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Social Media & The Millennials: Good or Bad?

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Social Media & The Millennials: Good or Bad?

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Social media is the collective of online communication channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. Social networks are an extraordinarily important part of Millennials’ lives because it has become much more than a way to connect about personal matters. Social media has become such an important factor in today's society. It can be used to help you find a job, get real-time news and information discovery, creates great opportunities and exposure for business owners, etc. However, entertainment and general fun is the main reason for why people use these social networks. We must ask ourselves though, how does social media affect the way the millennials live today? Is it beneficial for their future or is it destroying their physical and mental well-being?

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Social media is an outlet that has transformed this generation. Some millennials, including myself, feel like social media is the way of the future. We have countless apps and media outlets right at the touch of our fingertips and we use them everyday. Whether it is checking your phone right after waking up, walking to your class, riding the bus, or even taking a bath, social media usage could amount to over twenty hours each week for many individuals. But what is it about social media that truly captivates people and how does this millennial generation benefit from it? A 2015 Pew Research survey found that a solid 90 percent of young adults (18-29) are the most likely to use social media. Apart from the convenience it offers through communicating, posting, catching up, etc., social media has also become a place for empowerment. A lot of people use these social networks to spread awareness for certain issues such as the LGBTQ community, fighting for women’s rights, Black Lives Matter, domestic abuse, and countless more. People can communicate from all over the world and feel connected to one another when fighting for the same cause. Social media also makes the life of businesses easier. It is simpler to reach clients nowadays through advertising. Communication among a huge market is also convenient. Having social media also helps to give new business owners exposure. For example, there are websites that now allow you to write and publish your own book from the comfort of your own home. Apps, such as Twitter, also has utilities like hashtags that allows you spread the word about your business in a quicker way. In my opinion, the advantages of social media outweigh the disadvantages because of the convenience it provides to our society today.

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A statistic graph showing the use of social networking between 2005 and 2015. Research reports have documented in great detail how the rise of social media has affected such things as work, politics and political deliberation, communication patterns around the globe, as well as the way people get and share information about health, civic life, news consumption, communities, teenager life, parenting, dating and even people’s level of stress.

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Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech

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65% of adults now use social networking sites - a nearly tenfold jump in the past decade

Nearly two-thirds of American adults (65%) use social networking sites, up from 7% when Pew Research Center began systematically tracking social media usage in 2005. Pew Research reports have documented in great detail how the rise of social media has affected such things as work, politics and political deliberation, communications patterns around the globe, as well as the way people get and share information about health, civic life, news consumption, communities, teenage life, parenting, dating and even people's level of stress.

Social Networking Use Has Shot Up in Past Decade

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.

Pew Research Center

A special analysis of 27 national surveys of Americans across the past decade documents this substantial spread of technology throughout the population, although the overall number of users of social networking sites has leveled off since 2013. At the same time, there continues to be growth in social media usage among some groups that were not among the earliest adopters, including older Americans.

The figures reported here are for social media usage among all adults, not just among those Americans who are internet users. In many previous Pew Research reports, the share of social media users has been reported as the proportion of internet users who had adopted such sites, rather than the full adult population, which continues to include a relatively small share (currently 15%) who still remain offline. In this report, a broader picture of the American landscape is presented, and so the figures are based on the entire adult population.

Across demographic groups, a number of trends emerge in this analysis of social media usage:

Age differences: Seniors make strides - Young adults (ages 18 to 29) are the most likely to use social media - fully 90% do. Still, usage among those 65 and older has more than tripled since 2010 when 11% used social media. Today, 35% of all those 65 and older report using social media, compared with just 2% in 2005.

Gender differences: Women and men use social media at similar rates - Women were more likely than men to use social networking sites for a number of years, although since 2014 these differences have been modest. Today, 68% of all women use social media, compared with 62% of all men.

Socio-economic differences: Those with higher education levels and household income lead the way - Over the past decade, it has consistently been the case that those in higher-income households were more likely to use social media. More than half (56%) of those living in the lowest-income households now use social media, though growth has leveled off in the past few years. Turning to educational attainment, a similar pattern is observed. Those with at least some college experience have been consistently more likely than those with a high school degree or less to use social media over the past decade. 2013 was the first year that more than half of those with a high school diploma or less used social media.

