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00:00:02

[Claire]

What social media looks like for teens today. Now, I don't know if anyone can remember their first experience with social media. We're thinking way back. Did we have social media when we were teenagers ourselves? I think this morning we were talking a little bit about it. And I can see some answers. Myspace, I recall that one. Absolutely. Yes, social media has definitely changed a lot. I did have social media as a teenager myself. However, it's completely different today, right? How is it different? Well, we'll get into that. There's a lot going on. I can see some people saying Tumblr, Myspace. They have Facebook. Yahoo, interesting. There was a platform called Bebo back in the day. I don't know if anyone remembers that. But we're going to take a quick look at what kind of platforms we have now. And have a think about which ones we're using ourselves.

00:01:06

I've got a few on screen now. So let me know in the chat, which ones are you using? Which ones do you come in contact with on a daily basis? Are there any that you don't use? We've got a few here. Hello, welcome. I see people using Instagram. A lot of people using Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. Oh, we're seeing more people using TikTok, which is an interesting one. Are you using it to post content or using it just to view? Facebook, what's Facebook? YouTube, WhatsApp. A bit of both. Interesting. Absolutely.

00:01:47

Yes, there's a lot going on. Social media is huge. There's lots of different places to be online with social media nowadays in comparison to when it first started out. So statistically, it's quite interesting because we're seeing that YouTube is topping the list for a lot of teens from this survey. But TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are also there. And I didn't see anyone mention Snapchat in the comments. So that's very interesting. It's a whole platform maybe a lot of people don't have contact with on a daily basis. So it's massive for most teens, but maybe we don't have the insight towards it. Now, also, this is a really interesting point to make, right? Because we're talking about being online. We talk about ourselves using social media, right?

00:02:37

Well, when we looked at this survey here, we could see that nearly half all teens on this survey are using social media almost constantly. And even more checking several times a day. Now, you might be doing this yourself as well. I don't know, how often are you checking in on social media? Yeah, I know, I think I'm probably on the several times a day to almost constantly myself. So for teens, it's very, very popular. It's very high, like it's quite surprising, but also not in a way, right? Now, obviously, we want to get into the world and kind of have a look at, you know, what that looks like for teens. So I'm going to test you a little bit here.

00:03:25

And we're going to have a look at some terms that will come up as we go through this presentation. So how many of these terms do you know? Any new to you? We have FYP, meaning, have a little think. We've got DM, possibly know that one. Yes, FYP is for new page. It's things that appear in the feed that might be suitable for you. DM, direct message. Yeah, you've got main feed. This is going to be things that you see when you're scrolling. Some people are like streaks, snaps. That's okay, we'll cover that in a moment.

00:04:14

Stories you might know as well if you're using Instagram or any of these platforms. And close friends, we mean in terms of social media. Okay, a lot of people are confused by doing scrolling. Don't worry, we'll get to that. Let's dive into the world of social media. What are we looking at for teens? So to get us cracking, getting us started, the public and private persona of teens online, it looks a little different to maybe what we might think. Simply put, we're talking about the difference between public posting versus private posting. Public posting, this is where you're sharing with everyone or a much larger audience.

00:05:04

So people who are following you or that have the potential to see the content that you share. Private posting then is where you're sharing content like videos, images with smaller selected groups of people. You're kind of trusted circle. And with teens, it's really a deliberate strategy, because they're navigating between these two kind of desires or these competing pressures that they have, which is the need to always be online, to be always connected. And this needs for privacy and their own space. So these two things can work together. Now, I'm going to get you to have a look at this. And in the comments, I want you to think about which image would be posted publicly and which would go to a private space. But I want you to think why, very important.

00:06:08

Let's see what you have, A or B. Which one would go to a private space and which would go public? Don't forget why, that's the most important part. I won't be offended, because these are pictures of me. Lovely. Okay, I see a lot of people saying A. B, oh, we're having a little debate in the comments. A is, a lot more people are saying A is public, yes. B, potentially private. Interesting. Yes, okay. B is more fun, we see, a fun photo, absolutely.

