Why are Young People so Obsessed with Social Media?
Social Media is overwhelmingly used by young people, usually teenagers. What is it that draws young people to these sites? Is it marketed towards them, or do they just have more free time? Whatever gets them there, they seem to be addicted to it.
Why Is Social Media So Popular?
According to Dr. Patricia Fioriello, "Almost 93% of teenagers use the internet for social interaction." (Fioriello) She also explains how teenagers are drawn to social media as a form of social interaction and human connection. "We can perhaps attribute this on the explosive growth of social media websites. As human beings, we maintain our existence by connecting and bonding through talk." (Fioriello)
How Is Social Media Targeted Towards Teenagers
As stated by Lauren Sherman, social media provides validation teenagers crave. "The “likes” on the photo provide an immediate, tangible reward, which lights up parts of the adolescent brain like the nucleus accumbens that are primed to overreact to every pleasure and happiness," (Sherman) She also explains how likes on social media influence teens. "Her study found that teens were influenced by the “liking” activity of their peers no matter what the subject of the photo was" (Sherman)
(Ingram-Cauchi, Pete. “A Solution for Kids' Social Media Addiction? Teach Them to Use Tech More Responsibly.)
The Conclusion
In conclusion, it seems like childerens obsessions with social media is a mix of a lot of things. First, it is used for social interaction, second, it provides a validation all children crave, and third, it is simply this generations "thing". Parents may just see this as an obsession because it was not developed during their childhood, simply the way they were obsessed with talking on the phone all the time when they were young.
Cited Sources:
Almendrala, Anna. “This Explains Why Social Media Is Irresistible To Teen Brains.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 3 June 2016, www.huffpost.com/entry/this-could-explain-why-teens-are-so- obsessed-with-social-media_n_574f7084e4b0ed593f134279.
Fioriello, Patricia. “Why Teenagers Love Social MediaWhy Teenagers Love Social Media.” Kids Learn to Blog, kidslearntoblog.com/why-teenagers-love-social-media/.
Ingram-Cauchi, Pete. “A Solution for Kids' Social Media Addiction? Teach Them to Use Tech More Responsibly.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 30 June 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/06/30/gaming-disorder-kids-addiction- social-media-technology-video-games-column/737537002/.
I agree with the "just this generations thing" point of view. Many parents always use the point that they were never abscessed like this, but that's only because the technology of social media wasn't even developed yet.
ReplyDeleteI think many parents don't realize that social media is just this generations new obsession, not much different than their obsessions during their childhoods.
DeleteYour blog made me think a lot about my personal use of social media which was different than I've seen. Great post.
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting to learn about too, thanks Jessie!
DeleteAre there pros and cons of teens' use of social media? While certainly these could apply to any users of social media, why might these be more concerning for teenagers whose brains aren't fully developed?
ReplyDeleteI think social media does have some pros for kids, being a social outlet and also a special community used more heavily by children. It also definitely has some cons, a big one being all the screen time and harmful effects of technology being so heavily used by children.
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