Cate, 16
Media Consumption: Average 6 hours on weekdays, average 11 hours on weekends
Favorite Media/Technology: Instagram
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
I’d say that me and my family don’t really communicate or interact with each other a lot online because we don’t use that platform as a main form of communication. It's a very distant relationship but we use family group chats to share good meals or to update each other.
How do you and your friends interact with media/technology?
I would say we interact with each other a lot on social media because it is where we have a lot of our conversations when we’re not in school, we talk a lot about drama and our lives and stuff that’s going on or we use it to complement each other on each others posts just to interact in general.
What's the most used media among your friends?
Definitely Instagram because that’s where everyone is at, everyone has the app and like honestly that’s where people like to stalk you with. That’s where everyone shares aspects of their lives and you can directly communicate with people from Instagram.
What do you think about Instagram removing likes?
I 100% like it, I think that it’s a great thing they did that because I know people are always concerned with likes and honestly since they removed the feature I don’t care what I post anymore as long as I like the post I post it without thinking or without having the concern that oh I'm going to take this down because I don’t have a lot of likes.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
My least favorite thing is that it's a big distraction, I've become dependent on my phone it removes my focus from other important things that I need to get done.
What do you use media for?
I use media mainly for entertainment I like staying in the loop for pop culture, shopping, watching movies or shows and I also like sharing aspects of my life, my accomplishments with people who follow me and friends and stuff.
How are you using media during the COVID-19 pandemic?
It was different in social media because in social media, I deleted all my media platforms because it got very toxic for me during COVID since I couldn’t go outside and interact with people. All I was exposed to was online and so I took steps to delete it because it got really unhealthy because it was all I was focused on but in technology I used Zoom a lot to attend classes online but on social media I didn't have any.
What was toxic about it?
I think because everyone was at home it just got boring all the time and so being on it and seeing all my other friends hanging out when I couldn’t go out was very sad to me and I didn’t want to see it altogether, so I just deleted it.
What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/ play/ interact with to know?
For developers, I feel like they need to have more regulation on what gets shared on media platforms because there's a lot of dangerous subjects, a lot of dangerous people online that people get exposed to and it's also just really affects their own personality and wellbeing. There should be more regulation on what gets shared online and what the type of people can have access to online but for influencers and content creators I would say, be honest in the content that you are creating, be careful what you share and don’t create some false reality to people who watch your content because if you're just doing it for the views then it's very toxic and if you're gonna be promoting items that aren’t good for your fans knowing you have a really big following look up to you, be more aware of what you post and be honest with your following.
Because you’re a teenager, how do you think media affects you differently? Do you feel like technology and media satisfy development needs like romantic relationships, belonging or do you feel like media makes it worse and doesn’t satisfy those needs?
It definitely hurts your wellbeing because when you’re really young you compare yourself a lot. You're at a stage where you're not really developed. Social media has affected my well being because I compare my life with other adults and 16 yr olds. It makes a downward comparison because you compare your life with others online and it creates a negative outlook on what you have and make you really ungrateful and not seeing things for how it is because you’re comparing on what other people choose to share when it's not what their real life is like.
If you were a parent, what age would you give your child access to media and how would you guide them, would you be strict or not?
At 15 or 16 I would give them access to media because I wouldn't have a phone if I was 12 because I would post really embarrassing things and just thinking about your digital footprint just save yourself from the embarrassing posts. I would give them access when they are older, mature and more sure of themselves to use it. I wouldn’t be too strict. Our mom raised us with a lot of privacy and freedom and I would want the same for my kids as well like maybe following them is the most I would do but regulating what they share I wouldn’t be strict because if I was a parent I would teach them the dangers and hope they apply them as they navigate the digital world.
Interviewed by: Cassandra Rabaya, UCLA Student
Sarvin, 14
Media Consumption: 8 hours per day
Favorite Media/Technology: TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
We have a family group chat where we text and my dad sends me funny videos on Instagram. My mom also sends me pictures of her new artwork through text messages or Instagram.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
We talk about our day on FaceTime, send pictures through Snapchat and keep each other updated throughout the day.
What do you use media for?
Socializing with friends and posting pictures of myself.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
My least favorite thing about social media is having to see people be brought down by others for no reason. My favorite thing about social media is that it allows me to talk to my friends and express myself.
What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/play/interact with to know?
I want to have a precise screen recording of what people do when they visit my Instagram account. Also, I want to be the only one who has access to this information.
What media are you using more now because of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Literally everything. I use my phone more in general. I am also posting more often on Instagram and Snapchat.
