Social Media and Teenagers

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 Social Media and Teenagers


Image Source: Goldentech.com

Since I am middle school teacher, I chose to take a closer look at social media and how it has the grasp on our teenagers. For many of my students, their cell phone is their life. I always hear about them talking about Snapchat and Instagram. I also see them  watching YouTube on their Chromebook when they are given some free time. 

It is interesting to think about how much the internet and social media has changed since I was a teenager. We didn't have all of these apps. We were just starting to get into the world of Facebook, but it wasn't available to everyone yet. For me, I am just happy that I did not have to navigate adolescence with all these social media platforms. I don't think this generation feels the same because all they have ever known is the internet and social media. 

It was interesting to read the article "A Teenager's View on Social Media". So many of us has made our own opinions on what social media apps are good, but have never thought about it from the perspective of a teenager. The author of the article states that Facebook is dead to them. It is really not used any more in that generation. They have moved on to Instagram and Snapchat. Although they spend time on both of these apps, they are used for different purposes. Snapchat allows them to document their day or night out without worrying about the pressures of likes and comments. Instagram, however, allows their followers to see the bits and pieces that they choose to share so they can receive positive feedback from their peers. 

With teenagers being so active on social media, it allows them to use these platforms in a way that could be beneficial for their future. In the article "3 Ways Savvy Teens Can Showcase Themselves Using Social Media" by Common Sense Education it talks about how Linkedin can help students build high school resumes to share with the colleges they are applying to. They can also use YouTube or Vimeo to share videos of their talents and accomplishments.  

Overall, I do believe that social media can be beneficial for our students. We need to show them the positives and how it can impact their lives. Also, we do need to continue to talk to them about appropriate social media use. This is so they make good choices when they are using their favorite platforms. 

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