How do teenagers benefit from social media friends

Surprising Ways Your Teen Benefits From Social Media

Sherri Gordon is a published author and a bullying prevention expert. She’s also a contributor to SleepCare.com and the former editor of Columbia Parent, with countless years of experience writing and researching health and social issues.

Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She’s also a psychotherapist, international bestselling author and host of the The Verywell Mind Podcast.

Almost every day there are reports of cyberbullying in the news. Combine this with the fact that victims of cyberbullying often suffer significant consequences, and it is not surprising that most parents equate social media with something that is bad for kids.

And while it is important for parents to instill healthy habits surrounding social media use—including limiting and monitoring time online—it is also important to recognize that social media is not a bad thing. It only becomes a bad thing when people misuse it for bullying, public shaming, and rumor spreading. In fact, research shows there are numerous benefits to social media use.

Social Media Can Strengthen Friendships

There is no doubt that friendships are a key component of teen life. When kids have healthy friendships, they not only feel accepted for who they are, but they also feel more empowered and connected to the world around them. Friends also can speak truth into their lives and encourage them to explore their dreams.

What’s more, research has shown that having at least one solid friendship can go a long way in preventing bullying. In fact, bullies often target teens that are alone or isolated. But teens that have a core group of friends often have a built-in layer of protection from bullying.

More than half of teens believe that social media helps their friendships.

According to a survey by Common Sense Media, 52% of teens felt that social media improved their friendships and only 4% felt it hurt them. Additionally, the study found that nearly 30% of social media users believe that social networking makes them feel more confident and outgoing.

Social Media Is a Vehicle for Doing Good

Whether teens are developing fundraisers or supporting an important cause, social media can help them make an impact in their communities. Some social movements have started when teens leveraged social media to build awareness for an issue.

Whether they make YouTube videos or develop Twitter campaigns, teens have more impact on the world around them because of social media. Moreover, their voices are being heard more frequently.

Social media also exposes kids to important issues all over the world, not just those in their communities. As a result, they realize that social media is a way for them to help and support people even from far away. They can instantaneously make an impact on things like hunger in Africa, preserving the rain forest, or providing educational tools for kids without resources.

Social Media Reduces Feelings of Isolation

While social media can make adults feel lonelier, researchers are finding the opposite may be true for teens. One study found that even though teens have fewer friends than teens did a decade ago, they still report feeling less lonely than their counterparts. They also report feeling less isolated. Researchers suggest that the difference is social media and technology.

As teens find their niche, they are becoming more individualistic and more extroverted and have higher self-esteem. This increased individuality makes teens more secure in existing friendships and reduces feelings of loneliness overall. This is especially true if those friendships are healthy.

This research also suggests that teens are developing stronger social skills due to social media use. As technology becomes a bigger part of everyday life, solid online communication skills are important. Through social media, teens learn how to navigate social networking sites and other methods of online communication. This makes them better communicators in an increasingly digital world.

Social Media Is a Source of Authentic Support

Years ago, if teens were interested in a quirky subject or were grappling with who they were as a person, they often felt marginalized and alone. Today, teens can connect with others that share similar interests, desires, and concerns. This connection helps them feel validated and secure in who they are.

Another way teens are finding support is through online communities. For instance, kids struggling with issues like drug addiction and eating disorders now can find help and support online without ever having to leave their homes. This is especially helpful for teens in small communities or rural areas where resources may be limited.

Teens experiencing suicide ideation can even get immediate access to quality online support. One example of online support occurred when a Reddit Minecraft community talked a teen out of suicide. Aside from posting positive comments and messages, more than 50 of the users used voice conferencing to persuade the teen not to go through with it. This is a perfect example of how social media and technology can benefit teens today.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

Social Media Can Build a Platform

Your teen can use social media to begin developing an online presence that can attract the attention of colleges and future employers. For instance, some teens make YouTube videos or write blog posts on topics they are passionate about.

