As a hovering mom, which I am, I think that social media has pros and cons. I want to say more cons than pros, but my views are seriously jaded and I know it. I worked in a State Prison, with 1200 maximum level inmates, and over 400 of them doing a life sentence. I live by the universal fact that “anybody is capable of anything”. So, in my personal opinion, I know I’m jaded, and I don’t know if I will ever be able to change that, however, I am open to hearing others arguments and opinions, and I don’t discredit them as invaluable. I think there is always value in hearing people out, and learning about another perspective. Through that learning, we grow as individuals and it helps shape the world around us.
I have 3 “teenage” sons, 13, 15 and 18. Needless to say, they are all about social media (when I didn’t even have a cell phone as a teen). I have to know about social media and do some prying into their lives, because let’s face it, I’m their mom, and I believe it’s my job to keep them safe and know what’s going on in their lives (to an extent). When I came across the article from CNN about social media being good for teens, I was interested in the perspective. I also considered how social media can be used to target teens for causes, sales and marketing, and how those campaigns can even target the parents of those teens. The article notes that even Oxford Dictionary chose their word of the year which was “SELFIE”. I thought that was very interesting. Even a dictionary company is targeting social media users.
We all know that “Selfie” implies one taking a picture of themselves, and then positing it on social media. As a matter of fact, here is the exact excerpt from Oxford Dictionaries:
Today Oxford Dictionaries announces selfie as their international Word of the Year 2013. The Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year is a word or expression that has attracted a great deal of interest during the year to date. Language research conducted by Oxford Dictionaries editors reveals that the frequency of the word selfie in the English language has increased by 17,000% since this time last year.
Selfie can actually be traced back to 2002 when it was used in an Australian online forum. The word gained momentum throughout the English-speaking world in 2013 as it evolved from a social media buzzword to mainstream shorthand for a self-portrait photograph. http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/press-releases/oxford-dictionaries-word-of-the-year-2013/
CNN.com states, that during a study they noted: “On the whole, teens said that they feel that social media has a more positive than negative impact on their social and emotional lives,” said Shira Lee Katz, Common Sense Media’s director of digital media. “They believe that social media helps their friendships, makes them feel more outgoing and gives them confidence.” (cnn.com).
The article from CNN also notes that “Teens and this young generation in general want action,” said Elena Sonnino, a founder of the site Live.Do.Grow, social media strategist and writer who focuses on engaging tweens and teens in using their voice for social good.” (cnn.com). I found that very interesting, because when I oversaw a program for a Department of Justice grant (Office of Juvenile Justice), Yahoo wanted to mentor young people that were considered at risk. Hearing the other side of it, that teens want to use their voice for social good, ties into many of the missions of non-profit organizations, and even corporate responsibility, as in the case with Yahoo wanting to mentor kids.
Breakenridge notes that building relationships for social media campaigns is reliant on a community’s culture (Breakenridge, 2012, p. 93). Social media outlets offer that culture a community online, which can influence teens in a positive way. After reading the article by CNN about teens and social media being a positive factor in teens lives, and how it can segway into opportunities for them to learn and use social media platforms for good, I think I have to agree with that concept.
References
Breakenridge, D. (2012), Social Media and Public Relations
bing.com, image
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/21/living/social-media-positives-teens-parents/index.html