Racial and ethnic similarities: There are not notable differences by racial or ethnic group: 65% of whites, 65% of Hispanics and 56% of African-Americans use social media today.

Community differences: More than half of rural residents now use social media - Those who live in rural areas are less likely than those in suburban and urban communities to use social media, a pattern consistent over the past decade. Today, 58% of rural residents, 68% of suburban residents, and 64% of urban residents use social media.

What follows is an overview of changes over time in social media by various demographic groups. A full archive of Pew Research Center reports on different social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn as well as about social media usage on mobile devices in general can be found at: http://www.pewinternet.org/topics/social-networking/.

Social Media Usage by Age: Ubiquitous Among Youngest Adults, Notable Among Older Adults

Age is strongly correlated with social media usage: Those ages 18 to 29 have always been the most likely users of social media by a considerable margin. Today, 90% of young adults use social media, compared with 12% in 2005, a 78-percentage point increase. At the same time, there has been a 69-point bump among those ages 30-49, from 8% in 2005 to 77% today.

Young Adults Still Are the Most Likely to Use Social Media

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.

Pew Research Center

While usage among young adults started to leveled off as early as 2010, since then there has been a surge in usership among those 65 and older. In 2005, 2% of seniors used social media, compared with 35% today.

Social Media Usage by Gender: A Shifting Balance Over Time, With Parity Today

In 2005, 8% of men and 6% of women used social media.

Starting in 2009, women started using social media at slightly higher rates than men, although this balance has shrunk yet again in recent years. Today, 68% of women and 62% of men report social media usage, a difference that is not statistically significant.

Social Media Usage by Educational Attainment: Those With Higher Education Levels More Likely to be Social Media Users

Those who have attended at least some college are more likely than those with a high school diploma or less to use social media, a trend that has been consistent since 2005. In that year, 4% of those with a high school diploma or less used social media, along with 8% of those who attended some college and 12% of college graduates.

Those With Lower Levels of Education Are Less Likely to Use Social Media

Year

College graduate or more

Some college / Associate degree

High school graduate or less

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.

Pew Research Center

Currently adoption rates for social media stand at 76% for those with college or graduate degrees, 70% of those with some college education and 54% for those who have a high school diploma or less.

At the same time, the share of those with a high school diploma or less who use social media has grown more than tenfold over the past decade.

Social Media Usage by Household Income: Those Living in Affluent Households More Likely to Be Social Media Users

There were modest differences by household income when Pew Research first began measuring social media usage in 2005: 4% of those living in households earning less than $30,000 used social media, compared with 12% of those living in household earning $75,000 or more.

Those in Higher Income Households Lead the Way

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.

Pew Research Center

Those differences have persisted even as each group has seen dramatic growth in usage.

Today, 78% of those living in the highest-income households use social media, compared with 56% of those in the lowest-income households - a 22-point difference.

Social Media Usage by Race/Ethnicity: Consistent Similarities

When it comes to race and ethnicity, trends in social media adoption are defined by similarities, not differences. Whites, African-Americans and Hispanics have broadly adopted social media at the same brisk pace.

Racial Differences Not Very Evident as Social Media Usage Has Grown

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.

Pew Research Center

In 2005, 6% of African-Americans, 7% of whites and 10% of Hispanics used social networking sites. Today, those figures stand at 56% of African-Americans and 65% of both whites and Hispanics.

Social Media Usage by Community Type: More Than Half of Rural Residents Now Use Social Media

Adults who live in rural communities have historically been the least likely to use social media. In 2005, 5% of rural residents, 7% of suburban residents and 9% of urban residents reported social media usage. Today, 58% of rural residents, 68% of suburban residents and 64% of urban residents use social media.

Rural Citizens Have Consistently Lagged Behind

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.

Pew Research Center

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65% of adults now use social networking sites - a nearly tenfold jump in the past decade Nearly two-thirds of American adults (65%) use social networking sites, up from 7% when Pew Research Center began systematically tracking social media usage in 2005.

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Here is a video that goes into a little more detail about the advantages that come with using social media. Advantages that include connecting with people all over the world to helping with criminal investigations!

