Trending this week: Students navigate social media’s impact on well-being, A.I. influencers, and A.I. advice
Key points summarized
|
Students are growing more aware of social media’s impact on mental health
The Gist: More students than ever are speaking up about how social media is impacting their lives, and that’s a good thing. According to a new Pew Research Center survey, nearly half of U.S. students recognize social media can have a negative impact on their peers, a 16-point jump since 2022. Students are becoming more aware of the mental health challenges tied to social media, while also leaning into the positives, like using these platforms to stay connected with friends and seek out support. When it comes to social media, it’s not always black and white, and students are navigating it with growing awareness.
What to Know: While 48% of students see social media’s negative influence on their well-being, 74% say it helps them feel closer to friends, and 63% say it gives them a chance to show creativity. But concerns are rising. Almost half of students now think they spend too much time online, and many are trying to cut back.
Adults recognize social media’s effects, too, with 44% saying it’s the largest factor in students’ mental health. But students point to other factors as well, like bullying and handling the pressure of others’ expectations. And while 8 in 10 parents say they’re comfortable talking about mental health with their child(ren), only half of students feel that way.
Experts say students need independence paired with support. Simply lecturing about social media and taking a scare and restrict approach can backfire. Instead, creating spaces where students learn from peers and have open conversations helps them feel more in control.
TSI’s Take: Students are increasingly aware that social media can have an impact on their mental health, but many don’t yet have the tools to manage it well. Educators and families can help by:
- Encouraging open, judgment-free conversations
- Teaching media literacy skills to recognize harmful content
- Supporting students with the tools to balance the pressure social media brings with the connection it provides
Ready to help your students #WinAtSocial? Explore our lessons designed to build healthy social media habits and digital resilience.
The rise of A.I. influencers: What students should know about fake fame
The Gist: A.I. isn’t just helping students with homework. It’s creating virtual influencers like Imma and Aitana, who are racking up brand deals and millions of followers despite not being real people. Even human creators are jumping in, cloning themselves into A.I. bots to interact with fans 24/7.
For students, these blurred lines between real and virtual raise big questions about identity, authenticity, and what it means to build relationships. In a world where influencers shape trends, beauty standards, and social norms, educators play a key role in helping students think critically, stay grounded, and navigate this evolving reality with high character.
What to Know: A.I.-powered influencers look and act just like real people, and often, students can’t tell the difference. These virtual personas share relatable storylines, from yoga routines to heartbreaks to fashion tips, all crafted by teams behind the scenes to feel authentic and emotionally engaging.
That’s where things get complicated. Students might form connections with these bots, believing they’re interacting with real people. When in fact, they’re engaging with scripted characters or cloned personalities like Caryn A.I., a “virtual girlfriend” chatbot that’s sparked concerns around emotional manipulation and fabricated interactions.
TSI’s Take: This isn’t just a tech trend; it’s a student well-being issue. These A.I.-generated influencers are shaping how students define friendship, trust, and identity online. It raises critical questions around consent, safety, and emotional health, and calls for guidance that helps students stay grounded in what’s real, reflect on who’s influencing them, and make thoughtful, high-character choices in a world where not everything is as it seems.
As social media platforms blur the line between human and artificial, students deserve tools to navigate what’s real, what’s curated, and what’s manufactured entirely. The rise of A.I. influencers offers an opportunity to help students ask:
- Who’s behind the screen, and why does it matter?
- How do we define authenticity in an online world?
- What values are these influencers promoting, and who benefits?
Whether students are watching an A.I. model try on outfits or chatting with a bot that sounds like a real person, it’s important to help them think critically about what they’re seeing and feeling.
Ready to explore this trend in your classroom? Check out the #WinAtSocial Lesson: Vetting videos and articles online to make sure they’re real.
“Am I hot or not?” Why students (and adults) are trusting bots with their looks
The Gist: Students are now using ChatGPT for more than school help. Many are asking for honest feedback on their looks. Some say A.I. feels more “objective” than friends, especially when it comes to appearance. With a selfie and a prompt like “How can I glow up?” students are getting A.I. critiques on their hair, skin, and style, sometimes even recommendations for Botox or $200 beauty routines.
But there’s a catch: critics warn that this “neutral” advice reflects outdated beauty ideals pulled from the internet, where narrow ideas of beauty, filtered influencers, and commercial bias are everywhere. That makes the advice worth questioning, especially for young people still shaping their identities.
What to Know: For students, A.I. feels honest. It’s a no-fluff opinion when peers and families might stay polite. But A.I. models are trained on online content that often reinforces narrow, appearance-first standards, shaped by everything from Reddit threads to influencer videos. And when bots offer product suggestions or routines, they might be influenced by hidden marketing or skewed data.
That means students might treat A.I. advice as truth even if it’s based on biased sources or unrealistic expectations. What begins as a curiosity (“What should I change about my appearance for prom?”) can lead to spiraling self-comparisons and pressure to look a certain way.
TSI’s Take: This trend isn’t just about selfies and style; it’s a signal that students are turning to tech for advice and validation. But instead of defaulting to A.I. for personal advice, students need tools to think critically about where that advice is coming from and how to handle the pressure of what their online worlds dub “the perfect image.”
Educators have an important role to play in helping students develop a healthy filter as they navigate online advice from influencers, Reddit posts, and now ChatGPT. By fostering conversations around identity, trust, and online influence, schools can empower students to think critically and make high-character choices. Here’s how:
- Unpack what makes feedback trustworthy: Help students reflect on the sources behind the advice they receive and whether it aligns with their values.
- Shift the focus from appearance to self-worth: Create opportunities for students to celebrate their strengths, character, and what they value in themselves and others.
- Expose hidden bias in A.I.: Discuss how A.I. tools are trained on internet content that can reinforce narrow beauty ideals and commercial interests.
- Build critical thinking skills: Teach students to pause, question, and filter advice, whether it comes from a friend, influencer, or chatbot.
Want to help students think critically about A.I. and body image? Check out this #WinAtSocial Lesson: Examining how companies use targeted ads to play on our insecurities.
Students are navigating a world where the lines between real and artificial are increasingly blurred. The good news? They’re speaking up, asking questions, and showing growing awareness. Now more than ever, we have a powerful opportunity to support students with the tools and spaces they need to reflect, connect, and lead with high character. By fostering open conversations, teaching critical thinking, and implementing modern life skills programs like #WinAtSocial, schools can help students thrive in today’s complex digital world with confidence, clarity, and character.
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.