on social media, it consumes their life.

Bla bla bla when industrial revolution occured "omg soon no one will have jobs bcause machines" blablabla when walkmans appeared my grandpas would say "teens are gonna have ear problems and are too dpendant on walkmans on the bus beach everywhere" blablablabla when movie rentals appeared "omg teens spend all their day watching vhs and reading comic books whats the future" blablablabla now internet and social media are a thing and ppl complain. Is called evolution and we all still here and out of curiosity the average life time even increased.

Stop being so picky about modern times, stop being a "grandpa"

Numerous studies have shown that the more time spent on social media the more likely someone is not going to feel good or positive, even get depressed. There is a direct correlation with time spent on social media and negative emotions. A more accurate comparison than the industrial revolution would be the correlation between cigarettes and illness that aren't even directly related to the lungs or heart. The more you smoke the more likely you'll get other illnesses in general. It's just the way it is.

Also, don't put the internet and social media in the same boat. The internet is actually required for today's economy, that is fair to compare to the industrial revolution. Social media is not. It's more like junk food or something else that's not even necessary it is not even good for you! In fact, if you have a Facebook account that's about 3 years or older there are thousands of pages of data collected on you, your friends, even other people you talk about who do not even have a Facebook account. Every message you've ever sent or deleted. Even if your account isn't set to "Public" someone can still buy your data anyways. The NSA might not even have the same volume of information Facebook has on you.

Inb4 the ignorant response of: BuT I hAvE NoThInG tO hIdE

 

[144hzGamer]

This isn't the "industrial revolution" and it's not about getting with the "modern times". The comparison is laughable. Social media addiction is a real thing, especially among teens. I work right next to a high school and when they come out on their class break, every one of them...EVERY ONE OF THEM...are staring at their phones and not talking to anyone else. Go to any high school football game if you need more proof. The kids in the stands are not watching the game, but glued to their phones.

I also work as a first responder. Want to know how many car wrecks I respond to that involve drivers screwing around with phones while driving? How does 70% sound to you?

It's obvious you're young and fall into this category, so you want to blow it off as "old man nonsense." But I have news for you pal, this is a real thing, and it's a dangerous thing.

Dude cmon how many football games me and my friends missed on high school because we were glued to our gameboy playing super mario or tiny toons? How many times I was about to get hit by a car because I was blasting 90s grunge rock on my sony bass boost walkmans and not hearing anything around me? How many times I stopped studying for an exam because I was addicted to Xmen comic book?

Anyhting in this world can cause unhealthy addictions. Some ppl may get on a dangerous zone but just because kids are glued to phones like my gen was to gameboys it doesnt mean that this is a global and bad issue. In 10 years something new will happen and some guys will also say it is bad etc. It is how it is. Alcohol can also destroy you and destroys several lifes for centuries now. We are still here.