Activating student voice: What the New York Times discovered students want adults to know about social media
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The New York Times recently talked with students from around the country and reported on what they want adults to know about their lives online– and their answers were surprising, to say the least. What’s not surprising, however, is that students spend a large portion of their time online. Many students have a whole other life on the internet, some even saw the internet as a “world of endless possibilities.” While the general consensus about social media was positive, most students agreed that it doesn’t come without its downsides. Here is what you need to know:
The Ups, Downs, and Misunderstandings of Social Media
When The New York Times interviewed students about their social media use, the typical apps that you’d expect to be mentioned, came up: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube are among the most popular apps that students use. But what about how students view social media? What do they think adults don’t understand? Here is what they had to say:
Students are struggling to strike a balance between life and social media:
“A lot of the time, I procrastinate online instead of being productive and doing my work. Not only does this prevent me from finishing stuff efficiently, but it also distracts me from it; I can barely even focus… It sometimes feels as if my phone is attached to my hand; I can’t put it down and do other things.”
— Olivia, Masterman School, Philadelphia, PA
“… Just last night, I caught myself mindlessly scrolling, as if it was a task rather than a choice. When I have nothing else to do, I immediately expect myself to open my phone. The internet has become something I “have” to use, rather than something I “get” to use.”
— Casey, Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn, IL
However, students view social media as having “endless possibilities”
“It is the greatest entertainment known to the real world. It has provided me with a positive escape from the world and its negativity whether that be fun through random games, streaming services, or apps like TikTok. Also, the insane surplus of information is very useful to not only school but any and every everyday thought… “
— Joshua, Saint Peter High School
“Life online has allowed me to connect with a multitude of people from far and close. This has allowed me to learn about new things, become aware of pressing global issues, and explore passions I have limited access to without online resources…”
— Danielle, Miami Country Day School
Ultimately, here is what students want you to know about their lives online:
“I feel adults don’t necessarily understand why teenagers use social media so often. In our generation, we tend to use our cell phones to socialize with our friends, and sometimes post about each other or just share things. What adults don’t realize is that sometimes we feel left out if we aren’t responding to group chats, or seeing each other’s posts.”
— Ellie, Hasbrouck Heights High School
“Adults should just help point us in the right direction when it comes to social media rather than just saying we can’t do some things because that’s why kids hide things, rather than sheltering us in you as adults should help lead us. Everyone has different views on social media and how parents/adults should act with it — But we are just teens after all and we wanna express ourselves and adults can help with that by just being there for us. — That’s all we really want anyways.”
— Janessa, Union HS, Vancouver WA
“Something the older generations don’t quite understand is friendships online. One can interact with people worldwide every day and grow a close bond with them through social media. Many adults only see these bonds through a negative point of view; calling these friendships dangerous, unsafe, and unreasonable… Some children have met people who truly understand them for the first time online and made the best friends of their life. Adults should understand that life online has opened many doors for teenagers…”
— Kate, ELLISVILLE
To learn more about what students think about social media, you can read the full New York Times interview here, or check out TSI’s interview with our own Student Ambassadors on the 10 things students wish you knew about social media.
TSI’s Take on The NYT’s Dive into Student Social Media Use
We’re excited to see an organization as big as The NYT focus on closing the knowledge gap between students and adults when it comes to social media. The better these two groups of people understand each other, the better adults can equip students to use social media positively and safely. When it comes down to what students said, our biggest takeaway was that students don’t want to feel like they have to hide their lives online. They want adults to better understand their social media use so that when they need help, they can trust adults to lead them in the right direction.
At the end of the day, it’s important that educators understand students’ lives online. That way, they can empower and equip students to use social media in high-character ways, rather than scare and restrict. Not only does this allow students to enjoy social media more, but it also builds a better relationship between students and educators.
The Social Institute is dedicated to helping students and educators better understand the world of social media. If your students are struggling to Strike A Balance, watch this on-demand webinar for tips to help them manage their devices. For more information on how to overcome social media obstacles faced by schools, download this TSI insight report, School Playbook: Social Media’s Role in Student Well-Being.
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.