A young teen who has a passion for reading and writing might publish book reviews or film videos with their thoughts, ideas, and comments. As their work gains traction online, they may even develop a following which could include authors, literary agents, and publishers.

Then, when this teen applies for college, they can reference their social media accounts on college applications. This work demonstrates their creativity and maturity, but also shows that they are a self-starter.

Building a platform on social media can open a lot of doors for teens and help them build a positive online reputation. It also can expose them to college scholarships, college networks, and even a future career. And it can change their perspective on social media. It’s no longer just a place to post silly pictures or observe digital drama. It becomes a tool they can use to share their passions and eventually find a career path.​

Social Media Allows for Personal Expression

Digital technology is the perfect tool for channeling creativity and personal expression. Whether kids enjoy singing, writing, or acting, they can share these talents with the world around them. Kids who enjoy fashion, make-up trends, or craft projects also can express themselves online. Providing this avenue of self-expression is important for teens.

Research shows that there is a direct connection between self-expression and self-confidence. When kids are given avenues for being authentic and true to themselves, they become content with who they are and happier overall.

By contrast, when they do not have many opportunities to express themselves or they do not know people with the same passions or interests, they begin to wonder if there is something wrong with them. They also question why they are not like everyone else.

Social Media Is a Tool for Gathering Information

Social media has become a source of information and news for many teens. Once they begin social networking, they can follow just about anyone with a social media account. From authors and athletes to celebrities, chefs, nonprofit organizations, and magazines, they are connected to all sorts of information.

Teens also can gather information about issues that impact them or their friends. For instance, if they are concerned a friend might have an eating disorder or a drug addiction, they can gather information about it. Or, if they want to learn more about a presidential election, climate change, or even find new ways to eat healthily, they can do so on their social media accounts.

A Word From Verywell

Overall, social media does not have to be scary. Even though it can be exploited by kids who bully others, instilling good digital etiquette and maintaining an open dialogue about online safety can go a long way in keeping kids safe online.

As a parent, make sure you are nurturing the positive aspects of social media as well as discussing the dangers. By doing so, you will help your kids develop social media savvy, a skill that will ultimately help them in the years to come.

Peebles E. Cyberbullying: Hiding behind the screen. Paediatr Child Health. 2014;19(10):527–528. doi:10.1093/pch/19.10.527

Uhls YT, Ellison NB, Subrahmanyam K. Benefits and costs of social media in adolescence. Pediatrics. 2017;140(Suppl 2):S67-S70. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-1758E

Clark DM, Loxton NJ, Tobin SJ. Declining loneliness over time: Evidence from American colleges and high schools. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2015;41(1):78-89. doi:10.1177/0146167214557007

3 Benefits of Having Social Media Friends (And Why They Can’t Replace Real-Life Friends)

How Having Social Media Friends Can Help Your Social Anxiety

I read a comment the other day in a Facebook group (ironically enough) that contemplated the importance of social media friends for those who are naturally not good at making friends in real life.

Social media friends are those people you interact with on the various social media platforms:

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But—they’re people you never or rarely interact with in real life.

The person noted that she tended to be awkward in social situations, and found that meeting people through social networks and staying connected in that way was easier for her.

This led me to contemplate the concept of “digital” or social media friends, and whether these qualify as real friendships.

Obviously, friends you know in real life but also connect with through social media can be considered “real” friends.

But what about the ones you’ve never met, or met once and may never meet again?

More so, are these social media friends helping or hurting you if you live with social anxiety?

I’d like to argue that there are both benefits and drawbacks of having social media friends and that they will never fully take the place of friends in real life.

3 Benefits of Social Media Friends

What does it mean to be someone’s friend?

It means that you try to understand, care, and offer support to that person. Can that only take place in a face-to-face format?

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Social media friends are people you probably share information with, share ideas with, share stories and emotions with.

But this all takes place digitally rather than in person.

Which, when you think about it, is just another form of communication.

Increased contact

Tons of Millenials, and probably post-Millenials (the generation to which my children belong) choose messaging apps over calling, hands down.

