The upside of selfies: Social media isn't all bad for kids

By Kelly Wallace, CNN

07/10/2014

I admit that when I think about teens and

social media, I immediately begin to count
the negatives.
What good could possibly come from teens
and tweens spending hours on online
networks, posting nonstop "selfies," and often
communicating with people they don't even
know?
I joke to my girls, ages 6 and 7, that they
can't get iPhones until they're 40.
But then I chat with other moms, and a picture emerges that social media is not
always the scary enemy some of us might think it is for our tweens and teens.
Eileen Masio, a mom of two in New York, monitors her daughter Amelia's
Instagram account 24/7. Yes, most of the posts are "selfies," but the comments
make her think there is also a positive side to this nonstop interaction.
"I think as damaging as social media can be, it can help to build self-confidence,
too," said Masio. "When they post selfies, all the comments I usually see are
'You're beautiful,' 'You're so pretty,' 'Oh my God, gorgeous!'"
In fact, according to a report last year, one in five teens said social media makes
them feel more confident, compared with 4% who said it makes them feel less
so.
The survey asked more than 1,000 13- to 17-year-olds how they view their digital
lives. When it comes to relationships with friends, more than half (52%) of teens
said social media has made them better. Just 4% said it has negatively affected
those relationships.
"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."
adapted from: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/21/living/social-media-positives-teens-parents/

Social media is harming the mental health of teenagers.

by June Eric Udorie for The Guardian
16/09/2015

The digital landscape puts a lot of pressure on

teenagers today, and we feel it. There are so
many social media channels: Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr and others. I made
a decision to avoid Snapchat and Instagram
because of the social pressure I see them
putting on my 14-year-old little sister. If my
mum turns off the WiFi at 11pm, my sister begs
me to turn my phone into a hotspot. She always
needs to load her Snapchat stories one more time, or to reply to a message
because she doesnt want her friend to feel ignored. If I refuse, and tell her to
wait until the morning, I get the Youre ruining my social life speech. Even as a
teenager myself, I sometimes find this craze a little confusing.
A new study has found that teenagers who use social media during the
night could be damaging their sleep and increasing their risk of anxiety and
depression. Teenagers spoke about the pressure they felt to be available 24/7,
and the resulting anxiety if they did not respond immediately to texts or posts.
Teens are so emotionally invested in social media that one in five secondary
school pupils will wake up at night and log on, just to make sure they dont miss
out.
Perhaps the worst thing about this is that teenagers need more sleep than adults
do. That means night-time social media use could be bad for their health.
Research shows that teenagers need 9.5 hours of sleep each night but usually
only get 7.5 hours. A lack of sleep can make teenagers tired, irritable, depressed
and more likely to get colds, flu and stomach bugs. These days, I am always tired
at school, and I dont stay up until 2am chatting with a boy! Im up late working
because of the pressure to have perfect grades. And most of my classmates are
exhausted too.
During the summer holidays, I lost my phone and it felt like a disaster. I love my
phone. It gives me quick access to information and it allows me to be constantly
connected with my friends. So when I didnt have my phone for a week, I felt a
slight sense of FOMO - fear of missing out. By the end of the week, Id got used
to not having a phone and I enjoyed the break from social media. But at the back
of my mind, was sadness that I had missed conversations, messages, funny
videos and night-time chats.
adapted from: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/16/social-media-mentalhealth-teenagers-government-pshe-lessons

Below are 6 questions about both texts. Look at your text. Which
questions can you answer?
Write your answers below.
Underline the part of the text that gave you the answer.
1. What problems are caused by using social media at night?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

2. How many teens feel social media has improved their relationships?

______________________________________________________________________________
_

3. Teenagers think social media helps them with which parts of their lives?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

4. Why does June stay awake at night?

______________________________________________________________________________
_

5. What do one in five teenagers do?

______________________________________________________________________________
_

6. Whats the average amount of sleep teenagers get per night?

______________________________________________________________________________
_

Now share your answers with a pair who read the other text.

Homework
Write a short article giving your opinion about the following:
Is Social Media bad for teenagers?
In your article you should:

State your opinion clearly

Give reasons for your opinion
Use clear paragraphs
write 150-200 words

You may use ideas from the texts and discussion from the lesson, but use your
own words as much as possible.