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25 ADVANTAGES of SOCIAL MEDIA That Are Good To Keep In Mind

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A very informational Ted Talk that gives you insight as to how social media impacts us from our mood to our mental health, and particularly in the university setting. Samia Khan demonstrates how social media has us putting our (virtual) best face forward, inadvertently creating a multitude of one-sided conversations where students display their successes but hide their personal lows.

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Social Media: Too Much of a Good Thing? | Samia Khan | TEDxTerryTalks

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Join Samia as she discusses how social media impacts us, from our mood to our mental health, and particularly in the university setting. From this, she will demonstrate how social media has us putting our (virtual) best face forward, inadvertently creating a multitude of one-sided conversations where students display their successes but hide their personal lows.

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An account on twitter explaining how millennials are 247% more likely to be influences by social media and blogs.

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Did you know, #millennials are 247% more likely to be influenced by social media and blogs. https://t.co/EmH4Sn1oPC #branding

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Did you know, #millennials are 247% more likely to be influenced by social media and blogs. https://t.co/EmH4Sn1oPC #branding

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Did you know, #millennials are 247% more likely to be influenced by social media and blogs. https://t.co/EmH4Sn1oPC #branding
— BlueSky ETO (@BlueSkyETO) December 16, 2017

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Did you know, #millennials are 247% more likely to be influenced by social media and blogs. https://t.co/EmH4Sn1oPC #branding

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Did you know, #millennials are 247% more likely to be influenced by social media and blogs. https://t.co/EmH4Sn1oPC #branding

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Did you know, #millennials are 247% more likely to be influenced by social media and blogs. https://t.co/EmH4Sn1oPC #branding

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Although social media have some great qualities and benefits, they also have a way of affecting the millennials as well. Studies have proven that by having social media, sometimes you can lack an emotional connection that you could only receive face to face. The quality of a conversation using social media is awful because you cannot sense the emotion or enthusiasm from the other person. It makes you wonder if they actually mean what they say. Social media conversations and text messages today consists of “haha”, “LOL”, and other exclamations that are meant to represent laughter. This has become second nature and is often used when the sender is not even smiling, much less laughing, in real life. This lack of emotional connection is not healthy for when it is time to step away from the social networks and actually have a face to face conversation; whether it’s for a job interview or simply just talking to one of your friends. Millennials in today’s society are also becoming lazy and are depending too much on their technology to get them through life. The new socially active era causes laziness because instead of running to your friends you can message them. Or instead of walking upstairs to call a family member, I can send them a text or make a phone call. Social networking makes life so convenient that it creates laziness. Although it can be very convenient, it can also cause a strain on human interaction. A few more examples of how social media is a disadvantage to the millennials are, it creates a skewed self-image, causes distractions (in and out of the classroom or at your workplace), virtual bullying, fake news, and identity theft. Sometimes social media makes people feel pressured to portray themselves a certain way to the world. We tell ourselves lies about ourselves and develop something we are not. We post pictures of us looking perfect and share the good news. This causes self-esteem issues and makes people feel pressured to look or act a specific way. The disadvantages of social networking and social media will continue to be studied for decade. As a solution, I believe that people should limit their usage on social media and interact face-to-face just as much as they interact online.

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A fun little animated video explaining the disadvantages on social media when it comes to privacy and the type of information that people are putting out into the world. By the end of this video, it should open your eyes to see that even if your are putting information on a page that you think is "private", your data is still not 100% secure.

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Please watch my video and hope you gain some knowlegde.:)

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This blog is written in the point of view of the millennials themselves. Many of them were interviewed and gave their opinion on how they think that social media and social networking impacts their lives.

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"Our technology has come to the point where it is ruling our lives; however, without it we would be lost."

These words were written by a perceptive tenth grader as part of an assignment to answer the question, "How has online social networking influenced your relationships with friends and family?"

Like their parents and grandparents, young people are taking notice of how social networking is impacting their lives for good and bad. Most agree it is a useful tool to keep in touch with friends and family and to communicate important and timely messages. But their essays also reflect a deep concern for how social media affects the quality of their relationships.

This is a two-part article, gleaned from reviewing the essays of a Seattle-area class of tenth graders. It is not a formal research study. Rather, it is meant to generate discussion on a topic important to all children, teenagers, and adults.

Below are the most discussed benefits of social networking according to these tenth graders, including quotes from their essays. In a similar format, you can also read their reflections on the disadvantages of social networking in my blog at Roots of Action.

