Last week I ran a poll on Twitter to gather information about people's beliefs about teenage use of social media. Three-fourths of respondents believed that teenagers spend too much time on social media. Of course the sample was very small (n = 4), but I believe it accurately portrays current attitudes. The question then is if teenagers are in fact spending too much time on social media, how can educators harness that power for greater purposes? What are the risks/benefits of teenage social media use? This will be the focus of my next several blog posts. I will be exploring the research on social media and secondary education. I will also intersperse my own beliefs and ideas, as well as those of my niece and her best friend (mentioned in my first post "Teens and Social Media" on 7/6).
According to a clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a large portion of the emotional and social development of teenagers (and preteens) is occurring while online or through cell phones making it an important issue for pediatricians (O'Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). The report is designed to help pediatricians inform parents about the benefits and risks of their child/children's use of social media. The five benefits of social media include: 1) providing opportunities for community engagement, 2) enhancing creativity (both individual and collectively), 3) generating new ideas, 4) expanding connections, and 5) fostering identity. This is a great list to keep in mind as we try to utilize social media for educational purposes. For example, as educators we don't want to force material into a medium, instead we want to let the medium guide the material. Is watching a lecture on YouTube that different from watching one in person in class? I would argue, no. However, turning an in-class discussion on the use of ratios in the real world into a Twitter feed, might increase participation and enjoyment for students. (My next post will dive deeper into the use of social media in education).
The report also lists several of the well-known risks for social media use among teenagers, such as cyber-bullying, privacy issues, and unknown third party influences. The AAP encourages pediatricians to understand that many parents "lack a basic understanding of these new forms of socialization" and do not realize that online interactions are extensions of their child/children's offline lives (p. 801). It is therefore the responsibility of pediatricians to help parents address these challenges. One suggestion is to discuss with parents the importance of actively engaging with their children about online activities, supervising through participation and communication instead of relying on a monitoring program.
So, what about the field of education? What is our responsibility regarding teenage use of social media? This is a big debate among educators, administrators, schools and districts. Below is the link to a video from Education Week about one school districts response to these questions. It is a great overview of both sides of the debate. You can check it out here.
What do you think? Is the field of education doing enough to ensure the safety and well-being of students in this age of virtual connections and online communication?
References:
O'Keeffe, G. S., & Clarke-Pearson, K. (2011). The impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. Pediatrics, 127(4), 800-804. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2011-0054
This is a great article, Ginny! Thank you. I'm a big "prepare rather than protect" person when it comes to tech and the online world and kids. There's just no way to fight it and, as you point out above, there are so many great benefits to the time teens spend online. Look forward to your next article!
ReplyDeleteI too agree with the "prepare rather than protect" mindset. However, how as educators do we help prepare? I think that is part of the issue that needs to be addressed, especially in secondary education, where teachers are specialized and already dealing with time constraints. Thanks!
DeleteHello Ginny,
ReplyDeleteI have not been in school for a while so I am unsure as to what or if schools are doing anything to ensure students safety while online. When I was school we had student gatherings and watched videos in class that discussed the importance of online safety as well as the risk involved when students are online. The popular tools at that time were MySpace and Facebook was just starting up-it is likely that the schools have updated their safety campaigns since then.
Hello,
DeleteMost of my experience has been schools (and districts) restricting what websites students can access while on the school's internet, and when students can use their phones. I am not sure this is all that effective. Students are sneaky and find ways to use phones all the time during school, and with most phones carrying data plans, students are not connecting their phones to the schools' internet. I also believe that internet safety is still mostly being taught through videos. Although I am not entirely sure, as I have been out of the classroom now for a while as well.
Thanks!
Controversial topic for sure! My initial thoughts were: Is this really an educational issue? Maybe a guidance class topic? Obviously parents/guardians need to be having this conversation with their children.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, I think educators should inform students of best practices with social media use, but it's up to the parents/guardians.
I agree that in a perfect world, the onus is on the parents. However, not all students have parents that are taking up this responsibility. As educators, we have the opportunity to engage in these important discussions with our students as well, in an informative, yet open discourse. I tend to lean towards engagment versus monitoring. I think you can get significantly more information from open dialogue than from a monitoring program. I also agree with you that educators should inform students of best practices.
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