

Risksĭespite the benefits, social media is also filled with risk. Other benefits include developing thinking and writing skills as they post to blogs or other online forums, and connecting with others to discuss shared interests. Looking at large amounts of data via the internet can enhance teens’ abilities to interpret and manipulate information. Access to a wide variety of resources helps them with school projects, as well as pursuing personal interests such as sports, and music. If teens need to find information, they look to the internet first. Using an online social networking site and getting information about a college or university they are thinking of attending (both 55%).Watching videos on video sharing sites (57%).Sending or receiving instant messages (68%).Getting information about news and current events (77%).
#Umn medis tv#
Going to websites about movies, TV shows, music groups or sports stars (81%).From the teen’s viewpoint, the internet is a place to “hang out.” When asked, teens told Common Sense Media the top five activities they use the internet for are: The internet provides many opportunities to teens for connection and information gathering. With so many people and organizations using social media, teens make accessing social media to stay informed can feel like a necessity. Schools, universities, news outlets, and companies all have a social media presence. Ordinary people become celebrities through reality shows on television or a viral social media post. Entertainment, sports, and political celebrities live out their lives in the focus of public attention. Consider the world in which today’s teens are growing up. Teens are not using social media in isolation. As today’s teens grow up, they view social media as an online place to “hang out” and connect with friends around mutual interests. Maintaining existing friendships is reported as one of the most common reasons for using social media. Teens’ developmental needs match well with what social media has to offer: developing friendships, figuring out their identities, and establishing social status by being “in the know.” For example, it is typical for teens to try on different identities based on pop culture.

In the United States, YouTube has become the most popular social media platform with 85 percent of 13 to 17 year olds using it, 72% use Instagram, 69% use Snapchat, 51% use Facebook, and it’s estimated that 69% of US teens are monthly TikTok users. The 2018 PEW report on Teens, Social Media & Technology reveals in addition to popular sites such as YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, there are hundreds of others that appeal to specific groups or are used in other parts of the world, like LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, Reddit, and Pinterest. Mobile devices like smartphones, laptops, and tablets make the internet and social media easily accessible to teens. By being informed, parents can make the best decisions about monitoring their teens’ social media use and equipping them with skills to navigate these platforms with care. Parents may benefit from learning more about these platforms and the ways they influence the lives of their teens. That allows teens to extend the time they spend with people they already know - and sometimes with those they don’t.įor teens, social media platforms is an everyday part of life. According to a 2018 Pew Internet and American Life Project survey, 95% of teens have access to a smartphone and 45% say they are online “almost constantly.” Social media along with gaming sites and instant messaging, allow teens to have 24/7 access to peer networks through cell phones and other mobile devices. Use of the internet is a big part of teens’ lives.
