How social media is affecting teens

Summary

This video explores how social media is reshaping teenage priorities and empathy. Researcher Yalda Ols connects with teens to understand their evolving values, which have shifted from community-based to fame-driven. The video illustrates how shows like Hannah Montana and American Idol highlight these fame-seeking values. Neuroscientists in BC reveal a lack of daydreaming, due to constant technology use, is reducing empathy, potentially creating a generation less connected to others emotionally. The piece ends with a cautionary note on the implications of these changes.

Highlights

• Teen brains are puzzles; social media's impact deepens the mystery! 🧩
• Yalda Ols uses social media to uncover teen priorities: fame over community! 🤳
• Teens find value in likes and followers, triggering a fame-seeking behavior. 😎
• Neuroscientists say tech use stunts empathy development due to reduced daydreaming. 🤔
• Worried about teens? Value shifts and brain wiring changes are underway! 🚸

Key Takeaways

• Teen priorities are shifting from community to fame and money, influenced by social media 💸.
• Shows like Hannah Montana highlight the pursuit of fame, altering young minds 📺.
• Teens feel validated by likes, driving their social media interactions ❤️.
• Lack of daydreaming linked to constant tech engagement affects empathy 💭.
• Changing values may lead to a less empathetic future generation 🌐.

Overview

Meet researcher Yalda Ols, who delves into the teen mindset using social media. In 2014, she discovered a revolutionary shift in priorities: teens are increasingly drawn to the allure of fame rather than a sense of community. What's more, shows like Hannah Montana and American Idol are reinforcing this pursuit, making fame one of the top values for teenagers today.

As young content creators eagerly seek likes for their social media posts, their need for validation grows. These digital thumbs-ups are not just an ego boost—they are shaping a youth culture centered around social media approval and recognition. This behavioral pattern, observed among teens in both the US and Canada, highlights a broader cultural transformation catalyzed by digital connectivity.

But the story takes a darker turn when neuroscientists reveal how this tech-driven lifestyle might be hampering the development of empathy. The constant engagement with screens leaves little room for daydreaming, a mental state crucial for fostering empathy. This lack of self-reflection is raising alarms among parents and experts who worry about the social and emotional implications for the future generations.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:00: Introduction and Yalda's Research This chapter introduces the concept of the teenage brain being a mystery that has confused parents for generations. The researcher Yalda OLS shares the same curiosity about what's happening in the minds of teenagers. By 2014, she is utilizing social media as a tool to delve into this question.
• 01:00 - 03:00: Teen Priorities: Fame and Likes The chapter explores the shifting priorities of teenagers, focusing on a session where teenagers in Los Angeles were asked to reveal their important values for the future. The narrative highlights a change in teenage priorities from a sense of community and belonging to other emerging values.
• 03:00 - 04:00: The Role of Television and Social Media In 'The Role of Television and Social Media,' the chapter explores the impact of social media on young people, focusing on Chelsea Trotty, a 10-year-old who creates small films. For Chelsea, social media likes are crucial, as they affirm her hard work and creativity. However, the lack of likes can leave her feeling unappreciated and discouraged, highlighting the emotional weight social media engagement carries for the youth.
• 04:00 - 06:00: Empathy and the Influences of Technology The chapter discusses the impact of fame on personal experiences and perceptions, illustrated by a dialogue with grade six students in Canada. The students express their views on attention and social media use, including platforms like Instagram, reflecting on how technology shapes their social interactions and sense of empathy.

How social media is affecting teens Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 silly ass the teenage brain a mystery that has confounded parents for Generations everyone wants to know what exactly is going on in those heads researcher yalda OLS had the same question but fast forward to 2014 and she's using social media to try to tap
• 00:30 - 01:00 into what they're thinking I want you to write down on your boards what is an important value to you for your future she went one-on-one with teenagers in Los Angeles trying to unlock that mystery what's important to them what are their priorities what do they want turn over your board and show us what it is it used to be teenagers number one priority was to be part of the crowd part of the community now
• 01:00 - 01:30 it's money and that four-letter word fame Chelsea trotty is 10 and what rocks her world is this making small films and waiting for the likes from her social media friends it's all about the likes well it feels really good to know that people appreciate my work cuz put a lot of work into the stuff and so and when they don't like it kind of feel bad
• 01:30 - 02:00 what's it like to be you and famous well it's like everyone rushes up to you oh my gosh and you know it would just be really cool so they'd all pay attention to you yeah not much difference with these grade six kids in Canada okay let's see hands up for iPads and iPods who does texting we all have we all have Instagram
• 02:00 - 02:30 Instagram okay on Instagram people can comment like on your photos like oh you look really pretty and stuff like that oh yeah these kids love their likes too gives you a good feeling when someone likes the picture I like it when people like my pictures and it makes me feel really good ah but what about Fame it would be awesome like well I mean like everybody would know your name and stuff everyone would just be all over you asking for your
• 02:30 - 03:00 autograph that's really hard hard question cuz like like who doesn't want to be famous so why the change in values researcher yalda 's mother of two teenagers says it's no wonder it's all around them television had been around you know forever it's been around since the 50s but the major change was social media and these kids at this very young age were aware of it and they were using it and on top of it the reason we think the television shows were now
• 03:00 - 03:30 communicating this concept of Fame to these kids they were just reflecting what these kids already were doing the show she grew up with Remember The Andy Griffith Show Happy Days I Love Lucy lever and Shirley they had a whole different set of values Family Values a sense of community not anymore she started comparing them to the shows her kids were watching this one Hannah Montana a teenager by day famous rock
• 03:30 - 04:00 star by night and then the mother of all shows about the pursuit of Fame American Idol and we looked to see what were the values that were communicated in these shows um and what we found was that the number one value um in those shows out of a list of 16 values was Fame and what was very interesting is that in every other decade it was number 15 or 16 doesn't Richard look nice tonight
• 04:00 - 04:30 that warm and fuzzy Community feeling gone so it's a complete flip complete flip and that's not all the online World today's teenagers are living in may bring them the fame and fortune they crave but it can also bring heartbreak and bullying Amanda Todd rtea Parsons Jamie huble the list of victims grows the dark side of the wired world but neuroscientists in BC may have found answers in science when you're
• 04:30 - 05:00 engaged with your phone or something external these areas that are involved in daydreaming and thinking about your own thoughts and feelings shut off the answers may be in the brain see that blue area of the brain that's the area that learns empathy what they found is that those areas that learn empathy are only active when you do nothing when you Daydream and that's something today's teenagers don't do kids are constantly engaged with their technology their
• 05:00 - 05:30 phones and the internet they're not activating these brain areas that are important for self-reflection and reflecting on other people and allowing that empathy to emerge do you guys Daydream do you ever just kind of watch the clouds go by and not think about anything in particular yeah how much time do you think you spend doing that daydreaming like 30 seconds a day yeah probably so busy most of the time with sports and organized activities that I
• 05:30 - 06:00 I'm always on the go I don't have a lot of time and if no daydreaming means no empathy we could be developing a generation that cares less about other people when you're online and bullying you don't get these cues that tell you I need to inhibit this Behavior that's having such a negative impact on another person and therefore makes it very easy for bullying to continue but what worries parents and experts alike is how these fundamental changes to the way teenagers brains are
• 06:00 - 06:30 wired is going to change the way they live in their wired World Pauline D CBC News Los Angeles