Lessons for teens from social media
A recent scandal on social media provided many a lesson for the young people who have made it their natural habitat.
The advent of Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms like Snapchat, etc, have definitely been a blessing in many ways – from entertainment to connectivity.
Being very new, we recognise that many a misstep will be made before we master enjoying the benefits of social media without suffering from the pitfalls.
Firstly – and believe it or not, this has to be said – social media is not real life.
There are effects of social media on real life, but at the end of the day you have to go out and interact with real people and real workplaces.
One of the first things a prospective employer will do is to check your social media footprint. It can make the difference between you and a possibly weaker candidate. But this has been said many times.
There is a greater point here. No matter the number of followers or ‘forward’ you may gain on social media, there is a world out there where reputations matter. Opinions will be formed of you from social media, not just by your peers, but by an older generation who often controls the opportunities in life, and may not appreciate the ‘gimmicks’ of social media.Social media is a double-edged sword.
Publicity is not always your friend.
Also, at the end of the day, you are not typing to a handle or profile photo. There are real people who may be affected in real ways from something many may view as a joke.
The lack of face-to-face interaction does not invalidate the necessity for a level of care for your fellow human being.
The second point is: social media is not a replacement for the proper authorities. It may aid in publicising activities and supporting the purposes of actual authorities, but it is no replacement for law and order. It is easy to run to social media with problems as a young person. But let us not forget the people in our lives, like parents and official authorities, who are there to help.
The systems of old do have their utility, particularly with serious issues of law and confidentiality.
The final point – and we feel like we are repeating something said a million times – is that ANYTHING sent on social media might as well be sent to EVERYONE, everywhere, for all time. So, though you may send things to a single person, know that the nature of digital files is that it can be easily transmitted to the wider world.
And deletion of any sort does not remove it from the Internet. Therefore, greater care is necessary on social media than it may actually be in face-to-face relationships. Social media is a wonderful, fun, innovative place. However, we should be cognisant of its inherent limits and dangers.
Beware.