Social Media As An Outlet For Teen And Tween Growth

When thinking about social media in the hands of their teens and tweens, many parents automatically jump to the negative. While there are some negative aspects of social media, there are plenty of very positive aspects. Recent research suggests that social media, when used appropriately and responsibly by tweens and teens, can actually be incredibly positive. 

Social Media Can Increase Confidence 

Many teens and tweens suffer from self-esteem issues. In many ways, this is a normal part of growing up. Most people, at some point, question whether or not they are attractive and/or feel awkward or uncomfortable in their constantly changing bodies. According to a recent study, about one in five teensbelieves that social media has increased their self confidence. Only 4% of teens report that they feel social media activities have a negative affect on their self confidence. 

If you haven't taken a look at your child's Instagram feed, now is a great time to do so. Many teens and tweens enjoy posting innocent selfies to share with the world. While you might feel squeamish about your child putting his or face out there on the web, you may notice that a lot of the comments are positive. Kids on social media networks often rally around each other, dulling out compliments. This can help to increase a teens self-esteem and help them feel like they belong to a large group, which is also a self-esteem booster. 

Social Media Activities Can Help Friendships 

While, as a parent, you may assume that your child's social media activities hardly count as truly social, that simply isn't the case. Most teens report that social media actually helps them engage with their friends better, and connect more often. This is especially true for teens who have moved, or those who have a group of friends spread across a large area.

Facebook conversations, for example, allow teens and tweens to group their friends together and have a group chat session, whether they live down the street or live across the ocean. Teens report they feel more connected to their friends when they can chat with them via social media, simply put, whether they are having a group chat, or trading tagged tweets. 

Social Media Activities Can Lead to Action 

Teens have grown up with social media buzzing around them. They are the first generation who likely do not remember a time before Facebook, Twitter and other social media applications. Because of the "instant" nature of the world they've grown up in, they expect instant action. While some parents may consider this a side effect of growing up in a connected world, it is actually a good thing. A recent study found that social media activities can help tweens and teens spring into action and become involved in important causes.

Teens, specifically, know what they like and what they don't like. They also are developing a sense of right and wrong, and social media gives them an outlet to express those feelings, and, perhaps, take important steps to right the wrongs they see in the world. Countless teens have launched social media campaigns to better the world they live in, whether it is starting a food drive in their community, or speaking out against the injustices they see in their everyday lives. 

Social Media Activities Give Teens the Information They Need

Perhaps most importantly, social media activities can help teens find the information they need to make informed decisions about their lives. Teens can now connect with colleges they are interested in, talk to other teens who are attending or plan on attending the school, and they can get all of the information they need about events and activities via social media feeds.

While there is no way to replace actually experiencing something, many teens argue that their social media activities help them ready themselves for those experience, which they can enter with a more positive outlook and a better understanding of what they will encounter. Overall, social media can be a good tool, and it allows teens a sense of independence in making decisions without parental help.