Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, etc. Everyone has an opinion about the influence these social media giants have on teens. Regardless of what the sometimes-conflicting experts say, we still have to help teens manage themselves on these platforms.
Here are a few ideas.
Understanding the Impact
What goes on inside the heart of a girl as she scrolls through her Facebook feed? How does a “re-tweet” impact the mind of a young man? Now we know for sure….
Brain mappers – yep, that’s actually a real job – wanted to discover what took place inside the heads of teenagers who use social media…so a few of them from UCLA hooked up 32 teenagers to MRIs and turned them loose on a customized platform akin to Instagram. What they found is certainly interesting.
For starters, the “reward center” of the brain lit up the more a student’s picture/post/comment was “liked.” The students’ nucleus accumbens – the part of the brain that reacts to pleasures such as food, sex, and money – became more active when they saw favorable responses to their online activity. (Of course, the “likes” weren’t coming from their peers, but a group of researchers on the other side of the screen.)
Speaking of peers, researchers tend to believe that kids’ friends have a major influence on what they like. “Normal” pics like food or friends were shown to the test subjects, as were images of “risky” items such as alcohol or cigarettes. But the test subjects didn’t seem to favor any item (risky or not) over another. Instead, they tended to “like” the pics with the most “likes.”
Furthermore, the researchers concluded that interaction with social media definitely impacts the brain’s plasticity – the way the organ functions after it’s experienced different inputs. Interestingly, this change is not always good, as evidenced by porn’s impact on developing minds. But social media’s influence on the brain’s plasticity isn’t always bad; interacting with large groups at one time, even from behind a screen, can potentially make kids more perceptive/aware.
Good or Bad (or Both)?
That’s just it, isn’t it? There are definitely some pros to social media…but there are certainly cons, as well. Some talk about the “downsides of social media” such as narcissism, addiction, and anxiety to name a few, but those results tend to spring from excessive use or outright misuse of these platforms. Other adults see “social media as great for teenagers,” but some of these “pros” can just as easily cause self-inflicted wounds if our teenagers aren’t careful.
The bottom line is this: when a teenager uses social media, there’s always going to be the possibility they walk away more informed or more connected…or wounded. But those outcomes don’t need to be based on a roll of the dice. There are many ways youth leaders and parents can put the odds in their kids’ favor. Here are three very simple ones.
- Lead them by example. There is no better way to jeopardize your teens’ social media involvement than by modeling poor habits yourself. Likewise, there is no better way to encourage your teens’ positive social media practices than by leading the way through your own example. One of the most important lessons we can teach is simply knowing when to turn social media off. (By the way, adults aren’t so good at this if new research is to be believed. It seems we aren’t so good at unplugging…even if we’re on vacation.) Moms and dads should declare certain parts of the day, for example, car rides and family meals, to be “social media free.” Likewise, youth leaders shouldn’t be focused on tweeting if they’re visiting a school cafeteria or trying to connect with a young person over a milkshake and fries. There are definitely other areas in which we need to lead by example when it comes to social media, but one of the easiest is to just know when to disconnect.
- Show them where the landmines are. Social media has plenty…especially for young users. From cyber-bullying to sharing too much personal contact information to knowing how to deal with a troubled friend, there are some lessons that kids don’t need to learn the hard way. Make sure you have helped your teenagers establish a safe route through all the funk that lies in wait in social media land. This will help them take advantage of all that social media has to offer their growth…while virtually eliminating all the incumbent risks.
- Engage them about their online lives. This goes far beyond just “friending” them on Facebook or following them on Twitter. Too many parents and youth leaders don’t engage teenagers about what they see in their online lives. You walk with them through the real world, right? Why not the online world, too? If your daughter’s friend posts something mean about a teacher, ask her questions like, “Do you think that was wise?” or “What do you think could come of that, good or bad?” If your son’s friend posts pics of alcohol consumption, you might want to ask him about that particular friend’s habits and influence. Whatever you do, don’t remain silent and let them try to figure things out on their own. Talk with them every chance you get.
If you think about it, loving adults already do all three of these in the “real” world. We just need to make sure we do this in the “online” world, too. We are the best insurance policy teenagers have to help guarantee that social media is a blessing and not a curse.
David R. Smith
David R. Smith is the author of several books including Christianity... It's Like This and speaks to parents and leaders across the U.S. David is a 15-year youth ministry veteran, now a senior pastor, who specializes in sharing the gospel, and equipping others do the same. David provides free resources to anyone who works with teenagers on his website, DavidRSmith.org David resides with his wife and son in Tampa, Florida.
Recommended To You
Robertjed
March 12, 2025 at 5:57 amI was skeptical not far from CBD at first off, but after exasperating them like delta 9 thc tincture, I’m exceptionally impressed. They presentation a suitable and enjoyable custom to undergo CBD without any hassle. I’ve noticed a calming force, outstandingly in the evenings, which has helped with both weight and sleep. The best some is the pre-measured dosage, so there’s no guessing involved. If you’re looking on the side of an uncomplicated and shreds way to acquaintance CBD, gummies are definitely value in view of—just survive steady to pay off from a reputable sort!
