It is widely accepted that the development of social media changed the way we live and communicate with other people. Teenagers are the age group which has been influenced the most by this development, both positively and negatively. They are given more opportunities to socialize and feel part of a group but at the same time they miss out on face-to-face contact and are exposed to cyber bullying.
Activities
- Brainstorm ideas on how exactly social media affects your everyday life. Think about benefits or threats. Talk about personal experiences.
- Watch this TED video of Bryan Kramer talking about Why social media is reimagining our future.
- What is the power he believes in?
- Why is this power so important?
- Now watch this YouTube video of How social media is affecting teens. Discuss the following questions:
- What used to be the first priority of teenagers in the past?
- What is their priority now?
- In the last part of the video a scientist talks about the dangers emerging from teenagers spending too much time on social media. How does he relate this to lack of empathy and cyber bullying?
- Read this article on Social Media and Teenagers’ Mental Health. How much do you agree with the upsides and the downsides mentioned in the article? Give examples from your personal experience and your friends’ to support your views.
- Bearing in mind all of the above, write an essay on the following topic: What is the impact of social media on teenagers? What can be done to counteract the negative effects and emphasize on the positive ones?