00:06:57

Yeah, people say it could depend on your audience. But think about as a teen, if you were like, okay, one has to go to my public feed and one has to go to a group of friends. Yeah, some people are saying public, A is public because it's more aesthetically pleasing, maybe matches the feed, absolutely. Private, B, because it's more fun for friends, absolutely. So it's like, both could be public. I don't see anything wrong, fair, fair. Yeah, you know, I think someone here has said, yes, that teens would maybe more go for polished content. And you're totally on the right, right call there. Because when we think about public posting, and especially nowadays, teens are very cautious about what they're posting publicly.

00:07:48

Yeah, they're very aware of their digital footprint, right? So in comparison to previous generations, they understand that posts last forever. So they are very aware of what they post, kind of has to have this polished curated look to it. Even a caption on a post like this would take a while to construct. There are also this, there's also this feeling of pressure for engagement. So think about, you know, if you're posting anything, you have this feature, which is your analytics. So you can see how many people have liked it, how many comments are on it. You know, we might compare it to our friends, how well they're posted, compare it to ourselves, how well a previous post has done. So there's a lot of pressure there for a piece of content to do well.

00:08:48

And because it's directly related to you, it's almost like they're putting it out into the world to be kind of judged and almost graded. So there is a tonne of pressure there. And also this fear of judgement, because maybe they're worried their peers might leave some kind of negative feedback or maybe be silent. That could be potentially it as well. They might worry about judgement from, you know, teachers, parents, strangers, if it's going out really publicly. So there's a lot of fear that can lead to social anxiety. So, you know, we're looking at public spaces as more polished, as I said, absolutely. And then what does that mean for private spaces? Well, private would be kind of smaller group chats amongst close friends and platform specific close sharing.

00:09:41

So we'll talk a little bit about what that looks like in a moment. And then we also have things like micro communities. So these are like spaces you can exist online within your niches. And what we're noticing is private spaces and private posting is more real. You're going to see more authentic self on these spaces. They're definitely ones where you can be a little bit more, I suppose, silly or kind of do what you want a little bit more when you think about posting content. Now, platforms and private posting, there's a lot of features now on platforms that allow for this. I don't know if you've seen any of these features before. Yeah, yeah, there might be a few.

00:10:34

You might've seen a few of these features before. So close friends, for example, we mentioned this at the start. This is where you can make or a user, any user can manually create a list of what we would call like a digital inner circle in a way. You're selecting specific groups of people to see the content you post. So this can be close friends. This can be people that you feel will appreciate the content you're posting. Direct messages as well. This can be on any platform. Direct messages, these of course would be kind of almost the original private space.

00:11:16

We all have contact with direct messaging. And this is where you would see more like a trusted form of communication. It's probably the one that teams feel is most likely or the least likely to be broadcast publicly. Now, Snapchat, as I mentioned at the start, not a lot of people are talking about Snapchat. So Snaps, for example, are messages you can send that disappear once you open them. So for example, you take a picture of yourself, you send it to your friends, they open it, they see the message and then it disappears. That would be a Snap. Then Streaks, this is a really interesting concept, a really interesting feature on Snapchat. They're called Snap Streaks or just Streaks. And it would be a number that is representing how many consecutive days that two friends have exchanged at least one direct photo or video. Within 24 hours. And the reason this has so much power is that it kind of is a way of showing strength or commitment to a friendship.

00:12:23

So it's a really big form of kind of social currency with teams. It's very interesting. And then of course, we have direct messaging on TikTok and WhatsApp. And features are always being implemented on these sites as well. So thinking about that, we're always seeing platforms catering to these private posting moments. Super interesting. I could talk about this all day, but we don't have too long. So why does private space or why do private spaces matter to teens? Well, we look at it like a space for exploration, right? They don't have to commit to a really polished identity in these spaces. You know, they can try out different things. They can test boundaries.

