Considered Response #2: Adolescent Identity Development and Social Media Dr.

Broom Group #1: Andrew Butterworth University of British Columbia Okanagan

Butterworth 1 The experience of adolescence has rapidly changed in twenty first century society due to the rise of social media and the sexualisation of modern popular culture. Children are being over exposed to easily accessible sexually explicit material in the media and are consequently beginning to view these behaviours as normal. Social media outlets, such as Facebook, are becoming prominent means of communication and socialization amongst teenagers and therefore must be examined when considering both the formation of adolescent identity as well as relevant twenty-first century teaching methods. As a member of generation y (McCoog, 2008), I was a frequent user of the internet growing up and one of the first adolescent generations to experience the rise of social media. Facebook exploded in popularity when I was in grade 9 and it played a large part in my own personal identity formation. By displaying what I like and what information I post on my wall, I viewed social media as an extension of high school socialization at home. I often manipulated what images I displayed of myself on my profile to create an idealized personal image. For me, I quickly discovered that the internet did away with the distinction between the public and private spheres; it was more difficult to maintain privacy in your life as an adolescent due to the constant communication between me and my peers. While the internet helped me stay connected to my peer group, I found it hindered my identity formation as I frequently sought to act like my online self, which consequently prevented me from fully exploring different aspects of my real self. Today, I feel that adolescents understand the difference between the private and public spheres even less, as they often engage in inappropriate behaviour through social media and technology, such as sexting. Sexting refers to the transmission of nude (or semi-nude) images via an electronic device as well as the transmission of sexually explicit text messages (Houck,

Butterworth 2 2013, 5). Christopher Houck (2013) asserts that increased usage of cellphones that have access to the internet has transformed communication amongst adolescents. Teenagers are more likely to send sexually explicit messages not only because they are exploring their own sexual identity, but also because they do not understand the implications of sending these messages. When examining the percentage of students engaged in sexting, Strassberg et al. (2012) determined that approximately 49.7% of adolescent males and 30.9% of adolescent females have sent or received a sexually explicit cell phone picture. Likewise, this study also indicated that 96% of the students owned cellphones and 83% had a Facebook page. These statistics reveal the major role social media plays in adolescent life. It is increasingly becoming a means through which adolescents express their personality and explore their sexual identity. While social media does provide a space for adolescents to explore their identity, it frequently offers negative risk taking opportunities. For example, sexualized images in popular culture, such as in those pornographic material which are easily accessible to youth, have created idealized images that adolescents will strive to fulfill. Consequently, these pressures placed upon youth have caused them to participate in sexting and dress in highly sexualized clothing. As Nakkula and Toshalis (2006) note, many adolescent boys receive their sexual training through visual media, specifically pornography. Adolescents are exploring their own personal sexual identity within the restrictions of social and cultural scripts or expectations, which can often be difficult to fulfill. From my experience, the frequent pressure placed upon myself by cultural expectations to be a hyper-masculine male often led to disappointment with my own identity. Even though I was content with my family, friends, and social life, these images made me feel like I needed to be so much more. I believe my instance was certainly not isolated, as I feel that many adolescents are feeling pressured by the unrealistic pressures placed upon them by social

Butterworth 3 media. Many adolescents will often go as far as to hide their gender identity to conform to societal norms and become what others what [them] to be and, as a result, will emerge from youth not having experienced a moratorium, a safe space where they can refine their identity (Nakkula and Toshalis, 2006, p. 107). To be open to support and criticism and the sense of vulnerability required to truly explore ones gender are ideas not associated with gendered norms of behaviour in twenty-first century society. Therefore, as an educator, it is my responsibility to not only have open dialogue in regards to sexual development, but also to create a home space in which adolescents can explore both their gender and sexual identities. Homeplaces should invite emotional responses along with intellectual ones, create relationships that expect open and honest sharing, while encouraging critical analysis of social forces (Nakkula and Toshalis, 2006, p. 108). One example would be a gay-straight alliance group, in which students, in collaboration with their peers and teachers, could explore and better understand a wide range of sexual identities. In these homeplaces, I can also have open dialogue around the effects and implications of social media use. For example, I can discuss the legal penalties of sexting, as young people under the age of 18 cannot legally consent to appear in images of a sexual nature and that any image of a young person in a sexual context may be deemed to constitute child pornography (Albury and Crawford, 2012, p. 469). This tactic was frequently used by my high school, as RCMP officers were brought in to make the students aware of the consequences of sexting, although I feel it was more so a scare strategy and it did not have the necessary environment for open reflection. Furthermore, as Nakkula and Toshalis (2006) assert, we as educators must re-assess our approach to sexual education to place less emphasis on the technocratic approach. In teaching sexual education, one must have open discussion about desire and pleasure, which are the basics

Butterworth 4 of what all youth need for a relevant understanding of sexuality (Nakkula and Toshalis, 2006, 189). However, I should not simply give them a sexual identity, rather help students cultivate their own identity by engaging with them in their personal exploration and creating a positive environment in which this identity can be explored. Likewise, it is my responsibility as an educator to also build this relationship with parents so that they can have these conversations with their children. One step I could take, which we discussed as a group, would be to hold an open night for parents to learn about social media and the various forms of technology that go along with it. I could provide parents with the necessary training to make them aware of what their children are accessing online and with whom they are talking online. Once parents comprehend the issue, they can have this dialogue at home as a family. Another step I could take as an educator would be to show the students and their parents the various images that adolescents are frequently exposed to on a day to day basis. This activity could be as simple as showing my students and their parents a music video or an advertisement that is sexually explicit in nature. As a teacher, I should seek to include modern technology as part of my lesson. Adolescents of today are teaching themselves the technological skills necessary to keep up with society and, consequently, are seeking this training in the classroom (McCoog, 2008; Tyson 2009). Twentyfirst century lessons should be specific but flexible while allowing for customization and the teacher should not be afraid to ask his/her students their opinions (McCoog, 2008). Technology should supplement face to face activities and teachers should be technologically literate in order facilitate student acquisition of modern skills. Social media can also serve to connect teachers and students and allow them to collaborate on projects from different regions while engaging students that would otherwise not have participated in classroom discussion

Butterworth 5 (Preston, 2011). Rather than try to work around technology, I feel that it should be a part of the foundation of my lesson. In an age dominated by social media, adolescent identity development has been greatly affected by the sexualisation of culture. As educators, we must strive to create a space in which students, teachers, and parents can engage in dialogue about these issues in order to more effectively help students explore their sexual and gender identities. That said, we must not avoid social media and work around it when discussing these problems, but rather try to work through it, placing it at the core of twenty-first century education.

Butterworth 6 References Albury, K. (2012). Sexting, consent and young people's ethics: Beyond Megan's Story. Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies (26) 3, 463-473. Houck, C. (2013). Youth sexting: Balancing media representations and emerging data. Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter. 29 (1), 4-6. Persistent link: http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN =84510 402&login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site McCoog, I. J (2008).21st century teaching and learning (ERIC database online submission). http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED 502607 Nakkula, M.J. & Toshalis, E. (2006). Understanding youth: Adolescent development for Educators. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press. Preston, J. (2011). Rules to stop pupil and teacher from getting too social online. NY Times. Persistent link: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=69723034&login.asp &site=e Tyson, T. (2009). Rediscovering substance of soul in 21st century middle schools. Middle School Journal, 37-40.