11/5/19
Over the past couple of weeks, we have been discussing five effects social media has on teens.
Altered Expectations
Mixed Messages
Information Overload
An “on all of the time” mentality
An “all about the likes” mentality
This week we will discuss information overload. Social media is designed to entice our teens with a never-ending stream of content. Instagram, Snapchat, or Youtube － there is always something to scroll through or watch or keep up with. A simple Google search for a research project will give a student millions of pieces of information, which can become overwhelming pretty quickly. What starts as a small trickle of distraction, quickly turns into data overload.
We need to teach our teens to prioritize and set boundaries with social media. Most of us never had to deal with the levels of information our teens deal with today. They need to be able to actively filter information quickly and prioritize. If we don’t set boundaries with social media, the amount of information a teen is trying to “keep up” with will become overwhelming and can lead to anxiety.
One practical way to deal with information overload is to monotask (mentioned in previous letters) and set priorities.
Think back to the first week of the Thunder Connection; I shared this list of things most teens want to do:
Do well in school
Excel in sports or extracurricular activities
Have more time for friends/family/pets/hobbies
Develop stronger relationships with friends/family and/or make new friends
Get more sleep
Considering this list, take some time to sit down with your teen and have them reflect on what their priorities are. Then decide if their social media use supports these priorities. For example, if your student wants to do well in school but spends homework time scrolling social media, their use doesn’t support their priority. If your student wants to do well in sports and follows athletes or people who post motivational and inspirational content that pushes them to work hard, viewing those posts support their priority.
There is a time and a place for social media, having a plan for when and where to use it is vital. Without a plan, our teens will experience information overload and won’t be able to focus.
Thunder Connection 10/29/19 - Sending Mixed Messages
Thunder Connection 10/22/19 - Social Media and Altered Expectations
Thunder Connection 10/16/19 - Hacks for Homework
Thunder Connection 10/8/19 - The Sincere Slacker
Thunder Connection 10/1/19 - Managing and Prioritizing Tasks
Thunder Connection 9/24/19 - Choosing a Time and a Place
Thunder Connection 9/17/19 - Why Write it Down?
Thunder Connection 9/10/19 - Social Media and Five Things Most Teens Want
