Coming of Age in the Digital Age: Telling a Stronger Social Media Story
“Eight years after the original website went dark, a new generation of New York private school teens are introduced to the social surveillance of Gossip Girl. The prestige series will address just how much social media—and the landscape of New York itself—has changed in the intervening years.”
So reads the official series summary for the 2021 reboot of early aughts TV hit Gossip Girl. We’re currently steeped in ‘90s/‘2000s nostalgia, and the show was highly anticipated. But it’s since been widely panned in reviews as failing to recapture the vitality of its predecessor. Why?
One reason is that the primary storytelling device—an omnipresent narrator using social media— feels a little stale. For many years social media has been the bogeyman in portrayals of modern adolescence, to the extent that it has become a trope (see for example Hard Candy, 2005; Nerve, 2014; and 13 Reasons Why, 2017). And as use of social media as a storytelling device becomes more repetitive, these stories become more dark and cynical—and more predictable.
The reason this storyline is so common is that it reflects the popular narrative that social media is inherently damaging to adolescents. Our research has found that the “Social Media and Mental Health” narrative popularized in the media reinforces the deeply ingrained assumption that the modern world poses a series of threats to children and teenagers. Technology, in this narrative, exposes adolescents to “too much too soon,” damaging self-esteem, increasing the risk of bullying, and driving the fragmentation of community relationships and the breakdown of the nuclear family. In this line of reasoning, little good can come from social media, a perception reflected in Euphoria’s plot line about revenge porn and underage pornography, and the anonymous trolling that propels the story forward in Gossip Girl 2.0.
In reality, the role social media plays in adolescents’ lives is more nuanced. Although recent revelations show how damaging social media can be, it also allows adolescents to do important developmental tasks like exploring their identities and making independent decisions in a new way. Young people who feel marginalized at home and school often find support online, where they can connect with others who share their experiences and interests—especially important for young people who may feel stigmatized, like LGTBQ+ youth. Social media makes it easier to find community and become involved in civic action and volunteering. Adolescents organize for change online, connecting, learning, and building support for social justice in their communities. Social media has been critical for young people’s political advocacy around BLM, climate change, voting, gun safety, and other high-impact issues. These examples include all the hallmarks of good stories, including conflict, tension, and controversy—but also relatable characters and relationships an audience can root for.
Depicting social media as inherently dangerous does a disservice to adolescents who need support as they navigate their digital lives, and these days doing so may not even make for a good story. So how can we tell better stories and convey social media as a potential force for good?
Center stories around concepts of discovery and exploration over “doom and gloom,” to help people think about how technology helps young people find their identities.
Through plot, use social media as a device that connects adolescents to their communities, rather than tearing them apart.
Tell stories about how social media fosters civic and political engagement. Avoid stereotypical portrayals of young people as zombies glued to their phones, and instead show how they are becoming active and engaged citizens.
Create characters who connect through social media to lift each other up, rather than spread mean-spirited gossip.
When exploring the connection between social media use and mental health, lead with the positives, don’t just dwell on the over-familiar risks and harms. Social media can support young people’s mental health in important ways, too.
Now more than ever—with so much of our lives online due to COVID—it’s time to tell stories that capture the reality of social media and adolescence. Social media isn’t just a risk, it’s an opportunity, and in 2022 it’s only becoming more important for young people. Social media continues to evolve, as does adolescents’ use of it as a tool and a medium for expression. Stories about social media and adolescence should evolve, as well.
Freelancer