00:13:14

They don't have to worry that everyone is watching them in these spaces. It also then provides that freedom from perfection, right? So the anxiety that they might have around posting something publicly, they don't have to worry about that. The filter comes off in these spaces. They can be themselves. They can be silly, authentic, emotional. They can share that unedited version of themselves without the worry that there'll be some kind of social repercussions. Of course, safety is another factor. So definitely this limited audience, their close friends, they can kind of work around that risk of judgement of having their content viewed by people outside that circle.

00:14:05

There's also the aspect of control then as well, where they can decide who to let into their real world, who they can show those authentic moments with and be vulnerable with. They trust the people they share those things with in these private spaces. And then there's an ease of use again. So you're not editing a picture. You're not selecting the perfect moment. There's an immediacy to the content they share in these spaces. In fact, there's like a term where they say they're spamming their friends. I don't know if anyone has heard that before, but it just simply is, you're sending a lot of posts throughout the day to your friends, like pictures, things you're up to, messages. And they feel comfortable to do that in these private spaces. So there's a lot of reasons for them to kind of gravitate more towards those private posting moments. And we talked a lot, a lot, a lot about hosting, but not everyone posts online, right? I know sometimes I just prefer to see what's out there, right?

00:15:16

So this concept then would be more so this idea of silent consumption. Any thoughts what silent consumption might be in terms of what we're doing online? Let me know in the chat. Silent consumption. Sounds like scrolling reels. Good point. Yeah, we're on the right track, everyone. Exactly. We're thinking about consuming content without visible interaction, all right? So this would be scrolling, watching, reading, but not commenting, liking, or posting. Okay, so they are taking in a lot of content, but they're not interacting with it. What could this look like? Well, on platforms like TikTok, this could be you're scrolling and maybe you're saving, saving videos. YouTube then, you're watching online content and you're not commenting. Snapchat, that would be viewing Snaps, like we said, those disappearing messages, but not sending any in return.

00:16:33

And then Instagram, this would be like watching a story, but not liking it. So, you know, we're saying there's no visible social action at all. Okay, you can't see what they're interacting with. Now, just because someone is silent, it doesn't mean they're passive. There's a lot they can get from doing this, right? So something like staying up to date with friends, this would be, you know, we're looking at maybe what our friends are up to, what they're posting, the details of their lives, where they went, what they're up to, what they're passionate about.

00:17:14

And it's almost like a form of maintenance for their friendships, right? And there's the potential to be left out of in real life conversation if we don't know what's going on. We don't stay connected with our friends. It would be kind of the main method they have of checking in with their friends. I know I do this as well. Then we have this idea of observing how peers behave. So maybe in the past, if we think back to when we were teens, you know, how did we understand what social norms were? You know, we maybe looked to other people, right? So they're doing the same thing digitally. It's looking at like how people are dressing, how people are talking, how they're behaving, how people are interacting online and kind of making judgments on that, you know? Then we have social inclusion. So this would be, again, this idea of being aware of what's going on online.

00:18:23

So checking in on trends, culturally significant moments, memes. And again, if they don't know or aren't up to date with anything that's going on or viral trends, sounds, they might not be able to participate in conversations that happen in the real world outside of the digital space. And then of course, another thing that they could use these moments of exploration for are kind of identity experimentation and being creative. So again, it's a way of them to discover things, music, art, fashion, kind of testing it out, sampling it themselves by watching and saving content that they feel works for them. It's a way of them kind of experimenting before maybe taking on a new skill or aesthetic or idea and bringing it out into their real world. So silent doesn't necessarily mean passive.

00:19:27

And it's very important to be aware of this because when we talk about things like public and private posting, public has a lot of pressure behind it. And maybe there isn't that awareness that should be there around that. And then how much private spaces really mean to teens. There's a big weight behind those and how important they are to teenagers. And then of course, teens can still be influenced even though maybe they're not interacting visibly, they're still consuming content. And we do have to watch out for things like scrolling endlessly. I mentioned a word at the start, which was doom scrolling. And this is this concept of watching and consuming a lot of content, but then the content becomes increasingly negative. And that can really have a serious impact on teens. So it's definitely something to keep in mind. Now, don't wanna be too scary. So we can talk a little bit about what we can do.