Jeromesic
March 21, 2025 at 9:53 amalo789: alo 789 – dang nh?p alo789
Arthurwef
March 24, 2025 at 12:27 amhttps://interpharmonline.shop/# legitimate canadian pharmacy
canadian pharmacy online
MonteMap
March 24, 2025 at 6:43 amMexican Pharm Inter mexican pharmacy online store MexicanPharmInter
MonteMap
March 24, 2025 at 3:50 pmmexican drug stores online mexican pharmacy online order Mexican Pharm International
Arthurwef
March 24, 2025 at 4:36 pmhttps://indiamedfast.shop/# IndiaMedFast.com
canadian pharmacy antibiotics
Jamesjiz
March 24, 2025 at 4:45 pmvipps approved canadian online pharmacy: certified canada pharmacy online – canada pharmacy 24h
MonteMap
March 25, 2025 at 2:40 amlowest prescription prices online india online pharmacy india india pharmacy without prescription
MonteMap
March 25, 2025 at 2:27 pmcanadian pharmacy no scripts Online pharmacy USA cheap canadian pharmacy online
KennethLus
March 26, 2025 at 1:02 amhttps://kamagrakopen.pro/# Kamagra
DwayneLah
March 26, 2025 at 2:27 amKamagra Kopen Online kamagra jelly kopen Kamagra
DwayneLah
March 26, 2025 at 12:06 pmcheapest viagra buy generic 100mg viagra online Generic 100mg Easy
KennethLus
March 27, 2025 at 1:24 amhttps://generic100mgeasy.com/# buy generic 100mg viagra online
DwayneLah
March 27, 2025 at 9:54 amGeneric100mgEasy Order Viagra 50 mg online Generic 100mg Easy
DwayneLah
March 27, 2025 at 9:22 pmcialis without a doctor prescription Tadalafil Easy Buy TadalafilEasyBuy.com
Williamben
March 28, 2025 at 4:10 amGeneric100mgEasy: Generic100mgEasy – Generic 100mg Easy
GregoryAnter
March 28, 2025 at 7:18 amKamagra Kopen: kamagra pillen kopen – kamagra 100mg kopen
DwayneLah
March 28, 2025 at 8:49 amCialis without a doctor prescription Tadalafil Tablet Buy Tadalafil 20mg
GregoryAnter
March 28, 2025 at 2:05 pmkamagra 100mg kopen: kamagra jelly kopen – kamagra 100mg kopen
TerryErose
March 28, 2025 at 5:51 pmhttps://tadalafileasybuy.shop/# cialis without a doctor prescription
DwayneLah
March 28, 2025 at 7:48 pmbuy generic 100mg viagra online Sildenafil 100mg price Order Viagra 50 mg online
Jamesmig
March 29, 2025 at 10:05 amпин ап – пинап казино
DwayneLah
March 29, 2025 at 10:35 amOfficiele Kamagra van Nederland Officiele Kamagra van Nederland kamagra kopen nederland
Williampaics
March 29, 2025 at 11:50 pmпин ап зеркало – пин ап казино
DwayneLah
March 29, 2025 at 11:58 pmTadalafil Easy Buy Tadalafil Easy Buy TadalafilEasyBuy.com
DwayneLah
March 30, 2025 at 11:22 amGeneric100mgEasy Generic 100mg Easy buy Viagra online
Jamesmig
March 30, 2025 at 6:14 pmpinup 2025 – пин ап зеркало
DwayneLah
March 30, 2025 at 10:54 pmGeneric100mgEasy Generic100mgEasy Generic 100mg Easy
Malcolmnag
March 31, 2025 at 8:19 amKamagra Gel Kamagra Oral Jelly Kamagra Original
MichaelTwedO
March 31, 2025 at 3:10 pmKamagra online bestellen: Kamagra kaufen – Kamagra Oral Jelly kaufen
Malcolmnag
March 31, 2025 at 5:35 pmKamagra Gel Kamagra Oral Jelly Kamagra Gel
Malcolmnag
April 1, 2025 at 4:35 amOnline apotheek Nederland zonder recept Betrouwbare online apotheek zonder recept de online drogist kortingscode
Malcolmnag
April 1, 2025 at 3:52 pmapotek online apotek online Apoteket online
HomerHop
April 2, 2025 at 1:15 amhttps://apotheekmax.shop/# Beste online drogist
MichaelTwedO
April 2, 2025 at 1:49 amOnline apotheek Nederland zonder recept: Apotheek online bestellen – de online drogist kortingscode
Malcolmnag
April 2, 2025 at 3:02 amApoteket online apotek online recept apotek online
Malcolmnag
April 2, 2025 at 2:52 pmKamagra kaufen ohne Rezept Kamagra Original Kamagra Oral Jelly kaufen
MichaelTwedO
April 2, 2025 at 5:01 pmApotek hemleverans recept: apotek online recept – apotek pa nett
Malcolmnag
April 3, 2025 at 2:04 amOnline apotheek Nederland met recept ApotheekMax Online apotheek Nederland zonder recept
RobertFem
April 3, 2025 at 12:08 pmAgb Mexico Pharm Agb Mexico Pharm Agb Mexico Pharm
Matthewexogs
April 3, 2025 at 1:23 pmhttp://wwwindiapharm.com/# online pharmacy india
EdwinHug
April 3, 2025 at 2:54 pmmexico pharmacies prescription drugs: Agb Mexico Pharm – Agb Mexico Pharm
EdwinHug
April 3, 2025 at 8:38 pmindia pharmacy mail order: indian pharmacy paypal – www india pharm
ChesterWob
April 3, 2025 at 9:52 pmindia pharmacy mail order: indian pharmacies safe – top 10 online pharmacy in india
RobertFem
April 3, 2025 at 9:57 pmwww india pharm cheapest online pharmacy india www india pharm
ChesterWob
April 4, 2025 at 8:50 amwww india pharm: www india pharm – www india pharm
RobertFem
April 4, 2025 at 10:16 amwww india pharm www india pharm india online pharmacy