And, you might argue, that they are in more regular contact with their friends (and perhaps relatives) than previous generations.

As a member of Generation X – there were no cell phones, no social media, gosh barely any Internet.

We called on the phone or we did not communicate.

There are so, many, ways to communicate these days and that has to be a good thing?

If you are feeling sad or anxious and ask for help from your friends, does it matter if the reply came in through your ears or your eyes?

It’s all still interaction and communication, and it could be argued that social media friends know more about us.

We might be more open and honest through digital communication. And we are probably in more regular contact than we would be otherwise.

New Beginnings

What’s more, many friendships these days begin through social media or the Internet.

The online world offers a new method of connecting with persons around the world that you might never have had access to before.

Whatever you are interested in, there is probably a group for that on Facebook, and people who would love to talk to you about it.

With this new global network, there are no barriers to finding the people who you can truly call your “tribe.”

The video below describes how social media friends can be important in our lives.

Friendship on Your Terms

Friendship takes work. If you are married with kids, or have some other time-consuming responsibilities, finding time for real-world friends might be frustrating.

Or, if you live with mental illness, such as depression or anxiety, or a disorder that affects your communication skills such as attention deficit disorder, typical face-to-face friendships might be draining or might fall apart under the strain of your time constraints.

That’s where social media friends can shine.

Need an understanding ear?

Social media friends can be there for you without expecting much in return.

Drawbacks of Social Media Friends

If your social media friends are exclusively that—people who you never see in real life—certain things will be lost.

You won’t have the advantage of understanding their body language, making eye contact, or engaging in physical contact.

All of these things make the friendship more real.

If you need someone to come water your plants while you are away or join you for dinner at a restaurant, your social media friends are unlikely to help unless they are people you also know in real life.

And if you find yourself in a time of true emotional need, the risk of relying on social media friends is great.

It’s much too easy for social media friends to skedaddle rather than tough it out when things get messy.

In real life, friendships move through ebbs and flows.

You experience conflict and resolve it.

It’s much too easy for a social media friend to just split.

All of a sudden you’ve been ghosted and you don’t know happened.

The World Wide Web has enabled intimacy without commitment, and that has led people to develop what seems like deep connections that are in fact precarious and without depth.

Your friend can just stop answering you.

What do you do? Do you even know what went wrong?

They can turn you off like switch without further thought, and you’re left wondering what you did wrong, or IF you did something wrong.

It’s much too easy for people to write off online friendships when they get difficult.

Why Real-Life Friends Are Important

What are real-life friends important along with your social media friends?

We’ve already skimmed over these reasons but for the sake of review:

How to Make Real-Life Friends a Priority

It sounds contrived to make a plan to reconnect with friends in real life, but that’s exactly what you’ve got to do!

What do you think? Are social media friends real friends?

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3 Benefits of Having Social Media Friends (And Why They Can’t Replace Real-Life Friends)

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Is social media good or bad for teens? What are the pros and cons?

Many of us have a love-hate relationship with social media: We’ve got accounts on every platform there is, but we debate whether using these accounts is good or bad for our health. Some decide they’re better off without social media; some cut back and find a sweet spot; and others decide that social media just isn’t for them.

That said, there is a specific demographic that we’re all particularly concerned about when it comes to social media use: teenagers. These individuals have grown up in the digital age, and they are prominent on all of the social platforms. This begs the question: Is social media good or bad for teens? As with most things, there are both pros and cons of social media use among teens, of which we will explore below.

The Pros of Social Media: A Social and Educational Tool

While social media often gets a bad rap, it isn’t all bad. Kids utilize different social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat for good, too! “One of the pros of social media is that it encourages friendships,” explains Emily Mendez, mental health writer and expert. “Also, social media helps kids learn about other cultures and places all over the world.”

