Social Media & TeensWhat you need to know?

D. KlierJune 2015

Online tools used to communicate & share information and resources.

Social media can include text, audio, video, images, podcasts and other multimedia communications.

Basically provides a place for kids to hangout together online!

Definition source: About.com and Common Sense Media

Social Media Defined

Some Facts

Teens Online

95% of teens (12-17)Online

78% of teens(12-17)

Cell phones

(74%) of teens have accessed the

internet through a mobile device 

64% of teens text while in class

65% of teens text in the middle of the night

60Avg. number of texts sent by a typical

teen

Texting by the Numbers

Why Teens Like Texting

Can text privately & secretly

Can text while doing something else

Don’t have to talk in person

Easier than calling

Saves voice minutes & cheaper than calling

Fast, fun…

Teens who use some kind of social media

Teens using Facebook

Teens using Twitter

Social Media Life

77%

2424%

81%

Create & customize profiles w/photos, videos, & info. about yourself. Friends can browse the profiles of other friends and write messages on their pages.

Microblogging site- users post brief, 140-character messages called "tweets”Teens like to share quick tidbits about their lives w/friends. Great for keeping up with what's going on in the world !

Users snap, edit, & share photos and 15-second videos. Combines favorite Social Media site features sharing, seeing, and commenting on photos!

Which sites and why?

Tumblr• A cross between a blog and Twitter - a streaming

scrapbook of text, photos, and/or videos and audio clips

SnapChat• Mobile app - lets users send and receive “self-

destructing” images. Sender specifies the viewing time (1-10seconds)

Vine• Users create & post 6 second video clips• Teens usually use Vine to create and share silly

videos

Here’s a few more…

What are teens sharing?

91% post a photo of themselves

71% post the name of their school

71% post the town where they live

92% post their real name

82% post their birth date

62% post their relationship status

24% post videos of themselves

Communicate with your kids!◦ Talk to kids about what they’re doing online & how they’re

getting online, who they’re talking to

Go online◦ Create accounts for yourself - See what kids can and can’t do

Set some rules◦ Limit online time and mobile device use

Help with privacy settings◦ Limit who can view their profile

Limit What They Share◦ Help them understand what should be private

What’s a parent to do?

Tell your kids…Think before you post

Once it’s posted you can’t take it back

Follow the golden rule - Kindness counts

Nothing is private online

Assume everyone is watching

Avoid online sex talk

Talk to me if you’re uneasy about an online situationPotential employers & college admissions may check

Social & digital media communication is a daily occurrence for most teens

Face to face communication is preferred by most teens

More teens feel social media plays a positive role in their lives vs. those that reporting a negative role

What else should parents know?According to a Common Sense Media Survey

Strengthened relationships

Increased their confidence

Made them feel less shy

Encouraged community participation

For more facts check out the Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives

A Common Sense Media Research Study

Some teens felt social media

Students can Share all types of media Collaborate with peers Communicate with teachers & coaches Connect with authors, experts &

professionals Be an engaged learner Have an alternative way to participate

Social Media in Education

Safe Kids FBI Safety Tips OnGuard Online NetSmartz Parents Guide to Social Networking Sites Connect Safely.org

Need more information?

"15 Sites and Apps Kids Are Heading to Beyond Facebook." Reviews & Age Ratings. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 25 June 2015.

"Be Smart Online | OnGuard Online." Be Smart Online | OnGuard Online. N.p., n.d. Web.

26 June 2015.

"Internet Safety: Rules of the Road for Kids." Reviews & Age Ratings. N.p., n.d. Web. 26

June 2015.

Read a Bar Graph to See Teens' Top Reasons for Texting. (n.d.): n. pag. Scholastic Inc.

Web. 26 June 2015.

"Social Networking Tips." Reviews & Age Ratings. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 June 2015.

"Social Networking Sites: A Parent’s Guide." FTC Facts for Consumers. Federal Trade

Commission, 1 Sept. 2007. Web. 26 June 2015. <http://www.ictliteracy.info/rf.pdf/FTC

Social Networking Guide for Parents.pdf>.

"Teens Fact Sheet." Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. N.p., n.d.

Web. 26 June 2015.

Sources

Cellphone. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2015.Class Text. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2015.Distracted Texting. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June

2015.Facebook Logo. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 June 2015.Instagram Logo. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2015.Laptop. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 June 2015.Mobile Devices. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2015.Snapchat. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2015.Text Message. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 June 2015.Twitter Logo. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2015.Vine Logo. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2015.

Image Sources