A look into the wrapped-up world of social media and teens

BY AVERY NELSON

Scroll. Tap. Scroll. Double-tap. Swipe. Senior Izzy Kidd spends upwards of four hours a day on social media.

“I know that sounds like a lot,” Kidd said. “But honestly, it might even be more.”

Where does it end? There is an ongoing stream of thoughts, ideas, opinions and content that can be found on social media platforms such as Instagram. They provide an outlet for everyone to discover the world. But having all of this at one’s fingertips comes with some bleak side effects.

While Kidd’s four hours may seem outlandish to some, it’s surprisingly typical in today’s social climate. A 2018 Pew Research Center study shows that teens 13-17 spend an average of nine hours a day consuming media online. This number far exceeds any other age group, which begs the question — why do teens spend so much time on social media?

The answer circles back to one common theme: social pressure.

“I think that when you don’t stay active on social media, you get left behind in a sense,” Kidd said. “Everyone is just trying to put themselves out there, to push out their thoughts and lives, and if you’re not doing th at, it’s like ‘oh, well she’s not doing anything’ or ‘she’s lonely.’” “Everyone is just trying to put themselves out there, to push out their thoughts and lives”

Kidd’s not the only one who has a fear of becoming “irrelevant.” Forty-three percent of teens feel pressure to post content that only makes them look good to others, according to the Pew study.

And understandably so. What people post on social media is a reflection of them; a peek into their lives for others they may or may not know on an interpersonal level. It’s obvious that the vast majority of highly impressionable teens will aim to display the best versions of themselves for this reason.

However, the same teens that are participating in this unconscious competition are maintaining the unrealistic expectations that negatively affect other young people within the realm of social reach.

“I think when people see other people on social media, they have an image in their head of what their life could be like based on pictures and videos,” junior Morgan Allard said. “But in reality, that’s usually not what someone’s life actually looks like. As humans, it’s our nature to make a generalization of someone, but social media makes it easier to do that.”

Allard feels the pressure of social media. But she doesn’t feel obligated to keep up a certain image for anyone.

“I don’t allow myself to use it so much to the point where I’m not focusing on people in real life or that I can’t have real life conversations,” Allard said.

To keep herself tethered to the real world of human interaction, Allard only allows herself to communicate with people she has a personal relationship with. She also utilizes the “screen time” app on her iPhone to limit herself on certain apps.

It’s when boundaries like these are set that the capabilities of social media shine. Sixty-nine percent of teens feel that social media helps them connect with a more diverse group of people.

Senior Gwen Saunier knows this to be true. Her photography business has been highly successful thanks to her Instagram account solely dedicated to her craft.

“Because I don’t have a website, Instagram is my way to communicate with people,” Saunier said. “It’s how I make money as well.”

Although she reaps the benefits of using social media to run a business, Saunier is still a teenager. And like others her age, she too is impacted by the less genuine side of the platforms.

“I think I have FOMO. If there’s a party or people getting together, and you’re not invited, your mind is automatically like ‘shoot, I’m missing out,’” Saunier said. “Social media does make it worse, because if you see a bunch of people posting about something, and you can’t be there, it can be hard to see that.”

FOMO, or the fear of missing out, is a common consequence of increased social media use among teens. There are so many “what if’s” that can lead to hurt feelings when high schoolers are paranoid of being left out. Between location tracking and status updates, social media apps such as Snapchat and Instagram can make it impossible to keep information from others.

“People aren’t straight up anymore,” Kidd said. “When you actually talk to someone in person, you can really feel what they’re trying to say with their emotions and facial expressions. But online, you can’t do that. I think that’s impacted a lot of friendships and relationships.”

According to Pew Research, forty-five percent of teens feel overwhelmed by the drama associated with social media. It’s constant — and there’s no escape beyond the school walls. “You already deal with enough at school,” Allard said. “And I think social media is a way for it all to follow you home.”

“You already deal with enough at school, and I think social media is a way for it all to follow you home.”

People talk when they are able to hide behind a screen. It’s what makes teens feel more comfortable to share their opinions with the world through social platforms. It’s also what allows them to consume information in a way that is adaptive to a teen’s preferred style of learning.

“Social media is a great way to look at the news because I don’t really like to watch the news on TV,” Kidd said. “I would rather go and look something up on my own.” While social media is being used to share and gain information, it can have undesired effects on the easily swayed teen mind. However, when used in moderation with a healthy state of mind, there’s no limit to how social media can change the future.

“In a way, we’re more connected because you see what everyone is doing almost all the time,” Kidd said. “But, at the same time, it’s causing a disconnect because if you can talk to someone over social media, there’s no reason to talk to them in person anymore.”