First, social media was designed to connect. It offers kids and teens another opportunity for connecting with their friends and therefore for fulfilling their social needs. Secondly, it serves as an educational tool. Think about it: There are hundreds if not thousands of Instagram accounts dedicated to showcasing the beauties of the world. If other kids and teens today are anything like my little brother, these accounts fill their feeds.

Additionally, social media serves as a form of creative expression. When I was a teen, Myspace was all the rage. My friends and I would spend hours editing our profiles—changing our layouts, our backgrounds, our profile pictures, our bios—which channeled our creative juices and even taught us how to code websites in the process. Today, Myspace isn’t so popular, as it’s been pushed out of the spotlight by platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. But still, today’s teens use these social media platforms to express themselves and put their personalities on display.

The Cons of Social Media: Bullying, FOMO, and Mental Health Issues

All of that said, social media can be dangerous for teens too. It can lead to anxiety, assist in cyberbullying, and play a part in influencing bad behavior. As Mendez explains: “Social media can have some very negative effects too. It can cause kids to feel anxious when they see social media influencers doing things that they are not able to do. It is also easy for kids and teens to bully one another on social media. Many of the apps that young people use are photo-based, which opens up a lot of opportunity for negative comments. Other kids may encourage dangerous or abusive behavior, such as what was seen in the Tide Pod challenges.”

Oftentimes, teens are sensitive. Their brains are still developing, and their mental/emotional health is vulnerable; just one cruel comment left on an Instagram picture can send them into a negative tailspin. They’re at a heightened risk of experiencing anxiety and depression as a result of this form of bullying, or as a result of FOMO: the fear of missing out. When teens see other people on social media doing things they want to do but aren’t or can’t, their mental health can suffer. Social media can affect their body image and self-esteem. Finally, kids and teens are extremely impressionable, and social media may inspire them to engage in troublesome behavior. Mendez refers to the Tide Pod challenge as an example, in which kids posted videos of themselves ingesting liquid laundry detergent pods.

Finding a Healthy Balance

As with most anything else, the key here is finding the proper balance and understanding what healthy social media use looks like. Teens who log on to Instagram and Snapchat here and there, likely don’t have to worry about their habits. Those who spend a copious amount of time on their phone or computer, however, might want to dial it back. In any case, teens can take care of their mental health and spend time on social media by considering the following:

1) How do I feel after scrolling through Instagram or Facebook? If you only experience positive feelings, then everything is probably A-okay. If, on the other hand, you experience FOMO, anxious or depressive thoughts or feelings, or any other negative emotions, then it might be worth reevaluating their social media habits.

2) Do I still spend time interacting and connecting with people offline? If social media is your primary means of socializing and connecting with others, this might signify a problem. You should strive to maintain positive interpersonal relationships with your loved ones in life outside of the digital world. If you need help tuning back in to reality, start monitoring how much time you spend on social media and consider cutting back.

Social media benefits

Despite the risks, social media can offer children valuable opportunities to develop skills and build a good digital footprint, see what other benefits it offers to help them get the best out of social media.

What’s on the page?

How social media can support young people

Although social media can present some risks, it’s important to understand what the benefits are to give your child the guidance they need to make the best out of their social media use. Below is a list of ways social media can be a source for good for children and young people.

Collaborative learning

Broaden connection and understanding of the world

Children can learn and appreciate different perspectives and worldviews to better understand the world around them and build up their knowledge on a range of topics. With so many ideas shared across a number of platforms, they can discover areas of interest and use the platforms in an educational capacity.

Digital media literacy

Develop communication and technical skills

As social media is now a part of everyday life, it is important for children and young people to learn how to communicate online to prepare them for future opportunities in the workplace and support them in interacting with friends and family.

Mental health and wellbeing

Removing boundaries to develop connections

Social media removes the boundaries of meeting and maintaining people and forming bonds beyond borders. For children who may have a disability or may not feel they can connect with others within their community, it can be a great way to connect with other people who share their ideas and interests.

Strengthen relationships

Having access to family members who may live miles apart of friends who have moved from a local area can help maintain relationships and allow them to stay in touch and share their lives with ease.