00:20:36

So one of the biggest things is, even though teens might be gravitating towards more private posting, we want to remind teens that private doesn't mean completely private. It just means less public. So understanding that private stories, group chats, direct messages, they can be screenshot, shared or taken out of context. So giving them an idea of how to navigate those spaces in a safe way. Of course, discussion and open discussion is always really important because teens are gonna be online. It's important for them to feel like they can talk about it, chat about what they've seen.

00:21:16

So inviting that dialogue, simple questions like, what kind of content inspires you? Is there a trend you're enjoying right now? Or how is your feed making you feel lately? These questions open up discussions with teens. And then of course, because we maybe remember a time where being on social media wasn't a thing. Teens nowadays have always had social media. It's always existed. They might not have been using it, but it has always been there. So giving them advice on how to develop healthy habits and boundaries with social media.

00:21:55

Encouraging them to notice when it's starting to feel draining rather than enjoyable. Like showing them how to do screen-free days, being more mindful with their scrolling, or even showing them delay apps, which can kind of pop up when you click into something to give you like a moment to decide if you actually want to go in. So for example, if I pick up my phone, I might end up on social media about 10 videos deep before I realised I wanted to check the weather. So delay apps can kind of give you a second to go, wait, do I really want to go in here right now? Okay, I'm very aware of the time, but I have a lot more I wanna say. So let's get to it.

00:22:38

One thing that I think is super valuable and super important to know before we end today is I'm gonna talk a little bit about the algorithm and what you see on your feeds. Got a little work for you now though. I want you to take a look at these videos, little screenshot of these videos. And I want you all now to decide what these videos have in common. Let me know in the chat. It's a hard one. No idea. That's funny. Positivity, very nice. Personal life. View count, interesting. Celebration. They're all very different. We've got clothes, outdoors, dogs, nothing related to Dublin. Yeah, it's a hard one, right? Memorable times, okay. We're on the right track. Okay, I'm gonna tell you. These are all videos that have come across my For You page. Okay, these are videos that I've been shown and that I like, yeah. So why am I telling you this? Well, I really want you to be aware and that way you can make others aware, especially teens about how this works, right? So the algorithm works like this. It collects information, right?

00:24:23

So each teen's feed is shaped by what they like, what they comment on, what they share, what they watch, what content they skip. And simply put, that's the more dog videos you like, like my feed, the more dog videos you will be shown. Okay, it collects that information and it looks for patterns and it gives you content based on its relevance to you, its engagement possibility, its popularity, yeah. And why is that important? Well, that means that no feed is exactly the same, okay. So that idea of their sense of normal gets shaped individually.

00:25:07

While two teens might be on the same platform, their experience on that platform could be vastly different, yeah. And we have to remember that, especially when we're talking about like consuming content, you know, they see a lot of content maybe from people they're not following, but more so an algorithmic recommendation. So their world is really shaped on what the platform shows them. And teens can exist in these really specific niches online. So I've given a few like book talk, study talk, clean talk. I'm on that. So it's where you watch people cleaning their houses. But yeah, it's simply what you can exist in a space within a platform. And again, why do I think this is important?

00:25:57

Well, every teen now has a unique feed, right? It's not all that all experiences will be the same, right? So for example, a teen might watch a lot of content related to study and that can leave them feeling motivated and inspired. Or someone else could watch a lot of content on achievements of other teens their age and that might make them feel anxious or overwhelmed, right? So the kind of personalisation can lead to this pressure, right? You know, their expectations and their self-image can be shaped by what they see online. And over time, that can lead to kind of shaping and influencing their identity. So, you know, they might feel like they have to measure up to what they see online. And so it really is important to note that the algorithm works in this way and that everyone is having a different experience online on these platforms, right?

00:26:56

Now, what can we do? All right, it's not all scary. You can definitely open up a dialogue on how the algorithm works, right? Helping them to realise that their online experiences don't necessarily represent, you know, the whole world. And, you know, it's just a filtered version. You know, empowering teens to think critically about the content that they see, right? Critical thinking is really important. Simply like asking questions like, you know, which content keeps appearing? Why am I seeing this? That's a really important question. And how it makes me feel. You could ask that as well.

