Positive Social Media

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Your son is turning 15 in a few weeks and approaches you about getting his driver’s permit.  You hand over the keys and say, “here son, go practice with my car. I’m sure you know what to do.” That seems like the logical thing to do, right? Of course not. That would be quite foolish to expect an inexperienced 15-year-old driver to be able to know how to balance between braking and accelerating, who has the right of way at an intersection, how to naturally merge into traffic on the freeway, or even what kind of gasoline the car needs. Parents, driver’s education teachers, and the laws of the land help teach teenagers the proper way to operate a vehicle (Simons-Morton, Ouimet, & Catalano, 2008). A smartphone is not quite the same as a car, but handing one over to your child should come with some training, education, and rules.

 This blog has discussed a few of the potential risks that come from poor use of mobile media devices and social media platforms. It has been scientifically proven that there are very real consequences to excessive social media exposure. (Livingstone & Smith, 2014).

 There are also many benefits with teenagers having access to social media platforms. Teenagers are more informed, have more access to educational materials, are able to strengthen their identity through different social platforms, and have more opportunities to be involved in worthy causes (Bers, 2010).

More Informed


On the right sidebar of Facebook there is always a list of current events. Scrolling through the search page of Instagram can show a quick glimpse at news highlights. YouTube offers suggestions on the side of their screen for related content links, as well as popular videos which often include news highlights. These are just a few examples of how teenagers are staying up to date with news headlines. The 2016 US Presidential election had a trending hashtag on Twitter and Instagram titled “too young to vote.” Teenagers were finding a way to have a voice about the political race over social media even though they were too young to vote (Ergeson, 2016).  

Social media also allows teens to stay informed with current events in their local community. They can become aware of school or church events (Austin, 2016). Not only can they be informed but they can retweet, regram, or repost information to inform their friends.

Educational Opportunities


http://cellphones.lovetoknow.com/image/214191
Social media is often a distraction in class or while doing homework, but it doesn’t have to be.  A study was done using a 7th grade classroom in the US and in Turkey to see how social media could connect these 2 classes educationally. The students in both classes were excited about the opportunity to quickly communicate with, learn from, and befriend these fellow students on the other side of the world (Tuzel & Hobbs, 2017). Social media connected these classes to improve their cross-cultural education, but educational opportunities are everywhere.  

Teenagers now use social media apps to work on group projects or for after school study sessions (Communications Team, 2015). They use social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to ask research questions or create a discussion with their friends (Austin, 2016). Teachers will use social media sites during class as a way for students to share information on the spot or to post pictures of a project they are working on (Hughes, 2016). 

Strengthen Identity


Has your child ever shown interest in things like internet coding, robotics, or cosmetology? You can do a quick search on Facebook with keywords like “coding for teens” or “robotics club” to see that there are a variety of special interest groups your child can join online. These groups help a teenager feel included and give them a sense of identity and purpose. Joining groups like these can also give a child greater confidence because they are learning and participating in a field they are interested in (Austin, 2016).

Social media allows for greater self-expression. This new social realm gives teenagers a voice through pictures, words, and videos; a voice they may not have had in a face-to-face interaction. Social media offers a greater sense of unity and connection among teenagers.  Social sites are far reaching and allow teens to unite with peers across the country or the world (Austin, 2016; Basat, 2010; Valkenburg, Peter & Schouten, 2006).

More Involved

Opportunities to volunteer and be more involved in their community are expanding because of social media. (Lee & Horsley, 2017) There is a great company called Volunteer Match that links community members with local volunteer opportunities.  Companies like this are learning that a better way to reach people is by using social media to make the matches.  Instagram is full of volunteer pages like Volunteer Match, Do Good Live Well, and even your local United Way organization.  By following these Instagram sites teenagers can see current opportunities within their community or even volunteer opportunities that are Internet based. 

 For a comprehensive list of volunteer opportunities for your children, click here.

Closing


The opportunities that come from positive social media use are limitless. The key is giving your child the right guidance and education when you give them a handheld device or allow them to access social media. Driving a car takes practice and so does proper mobile media use. If your child seems to be consumed with their mobile device, take the opportunity to start promoting positive changes that can benefit them and their community (Lee & Horsley, 2017).


Challenge


  • Do you know what a hashtag is? If not, ask your teenager.
  • As a family, search out volunteer opportunities through the sites listed above.
  • Encourage your child to find a club online that they can join

 In the following video a young teenager shares 10 positive effects of social media.





References
Austin, K. (2016, June 23). The pros and cons of social networking for teenagers: A parent's guide. Retrieved from https://www.education.com/reference/article/pros-cons-social-networking-teenagers/

Başat, B. G. (2010). Changing media experiences of young people in the age of the Internet. Global Media Journal: Mediterranean Edition, 5(1/2), 40-48. Retrieved from https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.byui.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=3fc1d1cc-b4b6-476a-a6c2-e2896dafad57@sessionmgr4009

Bers, M. U. (2010). Beyond computer literacy: Supporting youth's positive development through technology. New Directions for Youth Development, 128, 13-23. doi: 10.1002/yd.371

Communications Team. (2015, May 9). How social media can help students study. Retrieved from https://www.mheducation.com/blog/thought-leadership/how-social-media-can-help-students-study.html

Ergeson, A. (2016, November 6). Teens too young to vote find voice in social media. Retrieved from http://www.yakimaherald.com/unleashed/teens-too-young-to-vote-find-voice-in-social-media/article_1d9a6fe6-a3f2-11e6-90a6-2bb227d1afa8.html

Hughes, B. (2016, April 01). How social media is reshaping today's education system. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/273044#

Lee, A. R., & Horsley, J. S. (2017). The role of social media on positive youth development: An analysis of 4-H Facebook page and 4-H'ers' positive development. Children and Youth Services Review, 77, 127-138. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.04.014

Livingstone, S., & Smith, P. K. (2014). Annual research review: Harms experienced by child users of online and mobile technologies: The nature, prevalence and management of sexual and aggressive risks in the digital age. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 55(6), 635-654. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12197

Simons-Morton, B. G., Ouimet, M. C., & Catalano, R. F. (2008). Parenting and the young driver problem. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 35(3 Suppl), S294-S303. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2008.06.018

Tuzel, S., & Hobbs, R. (2017). The use of social media and popular culture to advance cross-cultural understanding. Comunicar, 25(51). 63-72. doi:10.3916/c51-2017-06

Valkenburg, P. M., Peter, J., & Schouten, A. P. (2006). Friend networking sites and their relationship to adolescents' well-being and social self-esteem. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 9(5), 584-590. doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9.584



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