Young adults and social media
TTA Digital media
Online behavior
Watching and uploading content
Reading books
Posting and privacy
Civic engagement
Health behavior
National Broadband Map
Pew Study, 2012
Use by race/ethnicity
Cell phone ownership
computers
On the bright side…
younger generations are given a powerful advantage to
compete in the economy over older generations.
Older people use it to communicate with their
children.
schools using computers in classrooms
What is connected learning?
Is digital media making us
lonely?
Along together
Technology-enabled—are we are able to be with one another, and also
elsewhere?
Do texting, e-mail, and posting let us present the self we want to be.
Is emailing, texting, etc. a substitute for conversation.
flight from conversation can mean diminished:
quality and depth of communication
chances to learn skills of self-reflection.
Alone together
in our rush to connect, are we fleeing from solitude
and our ability to be separate \7:20
“Connecting in sips may work for gathering discreet bits of
information, they may work for saying, "I'm thinking about you," or
even for saying, "I love you," but they don't really work for learning
about each other, for really coming to know and understand each
other.” Sherry Turkle, Alone Together
Effects of Digital Media
Media Consumption and emerging adulthood
Frontline: Digital Nation
Video
Overall
Emerging adults spend more time using media than
doing any other daily activity, spending nearly 12 hr
each day with media of some form
Effects
Academic Achievement
Friendships and relationships
Aggression
Prosocial behavior
Sexual behavior
Body Image
Problematic media Use
Academic Achievement
With every hour of electronic media exposure by
college students, GPA reduced by .06 points
Time away from study
2/3 students use digital media while in class, studying
or doing homework (mostly used for unproductive
measures)
BUT including in the classroom can facilitate
engagement
Friendship and relationships
Detracting from real-life friends/relationships
EVIDENCE
Video games. Porn neg.
Social networking—problems communicating in real life
for some, increased jealousy, obsessive beh.
BUT-most research compliments/facilitates r.w.
relationships
Aggression
More likely to pay M-video games/R movies
By TTA short-term effects stronger than long-term,
better able to interpret violent content
May glorify military/violence, improve gun
aim/accuracy
Prosocial Behaivor
Exposure leads to better behavior, tips, etc.
Sexual Behiaovr
> exposure > nonrelational sex, more partners
Porn (highest during emerging adulthood)
87% of emerging adult men, 20% daily
Women—only about 30% of some use
Body Image
Below average weight characters are over represented,
obese often receive negative comments
Exposure to fitness and health magazines
Eating disorders esp. prevalent late adolescents (peak at
18)
Pathological Use
Most emerging adults are NOT—8% of gamers show
signs of pathological video game use (addiction)
Badges?
Online representation of achievement?
But young adults are not
passive receivers!
Used as a way of “self-socializing themselves in terms of
important developmental tasks
Autonomy (fewer restrictions)
Identity (overall, gender, sexuality, ethnicity)
Music, media, movieis, video games, tv characters as
surrogates
Intimacy (from Facebook to more intimate channels)