Teens filling time with social media and some adults don't think that's all good

A recent study by Common Sense Media says teenagers spend nearly nine hours per day absorbing media, including music, television, social media, video games, etc.

“I would probably say I spend nine hours a day when I think about it,” said Maria Christenson, a student from Eastside High School. “Right when I wake up in the morning, I’m up checking social media.”

“Listening to music helps me concentrate, and then when I get home, there’s nothing else to do but watch TV,” said fellow Eastside student Megan Moreno.

On average, teenagers seem to be active on three or four social media channels, with Snapchat and Instagram currently being the most popular.

Social media has changed in the past few years, with Facebook becoming a news source and place for people to share videos or opinions on current topics.

“Facebook has what’s going on in the world, so I turn to that instead of turning on the news,” said Moreno.

“I also use it to keep up to date on things and see what’s going on around the world,” said student Tyler Beard.

Abby Hinchliffe, a parent of a student attending Fremont High School, said her daughter, Autumn, “is online about 6-7 hours a day if she has nothing going on.” Hinchliffe said social media can have negative effects, because it keeps her daughter from doing, for example, homework and chores, but she likes to keep informed on what people are doing and enjoys following inspirational sites.

“I, as a parent, don’t monitor the time, but after this conversation, I am shocked at the amount of time and will be making some changes,” Hinchliffe said.

A local Facebook user, Nick Tank, went so far as to say excessive social media behavior makes teenagers “less human, less alive.”

“It will ruin younger generations, in my opinion. It offers a constant loop of instant gratification that is almost always accessible, which is horribly unnatural and somewhat artificial stimulation,” said Tank. “I believe social media activity hits the receptors in your brain associated with the addiction/pleasure center.”

With the daily hours teens spend online and engaged in media, educators and industry leaders say they notice a lack of communication skills in the younger generations.

“I was at a meeting recently and heard two CEOs talking about new, young managers they had recently hired. Both CEOs were looking for communication in-service opportunities for their new managers,” said Superintendent Jeffrey Stephens of DeKalb Eastern Community Schools.

“Somewhat intrigued, I asked what sort of communication in-service they were looking to offer. They both responded they were looking for in-service that would help address interpersonal communication skills,” Stephens said. “The new hires were having difficulty verbally interacting with other managers and employees. They explained that the new managers were very adept at using electronics to communicate, but they were struggling with one-on-one conversations.”

Teenagers admit to dedicating hours daily to social media. “When I’m not doing anything, I’m on social media,” said Christenson. “I just sit there and find myself refreshing the page over and over because I’m so bored.”

“At one point I tried to delete all the apps for it, and I just sat there, bored. I didn’t know what was going on in the world,” said Moreno. “So I downloaded them again.”

How students and teens conduct themselves online can affect their future.

“We want students to think about their social media profile as out there for future employers to see, much like a résumé,” said Larry Yoder, principal of Eastside High School. “My son plays Division I college baseball, and when he was being recruited, they would say: ‘We look at your social media profile, and if we see anything questionable, we won’t even offer’” a scholarship.

“Their image, their character is being created online, and when I go to hire anyone, I punch their name in and see what comes up,” Yoder added.

The speed at which news travels on social media can be both negative and positive.

“Word spreads more, and false information gets around faster,” said Christenson. “It’s another way for people to attack others and talk about others.”

“You can’t do anything privately anymore without someone knowing about it,” said Beard. “If a friend tweets about something, it’s going to get around quickly.”

Kendall Likes, also an Eastside student, said, “Positively, we’re able to easily and quickly contact people who don’t live in the United States. I’m able to contact my friends that live in Germany and Switzerland through social media, so that’s really good.”

Area school districts cover social media and cell-phone policies in the student handbooks.

Asked about the cell-phone policy at Eastside High School, students responded with a collective laugh at the notion of such regulations. Four students all admitted using cell phones throughout the school day.

Kirsten Ziembo, district digital communications specialist for DeKalb Central schools, said social media can have benefits for education, however.

“Students are more proactive and take ownership in their learning because there are more resources available at their fingertips,” she said. “When social media is used in a positive way, it brings students, parents, teachers, and community members together in a common platform.”