Social Media and Teens: A Complex Landscape

Social media is a complex environment that presents both opportunities and threats for adolescents, with self-expression and emotional support on the one hand and body-shaming, cyberbullying, and addictive behaviors on the other. This complexity underscores the challenge to regulating teen social media use, but it also points to another avenue for protecting young people online: how social media platforms are designed.

The Growing Debate

The growing debate around teen social media use has intensified, with recent bipartisan policy efforts in the U.S., such as the Kids Online Safety Act, seeking to protect young people from digital harms. These efforts reflect legitimate concerns. However, broad restrictions on social media could also limit benefits for teens, throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Design Matters

I am a researcher who studies online safety and digital well-being. My recent work with colleagues in computer scientist Pamela Wisniewski’s Socio-Technical Interaction Research Lab underscores a critical point: social media is neither inherently harmful nor entirely beneficial. It is a tool shaped by its design, how teens use it, and the context of their experiences.

In other words, social media’s impact is shaped by its affordances – how platforms are designed and what they enable users to do or constrain them from doing. Some features foster connection while others amplify harms.

What Teens Say About Social Media

While social media’s worst outcomes, such as cyberbullying or mental health crises, are often in the spotlight, our research shows that teens’ experiences are far more nuanced. Instead, platforms enable diverse outcomes depending on their features and design.

Teens commonly described negative experiences involving social drama, cyberbullying, and privacy violations. For example, Instagram was a focal point for body-shaming and self-esteem issues, driven by its emphasis on curated visual content. Facebook triggered complaints about privacy violations, such as parents sharing private information without teens’ consent. Snapchat, meanwhile, exposed teens to risky interactions due to its ephemeral messaging, which fosters intimate but potentially unsafe connections.

Key to Safer Social Media

The concept of affordances – design and features – helps explain why teens’ experiences differ across platforms and provides a path toward safer design. For example, Instagram’s affordances such as image sharing and algorithmic content promotion amplify social comparison, leading to body-shaming and self-esteem issues. Snapchat’s affordances, such as ephemeral messaging and visibility of “best friends,” encourage personal connections but can foster risky interactions.

By understanding these platform-specific designs and features, it is possible to mitigate risks without losing the benefits. For example, Facebook could allow for appropriate levels of parental oversight of teen accounts while preserving privacy. Instagram could reduce algorithmic promotion of harmful content. And Snapchat could improve safety features.

Call for Safety by Design

It’s important for policymakers to recognize that social media’s risks and rewards coexist. Instead of viewing social media as a monolith, policymakers can target the features of social media platforms most likely to cause harm. For example, they could require platform companies to conduct safety audits or disclose algorithmic risks. These steps could encourage safer design without limiting access.

Conclusion

Social media’s impact is shaped by its design, how teens use it, and the context of their experiences. By understanding the affordances of social media platforms, it is possible to create digital spaces that protect teens from harm while preserving the connection, creativity, and support that social media enables. The tools to build a future where teens can thrive are already available; they just need to be designed better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the challenges of regulating teen social media use?

A: The challenges of regulating teen social media use include the complexity of the online environment, the need to balance the benefits of social media with the risks, and the importance of incorporating teens’ perspectives in the design and implementation of policies.

Q: How can social media platforms be designed to be safer for teens?

A: Social media platforms can be designed to be safer for teens by incorporating features that promote safety, such as reporting mechanisms for bullying and harassment, age-appropriate design, and transparent algorithms. Additionally, platforms can provide resources and support for teens, such as mental health resources and online safety tips.

Q: What is the role of policymakers in regulating social media?

A: Policymakers have a critical role to play in regulating social media by setting clear guidelines and standards for online safety, holding social media companies accountable for their actions, and providing resources and support for teens. By working together, policymakers, social media companies, and teens can create a safer and more positive online environment.