Beauty standards, hacking and changing relationships: Wisconsin teens share their social media worries

Social media is becoming a bigger part of teens’ lives. Last year, one survey estimated 62 percent of teens are on social media every day, and they average using social media about an hour and a half each day.

At the same time, researchers are discovering links between more social media use and higher levels of anxiety and depression.

Leaders of social media companies are under increasing scrutiny with Congressional hearings on TikTok happening this week.

In addition to conversations about social media with researchers, politicians and others, Wisconsin Public Radio’s “The Morning Show” wanted to hear directly from teenagers. The program has been making a greater effort in recent months to elevate youth voices, which tend to be underrepresented in news coverage. In collaboration with schools around the state, the show has produced youth-driven programs exploring renewable energy, elections and other topics.

On a program Friday about social media, “The Morning Show” asked teenagers in Beloit to weigh in by sharing their perspectives. A WPR producer interviewed students at Beloit Memorial High School, where they talked about social media’s effects on relationships, its growth, security concerns and more.

Eleven students answered the question: What worries you about social media? Their answers are below, and the responses are lightly edited for brevity and clarity.

Affecting relationships

Nashaun, senior: I believe it’s good that people are able to meet people from a further distance away, but being so heavily reliant on interacting with people online can prevent them from meaningful interpersonal connections, like face-to-face.

Nolan, senior: They engineer apps to be so addictive. I put my phone on grayscale. They are engineering all these colors to overstimulate your brain and keep you addicted to your phone. … It is also engineered to make you insecure. We see that with people’s attachment to likes and followers. The way apps like Snapchat promote communities: You only add your friends. You see each other’s stories. It also goes into that fear of missing out.

Xavier, junior: I’m most worried about people becoming too self-conscious — all of the beauty standards set by social media and what you need to do in order to be classified as “normal.”

‘Becoming too big’

Jakendra, sophomore: It has become the main way of interaction. We’re close to that point. A lot of people spend a lot of time on social media. I do, personally. But that’s my main worry.

Alec, sophomore: It’s becoming too big of a thing for the daily lives of people. They’re being obsessed with it when they don’t need to be.

Amery, senior: It’s kind of taking us over. It’s more of a personality thing, especially with teens my age. We think … that we have to be at so much Snapchat score or have so many likes. It’s becoming more of a personality than it is an information site.

Cadler, junior: When you see trends come along, you tend to see more people incorporate that into their personality and what decisions they make going forward. TikTok can define most of the younger generation’s sense of humor. Another group might not find (the same thing) as a joke, but when that sense of humor is the majority, it will create a minority.

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Getting hacked

Dawson, junior: (Social media) doesn’t really worry me. I’m comfortable around it. But sometimes I feel like the hackers (worry me). A little bit of that.

Trinity, junior: It’s getting much easier to get into other people’s accounts these days. Getting hacked is more common.

Other concerns

Carter, sophomore: I’d like to say I’m careful when I post stuff, so I’m not too worried about myself. But definitely (with surveillance concerns) just the generic, “They could always be listening.” It’s kind of weird.

Maritza, senior: My main worry is how much it changes, how fast it changes and how unpredictable it can be.