WHERE TO FIND YOUR STUDENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
“A WORKER’S AND PARENTS’ GUIDE TO KNOWING THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS STUDENTS ARE USING”
WHERE TO FIND YOUR STUDENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
“A WORKER’S AND PARENTS’ GUIDE TO KNOWING THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS STUDENTS ARE USING”
Have you ever played the game hide and seek?
Growing up, this was one of my favourite games. Full disclosure, I still love it. If you aren’t familiar with it, to play, one player who’s “it” covers their eyes and counts to a selected number while the other players hide, waiting to be found.
I hate being found. Hate it. So when it comes to choosing my hiding spot, I try to think of the most creative and obscure places to hide. And I always take into consideration whether I’ll be able to move from that spot. Some may consider that cheating, but to me, that’s what makes you a real hide and seek pro — moving to multiple spots over the course of the game. I want to give myself the best chance of hiding the longest, so when the person who’s “it” goes past me, then I know it’s time to move to another spot— preferably from where the person who’s “it” has just come from. The more I’m able to keep moving around while hiding, the longer the seeker has no idea where I am.
Which made me think, of social media.
I know. That seems like a stretch. But bear with me. When it comes to social media and students, they are constantly on the move, trying to find new spaces and places where they can “hide” from their parents’ or other adults’ observation. As a parent or worker we can think we know where they are and what they are doing, but students are moving targets. They don’t stay in one place. They don’t pick one social media platform and stay there. This generation in particular loves the variety of all social media platforms.
I saw this happen not long ago when Instagram introduced “Insta-Story”. Initially, people tended to respond by saying things like, “Insta is ripping off Snapchat” because of the similarities to video/photo posting. But that didn’t stop people from using it. Even though they were so similar in how they function, people started utilizing both, some even posting the same video on every social media channel just so they felt they were covering all of their bases.
So, what social media platforms are your students engaging in?
The fact that social media is constantly evolving, complicates this question. As adults invested in students’ lives we need to remember where they are now is not where they will always be.
Students love variety and want to be involved in spaces and places their peers are. Why? I think the most basic desire behind this is the need to feel acceptance and belonging with their peers. They don’t want to miss out! So they’ll go where others are going to feel included .
Right now, the biggest social media platforms include:
Snapchat
Video - You Tube / Vimeo
Instant Messaging - Kik/ imessage / WhatsApp
Face Time / Skype
Live Streaming – Fb Live / Periscope
Tumblr
Maybe you’ve never heard of half of these. That’s okay. Now that you know, you can be proactive in learning where your student in particular is connecting. But remember, once you figure that out, your job isn’t done. Hide and seek, remember? We have the responsibility to continue to learn where our students are going as it changes.
Intentionally stay informed over the ways your students are interacting with social media.
How?
Ask your students what they are on and ask them to show you how to actively engage with it. Be a student of your student. Let them show you the ropes.
Ask other parents, educators and youth workers what their students are using. See if there is any overlap.
Anything else you would add to this list? I would love to hear from you. What are your students on and which social media platform is having the most influence on them now?
Till next time,
Dubsy
3 REASONS WHY YOUR KID CAN'T GET OFF SOCIAL MEDIA
Have you ever wondered, “Why is my child so connected to social media?” Or, “Why are they always on their device?” or “Why are they so insistent in taking their device to their room?” Maybe you’ve asked them to do something around the house and their immediate response isn’t “Sure!” but, “Just give me a minute. I need to get back to someone real fast.” …
3 REASONS WHY YOUR KID CAN'T GET OFF SOCIAL MEDIA
Have you ever wondered, “Why is my child so connected to social media?” Or, “Why are they always on their device?” or “Why are they so insistent in taking their device to their room?” Maybe you’ve asked them to do something around the house and their immediate response isn’t “Sure!” but, “Just give me a minute. I need to get back to someone real fast.”
These are the kinds of things I heard from parents after presenting Digital Avalanche, the parent’s seminar.
This generation is a connected generation. You already know that. But how connected are they?
Research indicates young people today are spending up to six hours every day online. That’s not six hours in one concentrated time block, but over the course of 24 hours.
87% of people aged 10-23 check their accounts everyday.
48% of young people (10-23yrs) get on social media first thing in the morning, after their alarm goes off. Before showering, or eating breakfast or getting dressed, they get plugged in.
It’s with these stats in mind, that I want to focus on just one of the current and emerging trends within social media and young people: the trend of kids craving connection and three reasons why this is happening.
1) FOMO (fear of missing out)
FOMO is a fear of missing out and it’s the main driving force for kids and their attachment to social media. They don’t want to miss out on the events happening in the world around them, because that would mean they could be left out or left behind in social settings.
Like all of us, students want to find places where they are accepted & find belonging. For a young person, online appears to offer both.
At its core, the craving for social connection stems from those foundational needs they are looking to their peers to fulfil. There’s a lot on the line for them as they pursue “social connectedness, in part” because there is an expectation to be online. That doesn’t mean they should be on every social media platform. And as a parent you know how important it is to do your homework and determine what social media avenues you want your kids to have access to. There is no blanket rule. This is best decided in each family, and with each child. But as you make your decisions, it is important to know the pressure and expectations students are living with in regards to social media.
2) Appearance Management
When it comes to the online world it’s easy for students to build a fantasy image of themselves not based on reality. Online platforms are used to demonstrate the life they wish they had, which ultimately leads nowhere good.
Think for a moment about your own social media usage and what you post. None of us are eager to post our ‘low light reel’ of our dirty kitchen, of our kids fighting or not wearing make up, unless we’re doing one of those social media campaigns with the hashtag #therealme. The most common stuff we post is our ‘highlight real’. Without even making a conscious decision, this is what we default to.
Many students get sucked into painting a picture of their life on social media that is completely flawless—portraying an ideal life more than an authentic one. That doesn’t mean social media is the place to air all of our dirty laundry. Over sharing isn’t helpful either. You don’t want to be that guy! But we do need to teach students to discover who they are and that they are designed with purpose & intentionality—that who they are is enough and they should focus on celebrating their uniqueness rather than getting caught up in comparison, which social media breeds.
So far, you’ve probably been tracking along, but this 3rd reason may hit a little too close to home.
3) It’s been modelled to them by their parents
The truth is, some of us, as parents are more connected to our devices than our kids.
Our phones have become our default habit. We may not even necessarily be picking them up to go on social media but perhaps to organise with your partner who’s picking the kids up after soccer training tomorrow, or to grab some groceries on the way home from work. You might even be replying to a work email that’s come in late. You know you have a good reason for being connected, but your students sees you constantly on your device & they make assumptions about your activity. The narrative they tell themselves is, “Mum or Dad are online. Again”.
Through this, you are modelling what’s normal and acceptable when it comes to how often you use your smartphone device, tablet or laptop. More than what you say to them, what you are demonstrating in your own relationship with social media, is communicating a message loud and clear. So, my question is, are you happy with what you are modelling to them?
The less obvious side effect your kids experience when they consistently witness you on your phone, is that what is happening there, is more important than what’s happening with them.
So as parents, I would encourage you to be present with your kids, aware of what you are modelling to them, because more than what we say, they are picking up on and modelling what we do.
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In this episode Dubsy shares his insights about what it means to be a person of influence.
For more insights on life, leadership & youth culture go to www.nathanwant.com
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In this episode Dubsy shares his insights around one thought that unlocked endless possibilities in the pursuit of his dreams & ideas.
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In this episode Dubsy shares his insights around one thought that unlocked endless possibilities in the pursuit of his dreams & ideas.
For more insights on life, leadership & youth culture go to nathanwant.com