A place to seek support

It can open up opportunities to offer support to friends and family that may be experiencing a particular issue. On the flip side for some young people, it can be a place where they can seek support if they are going through something that they cannot talk to those close to them about.

Campaigning for social good

Social media can help young people raise awareness of a particular cause that they are interested in to have a real-world impact on effecting change where they want to see it.

Develop a positive digital footprint

Young people can also use their accounts as bespoke CVs to share their achievements, showcase their talents and build a positive online portfolio that can benefit them in later life.

Social media and teenagers

It can be a difficult to understand why your teenager uses social media so much. It might seem like they’re always online, and always distracted from the life in front of them. This page will help you learn more about social media and teens, why it matters to them, and what the risks and benefits of social media can be.

This page will help you to:

What is social media?

Social media refers to any digital platform, system, website or app that enables people to create and share content, and connect with each other. Here are a few of the most popular sites that teenagers use, and how they work:

Facebook

A free site where registered users (aged 13 and up) can share pictures, links, videos, and other content with their ‘friends’. Friends are other registered users you have connected with within the network. Most of the time, anything you share will only be seen by the people you have ‘friended’. Facebook changes it’s privacy settings regularly so it’s important to stay up-to-date with their settings and policies.

Instagram

A free image sharing service that is used mainly on mobile devices. On Instagram, it’s common to connect with people you don’t know but share common interests with (for example, Taylor Swift). You can have a public account or a private account where only friends can see your posts. Instagram also has their own privacy settings to stay up-to-date with.

Snapchat

A mobile phone messaging application that allows you to send video or picture messages to one or more people at a time. The messages are only viewable for a few seconds at a time, as determined by the sender. However, there are ways of saving the images using other phone functions.

TikTok

A free video sharing platform where users can shoot, edit and share short videos. Like other social media apps, users can follow, like and comment on everything they see. The bulk of TikTok users are 24 and younger.

Tumblr

A blogging website where people can publish their own articles and share it with people who follow their blog or profile. They also view the content of people they follow. On Tumblr, it is more common to connect with people you don’t know in real life than people you do.

WhatsApp and messaging services

WhatsApp and messaging applications let you contact friends using internet data (or wifi) instead of your mobile carrier, which reduces the cost of messaging. It can be used without a sim card if connected to a wifi network. It is popular because it allows you to send messages to a group of friends at one time.

Other games and sites

YouTube, Club Penguin, or online games like World of Warcraft are also considered social media because of the way they enable social interaction.

Check out this comprehensive list of social media platforms and what they do (including recommended age rages).

Why teens use social media?

Social media is a way for teenagers to stay in touch with their friends. Teens have always talked after school, long before social media – hanging out at the bus stop, at the local park, chatting on the phone – now they just have a different platform to do so.

It is an important part of socialising and connection in the modern world. Teenagers and social media use is increasing, the main reasons teenagers regularly use social media include:

What are the benefits of social media for teenagers?

Being socially connected is very important for the psychological development of your child, and in this day and age, the online environment is where they get a lot of this. By connecting with others through social media, your child could:

What are the risks of using social media?

Like any form of social engagement, social media comes with risks. Some of the most common risks include:

Just like in the offline world, there are things you can do to protect your child from these risks. It’s important to prepare them for how to respond if these things do occur. Check out our ‘things to try’ for tips and ideas on minimising the risk of using social media.

Sometimes teenagers can feel a ‘compulsion’ to check their social media accounts frequently, but this is generally only in extreme cases. Helping your teenager to develop positive habits like taking regular breaks from checking social media, and making sure notifications are turned off so that their mobile device isn’t distracting can help reduce the compulsion to check in with social media so often.

When to know if something is wrong

Whatever your child is doing, it’s important to be aware of their behaviour and their wellbeing. If you notice big changes in:

Then it might be good to talk to them about their use of social media. A family screen audit can help you figure out the household rules around screen use.