I’m seeing a shift in how youngsters are using Social Media. Although they are still using computer technology for 8+ hours each day, many kids these days are telling me that they are on social media much less than in previous years. What an interesting shift in the way they use media these days, I must add! How did that happen, you may be asking? What in the world has happened? In this article, I’m going to write about the reasons why this may be happening. Are you ready for this? Here we go.
Millennials are using social media less because the systems they use (instagram, facebook, twitter) are now robust and mature. It is not easy to get likes and comments on these platforms anymore unless you pay a fee. Kids, like you and me, are in search for attention. They aren’t getting the attention they think they deserve on these social media channels anymore. Therefore, we are seeing a decline of use among this population. I kind of predicted this a few years back when I talked about youngsters being hungry for attention before. Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to see kids using these tools a bit less for a while but the irony is that they will eventually realize that failing to use them will make them handicapped in the workforce because we aren’t moving back to cable TV for communicating. We are moving towards voice activated technologies to communicate socially now.
Another reason why they aren’t so much on social media is because they are getting sick and depressed from using these tools. Some are even experiencing thoughts of suicide and getting opioids to cope with social media rejection. I have spoken with hundreds of students experiencing these thoughts and can attest to you that this crisis is real. What amazes me, however, is that we aren’t attributing part of how they feel to how parents are raising them. Sure, there seems to have a correlation between social media use and depression. I am wondering if there is also a correlation between helicopter parent behavior and depression, as well. Could it be that both social media and parents doing everything for their kids so they don’t “experience stress” in life is making them more stressed? Think about it.
Listen carefully: People like to blame things in order to not blame themselves. To me, social media and parenting are causing this crisis we are experiencing these days in America but that’s just me. All right, going back to the next reason why kids may be using social media less these days.
Millennials are probably using social media platforms less because of propaganda and recent literature claiming that these tools are bad for them. I wrote two of these books! It is true that most millennials don’t read so they are probably listening to a podcast online or hearing from a friend on snapchat or instagram that using social media too much will make them sick.
Look, I’m glad people are starting to TechnoModerate. If people TechnoModerate, Dr. A wins! Dr. A likes to win! All of these former topics, by the way, only advance what I’ve being saying for years — it is okay to use technology but in moderation.
I think we are going to see a temporary decline in social media use among the youth and that’s a good thing. As soon as people realize that there is a difference between media consumption and media production, we are going to see an increase in social media use among those who produce content. Like with any room of new technology, the beginning of that innovation process is messy. Things are changing may be for the better. I think that our society, for better or for worse, is realizing that all this technology isn’t worth the trouble, you know? I don’t think that computer use will necessarily stop. A big change in social media use is on the horizon! Thank God.