00:27:36

And then, of course, teaching them how to decline content that doesn't work for them, right? Teaching them how to hide, mute, restrict content and creators that don't feel right for them. Even selecting not interested when you see a video on your For You page. So really kind of showing how curating the content that they see is a form of self-care. And it's really important for teens to understand that message. And we can, of course, help them do that. Now, I'm very aware I'm right on time. So I would love to keep talking about social media. It's one of my favourite topics.

00:28:15

I'm chronically online. So I enjoy talking about it a lot. But I'd love to hear if you have any questions. Feel free to let me know. Hopefully, I didn't go too fast. Hello.

[Will]

That was great. Thank you so much, Claire. Thank you for putting that together. Please do follow her on LinkedIn. Everyone, if you want to. Scan the QR code there.

00:28:41

We have got a few questions that popped up. If you've got any more questions, put them in the Q&A. People are being a bit quiet today, Claire.

[Claire]

That's OK. If you do find social media a bit confusing, I do also have a newsletter about what's trending on social media. Making use of my scrolling time myself. So feel free to make use of that. Understand what's going on on social media.

[Will]

I'm going to try and get that up now.

[Claire]

But yes, I love talking about social media. It's one of my favourite things. Thank you, everyone.

00:29:15

You were so engaging. I really enjoyed seeing all the comments. I wanted to read them all, but I was getting very distracted mid-presentation.

[Will]

So tell us a bit about that. So people are asking a little bit. They've asked a few questions about the content on social media. And what you feel about it is it kind of is actual content itself sometimes can be quite healthy for students, do you think? Is it?

[Claire]

It depends. Like I mentioned the niches. Like, so I see a lot of content like you can get a lot of motivational content.

00:29:50

Like I think study talk is really interesting. It's where they share tips and tricks of how to study and learn. And it's nice. Um, and it's a nice little motivation. You can even have, like, time lapses of people studying, and I know. I find that quite useful if I have to sit down for a long period of time. So it kind of feels like you're sharing an experience with someone, um… There's a lot of other things you'll see, um… people exploring… skills, which, you know, when I was growing up, it definitely, you know, you felt more like you were following. kind of the crowd, but I definitely see a lot more positive interaction when people are doing different hobbies and things that are a little bit more unique. Seeing a lot of knitting online. Um, which I think is really cool. Um, definitely wouldn't have been something I saw when I was… going around social media back in the day

[Will]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. It's quite difficult, I mean, well, it's very difficult for teenagers to get the right feed. Um, but based on their own behavior, you know.

[Claire]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I think it's, like, um, as I mentioned with my dog video picture, uh, you know, the more kind of things that you're interacting with. The feed tends to be like, here you go, so my feed is just dog space, basically, at this point.

[Will]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, um, alright. We have got a few things in here. Uh, Simon's from, uh… How can I subscribe to your newsletter? I did just trying to find it, I couldn't… I couldn't find it. I'll tell you what, Claire, if you don't mind.

[Claire]

It's just called the Chronically Online Chronicles. So… the chronically online Chronicle.

00:31:23

[Will]

The what? Chronically… LinkedIn newsletter.

[Claire]

Yes, that's how… that's… honestly, that's how I felt, because, um, I definitely… I scrolled a lot in general for… For fun and for work. Um, and I was like, I'll make use of explaining what's trending each week online, um… Because I find it… kind of feel like I'm getting a little bit more use out of my time when I scroll. I'm like, that's really useful. Maybe, you know a brand might be able to use it, yes. Exactly.

[Will]

Yeah, for sure. Thank you. I'll just put it in the chat box, so you can get it now if you want to subscribe if you want.

00:32:05

Okay. Yeah. All right, thank you so much, Claire. I'll let you go. You've got another session later.

[Claire]

No worries! Yes, I'll be on the line later. Thank you so much, everyone.