For teens social media can be a
really fun tool, but at times it can cause a lot of headaches. According to the
article, Conflict, Friendship and
Technology, “Digital media plays a role in these less happy elements of
teens’ friendships, both as a source of and platform for drama and conflict,
and as a conduit through which the connection can be severed and walls erected
when a friendship ends.” Teens today label problems on social media as drama
instead of bullying. According to the study 68% of the teens who participated
in the study and participate in social media report they have witnessed people
stirring up drama on these social media platforms. The study found that girls
are more likely than boys to state that they have seen drama created on social
media. For this study the social media that was most frequently used by teens
who participated was Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram.
The economic status of families also
plays a role in the drama their kids witness on social media. The study found
that only 59% of teens whose families earn less than $30,000 have experienced
people creating drama on social media as opposed to 70% of teens from wealthier
families. I think this happens because teens that come from higher income
families have more access to social media through electronic devices such as
smartphones and tablets. The more kids have access to these devices the more
likely they are to use social media. Kids from lower income families do not
have as much access to these devices so social media are not as prevalent in
their daily lives.
Many of the teens who participated
in the focus groups for this study discussed that conflicts and drama flow
between online and in person. Some teens stated that something silly that started
online was then blown out of proportion in person. Others said that personal
problems then escalated and got worse online because online more people are
able to join in and add fuel to the fire. One teen explained that drama escalates
more online because people are more willing to say things online that they normally
would not say in person because they have the ability to hide behind their
computer or phone screens. The teen also explained that once the conflict blows
up online it just keeps growing because other individuals have the ability to
join and feed into the problem. I agree with what this teen stated. Even as an
adult I have found that people become bolder or brazen when they have the
ability to hide behind a screen.
Teens who participated in this study
also discussed some of the factors that contribute to online conflicts. The most
common response was a simple misunderstanding. One teen stated that just the
way you type something can be misunderstood and can turn into a big argument. Another
teen said that sometimes the lack of closure can make a problem bigger. This teen
in particular felt that problems can be eliminated faster when issues are
resolved in person rather than online when you cannot see the person’s true
reaction. I have to agree with this particular teen. When problems are solved
online you really do not know if the person was sincere or not and the lack of
closure can often come back to cause other problems or bring back old issues.
When a friendship does come to an
end the teens in the study reported that 60% of them have taken an action such
as unfriending, blocking or deleting photos of a former friend. Girls were
found more likely than boys to take one of these actions. The study found that
63% of girls were likely to unfriend a former friend as opposed to only 53% of
boys. It was found that unfriending was more likely to happen among older teens
than younger ones. Of the teens in the study 43% of them admit to blocking a
former friend. Finally 42% of the teens admitted to removing photos of a former
friend from their social media accounts.
Social media is supposed to be a
place to share happy moments. At least that is why I use Instagram. I have a
personal account and on it I share pictures of my daughter so my family can see
her. Unfortunately some do abuse social media and use it for negative purposes
like to stir up drama. If we all use social media responsibly then we should
not have any problems.
Pew Reading Total For This Article: 6 pages
Current Total Pew Readings: 68 pages
This is an interesting article. I have seen first hand with my teenage stepdaughter how social media can be used incorrectly and the drama that occurs from it. Like with many other things, when used correctly social media can be a great tool. However, when it is used for drama, bullying, and spying, it can be devastating.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting observations. I guess if people are going to act badly they'll find a way to do it. Technology can be a tool for this, too...
ReplyDelete