Equipping adolescents for the flawed world of social media
Introduction
Are adolescents being damaged by the amount of time many spend online? If so, why is this happening and what might be done about it?
I have decided to offer this analysis online rather than in our textbook because many educators might not consider this topic to be related to their responsibilities. What I offer here is far more extensive in comparison to the brief mention I make in the textbook. I think about this topic in a similar way to how I think about the role educators could play in addressing cyberbullying. I acknowledge that expectation schools address cyberbullying is more commonly assumed. However, cyberbullying very seldom happens while students are in the school environment (see final chapter on responsible behavior). Cyberbullying is most commonly directed at acquaintances students know through face to face school contacts. School also provides an efficient platform for addressing bullying behavior of all types with students. Similarly, use of social media within the school setting is typically carefully focused to meet educational goals. The dangers of overuse are just not a function of technology use within schools. However, again, the classroom could be an efficient place to discuss issues related to this topic. The general expectation that a purpose of education is to prepare learners to function effectively in the world they inhabit argues that schools might take on some responsibility for preparing students for the realities of the online world they do and will continue to inhabit.
The online environment offers all of us content and services. This environment has generated both opportunities and concerns. One specific concern is the amount of time users spend online. Poor sleep habits, lack of physical activity, depression, and cyberbullying have been associated with what have been described as excessive screen time. The mechanisms responsible for these problems vary some, but spending a great deal of time online is a common predictor (e.g., Twenge, Cooper, Joiner, Duffy, & Binau, 2019). I have been careful here to describe the relationship between time online and negative consequences as best explained as prediction rather than causation. These types of naturally occurring relationships are difficult if not impossible to investigate in the way researchers seek to identify patterns of causation in laboratory experiments.
The nearly ubiquitous access to a cell phone has played a large role in the growing concern for the issue of the time spent with technology and possible related consequences. Anderson and Jiang (2019) report that 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online 'almost constantly. Teenage girls are the heaviest cellphone users. It is constant access that is what makes cellphone Internet access different from the access provided by other devices.
The general public receives alarming messages regarding adolescent use of devices (e.g., Twenge, 2017) and certainly, there is reason for concern. However, simplistically rejecting technology use is not a reasonable response. What we all experience with technology is a combination of good and bad. Realistically, the online world is not going to disappear and will attract young users no matter what adults might believe or desire.
Given the mixed consequences of technology use, it makes the most sense to take a deeper look at the relationship between time online and consequences. Przybylski and Weinstein (2017) provide an interesting perspective. These researchers have generated a research project intended to contrast two hypotheses - the displacement hypothesis which proposes that the time spent with media replaces other productive activities - exercise, face to face interaction with friends, etc. and the Goldilocks hypothesis which proposes that the use of technology can lead to advantages at some level of use due to access to information and access to peers. As is the case in the story of Goldilocks and her visit to the home of the three bears, some moderate level is the most pleasing and productive.
Using a sample of more than 100,000, 15 year-olds, the researchers related a measure of technology use to a measure of mental well being. Their approach sought to determine whether the measures were related and what was the nature of the relationship. The displacement hypothesis should predict a linear relationship - well being should gradually decline with increasing use of technology. The Goldilocks hypothesis would predict a more complex relationship with some level of use being associated with positive (not neutral) consequences and high levels of use should be associated with negative consequences.
It was the Goldilocks hypothesis that best fit the data. The data offered something more. The data allowed the calculation of what were described as inflection points - at what point did the relationship shift from positive or neutral to negative? This could be a way to quantify what could be suggestions for guidelines. The research found this shift at 1 hour 40 minutes for weekday video-game use and 1 hour 57 min for cell phone use. Watching videos and using a computer were shown to be less disruptive as the inflection points were determined to be more than 3-4 hours. The authors speculated the differences were related to how difficult it was to switch away from a given category of technology activity and then back. In other words, the time spent using a computer and watching videos allows the user to break away and is not a complete escape from other activities.
There would likely be multiple factors found to be involved in the dangers of "screen time", but research similar to that of Przbylski and Weinstein (2017) represents what will likely become a useful approach in developing guidelines.
This commentary intends to focus more selectively on the time spent on social media. This category of represents only one of multiple categories of online behavior. I would argue this category offers some unique issues when it comes to questions of benefit, damage, and time spent. The comments that follow are divided into two categories - a) surveillance capitalism which is a way of understanding the motives and techniques of the companies associated with the major social media services, and b) psychological factors - a description of factors influential in determining the allure of online services and of the impact participating in such services have on individuals. The adolescent age group will receive the great amount of attention.