(Not sure if this goes here (about social media), in P&G (news-type stuff), or in S&T (scientific study).)
Common Sense Media has released a study about how teens view the social media in their lives. You can find the full report, as well as a handy infographic,
here.
Good news:
- Despite widespread cyber-bullying, more teenagers feel uplifted by social media than depressed by it.
- Teens understand that offline time and IRL social interaction are important. Nearly half of them prefer in-person communication over any other form.
Bad news:
- Girls are much more likely than boys to edit photos before posting them online. This smacks of body insecurity, which is worse in girls primarily because of the horrifyingly-over-Photoshopped images in fashion magazines.
- Most teens who want to quit social networking altogether feel this way because of racist, sexist, or homophobic cyberbullying.
Overall, it looks like most teenagers have a pretty good grasp of what social networking is good for, and that it isn't a substitute for face-to-face interaction. Yay!