Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – Adults fear the impact of social media on their teenagers, causing them anxiety and questioning their self-esteem, as well as the social comparisons they may be exposed to. But a new study asked teens how they feel online and how it affects their lives.
“One of the things we really want to do with this cross-sectional work is bring teen voices into the conversation,” said lead author Monica Anderson, associate research director in the Internet and Technology team at the Pew Research Center.
“This work really wants to highlight what are the pros and cons of social media for teenagers.”
Pew Research Center researchers surveyed 1,316 U.S. teens, ages 13 to 17, between mid-April and early May. He asked the youth questions about their thoughts, feelings and use of social media.
“When it comes to new and emerging technology, teenagers are often at the forefront of technology adoption,” Anderson explained.
One theme of the survey findings revealed that teens perceive their social media experience as more positive than adults imagine.
Only 27 percent of them said their experience was worse than their parents thought they were, while the rest felt their experience was as good or better, according to the survey.
It makes sense that adult opinions might be inaccurate, said Michelle Eckard, parent educator, lecturer, and author of Fourteen of 14 Talks: The Essential Conversations You Need to Have With Your Kids Before They Enter Secondary School.
Speaking to CNN, she explained: “Communicating their negative experiences on social media to parents is one way older children and teens cope.” “Often our children talk about what went wrong during their day, in person or online, but forget to tell us when their problems are resolved or they stop feeling pain. Therefore, parents live with anxiety about long after kids ignore updates.”
Positives
Teens who took the survey reported that the good things social media does for them include feeling connected and gaining support from the community.
Overall, 80% of respondents said that social media offers them some level of insight into what is going on in their friends’ lives, 71% see it as a place where they can showcase their creativity, and 67 % of them feel that social media reassures them that someone will support them. In difficult times, 58% believe these platforms make them more acceptable to others, according to the survey.
Data showed that Hispanic and dark-skinned teens felt more accepted than their white counterparts due to social media.
She said the children Eckard worked with were grateful, especially during the pandemic, that they were still able to relate to one another. When encouraged right, Eckard saw social media as a good way to showcase talent and humor.
Data has shown that teenagers tend to use these methods in this way. According to the survey, the top three things teenagers report in publications are: their successes, their families and their emotions.
Respondents tended to say that social media was mostly positive or neutral for them personally, but tended to be more negative when it came to its impact on people their own age, according to the survey.
“People can see a lot of benefits from technology and social media in this case, but the negatives are outweighed when viewed as a whole,” Anderson said.
Downsides
Eckard believes this survey can be helpful in terms of gaining an overview of social media and adolescents, but there are still individual circumstances and disadvantages that need to be taken into consideration.
For example, according to the survey, girls aged 15 to 17 said, more than any other group, that they do not post on social media because they fear being embarrassed.
The study found that more girls than boys reported feeling overwhelmed by social media drama.
But all groups acknowledged the negatives. The survey revealed that those who reported negative experiences mostly attributed it to screen time, mental health and the impact of online drama.
And 60% of all teens say they feel little or no control over the data social media companies collect from them.
“Social media is a tool, and as such, it’s neither good nor bad,” Eckard explained.
In his CNN interview, he concluded that parents are “the best at learning about their children’s moods, social lives, and experiences.” And she continued: “No matter how different the way children tell what happened with them, you have to consider the situation of Alfred’s son before making a decision.”
How to improve the experience
How can this experience improve for you and your child later?
Eckard recommended that children be introduced to a social media application slowly but not branch out until they show sufficient responsibility to use it without hurting their feelings about self.
Eckard said, “I also believe that parents should teach their children application etiquette as well as safety standards, and should monitor their performance early on, as long as it decreases over time.”
He also recommended having frequent conversations about what they are experiencing on these platforms. She added that while you can give more autonomy over time, “a child who doesn’t want to discuss their experiences on an app might not be ready for that.”
She concluded, “If parents notice that social media is causing feelings that are harmful to their teen’s sense of self, it would be wise to consult a therapist who can help with more positive dialogue and habits.”
