By Rebecca Plunkett

When parents think teens and social media, the negatives usually come to mind first. They normally can’t think of a positive for an online website or app that consumes most of their child’s time. Parents who have done their research have found that social media can be beneficial to their teenagers. Studies have shown that social media can make teenagers more aware of the world around them, connect more with friends and family and build self confidence, rather than break it. The positives have been found by parents who monitor their kid’s social media accounts.

In an interview conducted by CNN, Eileen Masio talked about her 13 -year-old daughter’s social media account that she checks daily. “I think just as damaging as social media can be, it can … help to build self-confidence, too.” She found that her daughter’s friends commented positive and uplifting things on pictures that she posted.

In a survey done by Common Sense Media, over 1,000 teenagers ranging from ages 13-17 answered questions relating to their use of social media. 29% of the teens interviewed said that social media made them feel less shy, compared to the 3% that said it made them feel more shy and introverted. Media can help kids who have been shy, meet new people and make new relationships in a low stress environment, where they don’t feel pressured.

In a study called “The Digital Youth Project”, that took place at the University of Southern California and the University of California Berkeley, the student’s time spent on social media was monitored. Ms. Trip, the co-author of the study said “This kind of communication has let teens expand their social circle by common interests. They can publicize and distribute their work to online audiences and become sort of a micros expert in that area.”

Many people could argue that in using social media, cyberbullying is always something that could happen. There seem to be more and more cases each day, but this is only because of how the news outlets portray social media. Social media is getting the blame for bullying, which has been around for years and is just becoming more modern. In another study done by CNN, with the help of child development experts, over 200 eighth graders around the age of 13 were asked questions about why they are so anxious to check their social media accounts. 61% of the thirteen year olds said they wanted to see if their pictures and posts were getting comments and likes. 36% said they wanted to see what their friends were doing without them and the other 21% said that they wanted to make sure people weren’t saying mean things. Teenagers should not have to worry about things like this.

In other studies, it showed that older teens, around the ages of 16 and 17 checked social media less times a day, and for different reasons, such as to see what was going on around the world, boredom, and wanting to keep up with their friends lives. The older teens get, the more social media becomes a friendly way to keep in touch, rather than a place to flaunt yourself and be jealous of others. This shows that the benefits and proper uses of social media should not only be taught to high schoolers, but middle schoolers as well.

Addiction is an idea that parents always seem to be commenting on, whether it’s the fact that we’re always on our phones, scrolling through pictures, or not doing homework. In times of boredom, often the first thing teenagers do is check social media. Teenagers  have other activities like sports, theatre, jobs, and clubs after school. Social media is a way to take a break, relax and see what’s going on with friends and people around the world. Checking social media in the morning, at lunch, and before bed is alright, as long as it doesn’t stop you from doing something or doesn’t take up too much time.

In the study previously mentioned, The Digital Youth Project, the lead author in the study, Mizuko Ito, found, “There are myths about kids spending time online- that it is dangerous or making them lazy, but we found that spending time online is essential for young people to pick up the social and technical skills they need to be competent citizens in the digital age.”  In the modern society that we live in, social media skills are need not only for entertainment but jobs as well.

Social media does have negatives and positives, but it all depends on how you choose to use it. If teens are educated on how to use social media and what can happen, I don’t think it’s such a bad thing. Being connected to friends and family and being able to see what’s going on around the world is a positive side of social media.