10 Benefits of Social Networking

1. Breaks the Ice with New Relationships
"We never talked in person until months after online chatting. We got to know each other by asking questions, over text. I think the reason we never talked in person was because we were a little embarrassed at first to approach one another, and without talking face-to-face it made it easier to connect and get to know each other."

2. Allows you Keep in Touch will People Far Away
"I was able to talk to my friends from different countries without leaving my mother a surprise in the next phone bill."
"It keeps me in contact with my father, who moved to Georgia two years ago. Because of Gmail and Facebook, he is able to maintain a relationship with me that would be hard to keep with only letters and phone calls."

3. Provides a Way to Look your Best
"If popularity or a widespread social position is something that is important to a person, or if someone just wants to look their best in a world where what is posted is permanent in some form, social networking is a great addition to modern life."
"Given the delicate 'coming of age' passage we are currently undergoing, judgment is a relevant force in our lives right now. Having the capability to showcase only your best features could be a definite pro."

4. Delivers Instant Notification of Important Events
"Putting out an announcement on a social network is much easier than going around and telling people the message. Many high schoolsports teams use this feature to keep its members up to date on changing events. I have found it to be quite useful as I receive a notification as soon as something happens."

5. Helps Build Friendships
"I think social networking has made me closer to friends. I was on Facebook for a while before I got a cell phone, and it made it easier for me to make plans and connect with people. I have conversations with my friends that are just as real as the conversations we have face to face."

6. Accesses Diversity of Opinion
"I like being able to get opinions from a wide group of people with similar interests, information I wouldn't be able to get otherwise."

7. Increases Perspective and Discovery of New Interests
"Through social networking I have come to understand more about different lifestyles and have learned a lot from information given to me. For example, I have Facebook friends who live in different countries and I like reading their perspectives and what their interests are. Sometimes my friends share links with me about new music artists, and I find myself surprised that I'm interested in music that I didn't think I would like."

8. You can forget about the stress of real life and immerse yourself in a world where you have 500 friends and can simply ignore the people who don't like you."

9. Improves spelling
"When I text my friends, I always spell everything correctly due to auto correct helping me out. This practice teaches me to learn to spell new words, and with the help of a dictionary right there on my phone, I also learn what these words mean."

10. Disseminates Timely News from Around the World.
"It can be the best source of spreading current events that would typically take at least an hour for a newspaper to write about or a TV station to cover. This is true in the case of Twitter where users can post a short message that is under 140 characters."

Striking a Healthy Balance

As you read the second part of this article on how tenth graders perceived the disadvantages of social networking, you'll see the many conflicts they face in the new Digital Age. Behind each benefit, there is a profound shadow-side that must be managed.

Like these high school students, musician and child advocate Raffi Cavoukian advocates for balance and deeper understanding. He also sounds an alarm for needed reform. In his article at Huffington Post Lightweb Darkweb: Three Reasons to Reform Social Media Before it Re-Forms Us (and book of the same name), he challenges us as parents, educators, and citizens, to take responsibility for the healthy development of children and to make hard choices about reforming social media now, before it is too late. In his book, Raffi argues, "At a time when humanity needs to be at its best and smartest-to see the big picture-we're profoundly distracted by triviality." He believes we should support and nurture young people in ways that help them recognize, understand, and balance the obvious light and dark sides of the web.

As one student remarked, "Social networking should be balanced and not so time demanding. People should remember the purpose of face-to-face conversations[...]By having a good balance of the use of social networking, the positive influences of social networking can possibly outweigh the negative influences."

Frankly, I was impressed with these students' insights and their abilities to see both sides of what has become a balancing act of our connected world. But insights are not nearly enough to ensure the safety and healthy development of our children.

In the coming months, I plan to interview Raffi for more details about his ideas, which I know have evolved from conversations with great thinkers and researchers around the world.

What will we do to help young people reap the benefits of social networking and use it wisely? How will we prevent the web from diminishing their relationships and potentially harming their futures?
--A special thanks to the students who contributed their voices to this article.
Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD, is a developmental psychologist working at the intersection of youth development, leadership, education and civic engagement. Subscribe to Updates at Roots of Action to receive email notices of Marilyn's articles.