Where do you get most of your information to learn more about changes during the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?
Instagram is where I get most of my information from. Everything goes around really fast there.
What media has been helping you stay busy/stay calm during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Netflix has been my best friend during the pandemic.
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic?
I’ve learned that I have to be more careful trusting people online and the information I share with others.
Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic?
I started spending more time using media and technology during the pandemic and because of that now I know how to better manage my media use, meaning that I know what to post, what not to post, what to believe online, and what not to.
Interviewed by: Sepideh Torab, UCLA Student
What Teens Really Think About Their Social Media Lives: Tips for Storytellers
Social Media and Teens
© Photo by Jen Siska
In Common Sense Media’s latest research, teens share their experiences on everything from digital distraction to how social media makes them feel.
What teenagers look like they’re doing and what they’re actually doing can be two totally different things — especially when it comes to social media. A bored-looking ninth-grader could be majorly bonding with her new BFF on Snapchat. A 10th-grade gamer may complain loudly when you cut off his internet but be secretly relieved. An awkward eighth-grader may be YouTube’s hottest star. To find out what’s really going on in teens’ social media lives, Common Sense Media polled more than 1,100 13- to 17-year-olds in its latest nationally-representative research, Social Media, Social Life: Teens Reveal Their Experiences. The new study updates our 2012 study on teens and social media with surprising new findings that address many of parents’ most pressing concerns about issues such as cyberbullying, depression, and even the popularity of Facebook (spoiler alert: It’s not).
Why now? Today, 89 percent of teens have their own smartphones (compared with 41 percent in 2012). They grew up right alongside Instagram and Snapchat. They do research papers on Google Classroom, find emotional support on teen forums, share poetry on Tumblr, and may text “I love you” before they’d ever say it to your face. But concerns over the negative consequences of social media have grown in tandem with its popularity among teens. Grim reports on teen suicide, addiction, cyberbullying, and eroding social skills have caused many people, from parents to teachers to the tech industry itself, to look at social media as a potential contributor — if not the cause — of these issues. This survey clarifies some of those concerns and draws attention to the reasons some kids are deeply affected by — and connected to — their digital worlds.
Key Findings of Social Media Report & Actionable Insights:
Thumbs mostly up. Only a very few teens say that using social media has a negative effect on how they feel about themselves; many more say it has a positive effect. Twenty-five percent say social media makes them feel less lonely (compared to 3 percent who say more); eighteen percent say it makes them feel better about themselves (compared to 4 percent who say worse); and 16 percent say it makes them feel less depressed (compared to 3 percent who say more).
Managing devices is hit or miss. Many turn off, silence, or put away their phones at key times such as when going to sleep, having meals with people, visiting family, or doing homework. But many others do not: A significant number of teens say they “hardly ever” or “never” silence or put away their devices.
Less talking, more texting. In 2012, about half of all teens still said their favorite way to communicate with friends was in person; today less than a third say so. But more than half of all teens say that social media takes them away from personal relationships and distracts them from paying attention to the people they’re with.
Vulnerable teens need extra support. Social media is significantly more important in the lives of vulnerable teens (those who rate themselves low on a social-emotional well-being scale). This group is more likely to say they’ve had a variety of negative responses to social media (such as feeling bad about themselves when nobody comments on or likes their posts). But they’re also more likely to say that social media has a positive rather than a negative effect on them.
Tips for Storytellers:
Show kids (and their parents) putting phones away or on “do not disturb” at key times, such as mealtimes or bedtime. Kids know social media can get in the way of important things, but they have a hard time regulating their own use. Modeling mindful and intentional use can help to normalize behaviors. It’s also worthwhile to depict kids who take phone breaks for a day or more to feel less distracted, or to avoid digital drama.
Highlight the teens who need the most help. An honest depiction of teen social media use for a depressed teen might include a teen feeling unusually happy after receiving online validation (through likes or replies), but also deeply affected by comparing themselves negatively to others online (like on Instagram), or not getting likes or feedback after posting something.
Show the creative side of media to inspire teens to use media to learn and grow. Teens express themselves in a variety of ways on social media: creating and sharing art, photography, poetry and other writing, and music. Take care to show kids creating with their mobile devices, and not just consuming or mindlessly scrolling.
To find out the latest on what teens are doing on social media, check out Common Sense Media.
Michael Robb, Ph.D.
Senior Director of Research, Common Sense
Collaborator of The Center for Scholars & Storytellers
Caroline Knorr
Senior Parenting Editor, Common Sense