©2014 Marilyn Price-Mitchell. All rights reserved. Please for permission to reprint.

Photo Credit: Thammarat Sukwat

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Millennials Reflect on Social Networking

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Teens are taking notice of how social networking is impacting their relationships for good and bad. Most agree it is a useful tool to keep in touch with friends and family and to communicate important and timely messages. But they also share a deep concern for how social media affects the quality of their relationships.

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A chart showing the increase (by billion) of how many people have joined the social media world since 2011.

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This website discusses, in more detail, some of the disadvantages that social media has on the life of a millennial in today's society. Some of these points further the explanation of some of the examples I gave above.

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With technology growing and becoming increasingly advanced, more people are entering the world of social media and using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to post information and consistent status' about what they get up to each day, almost like an online journal, open to the public to read. What people are not realising is that these social networking sites are not as private people may like them to be. Each social networking site lets you set your settings to private so that only people you know can read your information and look at your photo's, however the big question is do you really know everyone that you have added as a "friend" on Facebook or have as a "follower" on Twitter?

Identity Theft

It is so easy to make a profile on any social networking site, all you need is an email address and a name. It is also easy for someone to steal your identity through social networking sites as they can easily access your information such as your name, your gender and your age and they can also save any images that you may of uploaded. Unless you have your profile set to private almost anyone can look at your profile and your information. Those that have their profile set to private will still have people being able to look at their profile such as "friends" but do you really know who your friends are? First of all lots of people just accept anyone as their friend to make them look popular and then there may be times where you accept someone you think you know, but how do you know it is actually them on the other side and not just someone who has created a false profile? You have to be so careful with privacy on social networking sites and make sure that you are only accepting friend requests from people that you actually know. Don't give out too much information such as your home address and phone number and also keep your date of birth private as this will help prevent identity theft. If you need to give out any personal information then do so in a private message and make sure that you are only sending it to someone that you know is 100% them on the other side.

Job Threats

Social networking sites can pose as large threats towards any job application and even the job that you are currently employed in. Employers keep a close eye on employees social networking sites and will always catch people out if the job is being bad mouthed about through social media or if other employees are being virtually bullied online. If you are applying for a job and an employer see's something on your social networking site that they don't agree with or they feel is abusive, then your application will be automatically denied.

Virtual Bullying

Virtual bullying is a big thing at the moment and people will be too scared and frightened to say anything about it. Virtual bullying happens a lot on social networking sites as they are so public that the person being bullied can be humiliated in front of their friends as well as the bully's friends. Unfortunately, most of the time, the victim will shy away and let it happen. The only thing they can do is report it to the social networking site, block the bully from their profile and delete any comments that have been made, but at this point it is usually too late as the damage has been done.

Harmful News

Social networking sites make everything in life so instantaneous, especially as most people will have their profile on an App on their smart phone so that they can stay constantly logged in. Lots of news comes through social media before news sites now, so that we can read updates as they happen. This can sometimes be harmful to those who may not wish to see this sort of news or they may find it offensive and upsetting.

As good as social networking can be, you just have to be aware that are many disadvantages of social media and that there are people out there that will take information from you and use it to their advantage for identity theft for example. Make sure that the only people you share information to is your friends and also make sure that your profile is set to private as this will help protect your information.

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The Disadvantages of Social Media- MGT Design

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With technology growing and becoming increasingly advanced, more people are entering the world of social media and using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to post information and consistent status' about what they get up to each day, almost like an online journal, open to the public to read.

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A blog informing you on the disadvantages that social media can also cause on your business.

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The Disadvantages of Using Social Networks as Marketing Tools

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Marketers are faced with an array of new choices with the rapid increase in the use of social media. According to a social media study by Monash University, American businesses are expected to spend ...

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This video informs us on both the advantages and disadvantages of social networking in one.

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Social Networking: Advantages &  Disadvantages

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In conclusion, we most definitely shouldn’t avoid the use of technology and social media. Yes, it can have very damaging consequences if used too often, but it has an equally important role for the millennial generation. Avoiding the problem doesn’t actually help anyone. Going to the root of the problem and working through to find a solution will most definitely have a positive impact on the people affected. So I say, don’t teach kids that social media is bad, teach them how to use social media properly and manage what they put out into the world. Social media is becoming the way of the future and will continue to grow and develop.