A Step Away From Them: 'All she does is scroll.'

Oh, dude, so do I! But think about it for a moment, what is she scrolling? We may purport that young people are engaging in a ‘mindless’ pastime but when I am just ‘scrolling’ I am often in a research rabbit hole after seeing an interesting book on Instagram. I search how much the book costs to buy, whether my local library has it in stock, or whether I should use a precious Audible credit and listen to it instead, but then I think…maybe I shouldn’t have Audible, because I read on Twitter that Amazon doesn’t treat its employees very well and then I wonder if there is an alternate platform for audiobooks and do some research there. And then, I think… what about GoodReads… that is also an Amazon product… but if I delete GoodReads how will I remember what I read and what will happen to my reading challenge!?

I digress. But, let’s take stock – this is recount of my social media usage and how I find myself learning many interesting things (and wasting a bit of time, but that’s neither here nor there…unless I have an assignment to do!) but I bet it is different to how you use social media, and it is most definitely different to how young (individual) people use social media (young people are not a homogenous group). They have a range of interests, engage in a range of offline and online communities, and these factors influence the myriad meaningful ways in which they engage in the online world (Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 24).

Social Media Mix 3D Icons - Mix #2 by Visual Content available under a CC 2.0

So, scrolling. It is a relatively new term and according to Merriam Webster, (n.d. para. 4), is it the habit of moving through digital content as if one is ‘unrolling a scroll’ – pretty cool, right (did you know that the representation of a real-world item in another form is known as skeuomorphism?)! What might a young person be ‘scrolling’? Let’s be honest, it could be anything, but at some point, (and for the purpose of this discussion), it is likely social media accounts to see who has made a new post, appreciating the aesthetic content of a favourite Instagram influencer, seeing what is new on a video hosting and making app like Snapchat or TikTok, or maybe they are online to create their own content – posts, photographs, images, videos in what is an expression of their identity (which may or may not be the one they embody in offline life) (Jenkins, et al., 2016, p. 27; Dowdall, 2009, p. 45). It is an entire world, and just as complex and diverse as the offline spaces young people inhabit, and just as important (Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 24). The discourse around social media has become more complex over time but alongside the elements that may make us grown-ups feel a little uneasy (we were young once, right, we know what young people get up to – look how many letter boxes were blown up in days gone by!) there are aspects worth considering and a blanket ban, if a problem happens to arise, is not the answer when there is so much to positivity that will be lost in the process (Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 26).

Jenkins et al., (2016, pp. 28-29) explores where this feeling of uneasiness may arise – in the depth of the knowing that social media allows. Adults expect the worst because there is a link that happens in our minds between the activities we engaged in (which may or may not have involved the explosion of letterboxes), with the unknown entity of online spaces (Jenkins et al., 2016, pp. 30-31; Buckingham, 2014, p. 94). There is a bit of a sense of well, we know what we got up to without all that online stuff, so the moral panic gains traction (Jenkins et al., 2016, pp. 30-31; Buckingham, 2014, p. 94). The public nature of online spaces allows parents to see their child engaging in social interactions more than ever before and henceforth there is now an idea that good parenting is synonymous with a surveillance exercise that would rival the ASIO (Jenkins et al., 2016, pp. 30-31; Buckingham, 2014, p. 94). Perhaps the real issue is that we, and our young people, have difficulty navigating the complexity of social interactions offline and as well as on and that our collective resilience at dealing with difficult situations needs some work (Jenkins et al., 2016, pp. 30-31).

The controversy around social media, especially during the pandemic has been ferocious. Beyond the usual spate of news articles concerning the safety of teenagers, accounts of and instances of bullying, and the impact on body image and the like, the debate around the safety, the veracity of what is hosted on social media platforms, and the impact social media has had upon public health has thrown another spanner into the public discourse on social media (Snowden, 2016, para. 6). Let’s go back to youth and social media though. Parents and teachers have valid concerns about social media usage as far as safety, negative social interactions, and the possibility of predators (and the threat of this alone is enough to keep us up at night), but there is heartening evidence in the research that it is simply not happening at the rate we would be led to believe by the media and the amount of ‘how to spot a bully’ seminars kids are required to attend (Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 30). We need to be mindful of these things, of course, so let’s expand the conversation to teach about safety in both online and offline spaces, provide support to young people navigating difficult situations online and consider how we can best help our young people to mindful of their digital footprint (Buckingham, 2013, p. 94).

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No one wants to deprive a young person of a rich and fulfilling life ‘off screen’ but what are young people gaining from their time online, and what is it that they are doing? It is likely that they are having a lot of fun, and that is no mean feat, being a teenager can be a drag (you remember this too, right?) so a creative outlet that allows self-expression, an exploration of identity during a formative period, and the building of new or maintenance of existing communities is likely the reason why social media is where many young people spend their time (Fiske, 2010, p. 44). There are spaces for every kind of subculture and hobby and interest online—writing fan-fiction, fashion, drawing, video games, sport—anything, which is bolstering for young people exploring their identity and engaging in activities that bring them joy (Fiske, 2010, p. 44; Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 27). Online spaces offer respite for those who may not be able to find their people in their offline lives and this is where this is another worthwhile consideration, a lack of access to online spaces it is another way that class plays out in real time reducing the autonomy and space a young person is able to inhabit and cutting them off from the world (Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 27; Buckingham, 2013, pp. 33-34).

The social interaction of social media is a key aspect that makes the various apps and platforms so appealing to young people but whether it is Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat or any number of social media platforms, (but likely not Twitter or Facebook, because they’re for ‘old people’, apparently*) there are a range of skills required to use the apps to their full potential (Johnson, 2005, p. 9; Dowdall, 2009, p. 45). Johnson (2005, p. 11) espouses the value of the intellectually complex task of engaging in online spaces to present an online version of oneself, write for a particular audience and purpose, and construct images or videos that fit within the particular aesthetic style preferred by the creator. Consider the choreography, rehearsals, recording, and timing required to film a dance video to upload to TikTok or as a reel on Instagram as well as the video editing, not to mention live streaming (Johnson, 2005, p. 11; Dowdall, 2009, p. 44). Considering this is the way that many small businesses market their products, there is definitely value in the skills of using social media well (Johnson, 2005, p. 11; Dowdall, 2009, p. 44).

*Anecdotal - lots of young people in my classes have told me this, highlighting the fact that I know absolutely nothing.

The media consumption of young people has always been a contention—are they doing what they ‘should’ be doing? Which is, what exactly? Do we want them to do what we used to do – chat to friends, play handball, eat lunch? We needn’t worry because all these things are still happening, there’s just a few more options now (Jenkins et al., 2016, p. 24; Buckingham, 2013, pp. 78-79).

Here are some articles on social media that might be of interest:

Social media apps are ‘deliberately’ addictive to users

How parents and teens can reduce the impact of social media on youth well-being

When it comes to kids and social media, it’s not all bad news

Snapchat has its risks but it’s a powerful tool for youth creativity and socialisation

Teenagers need our support, not criticism, as they navigate life online

Blocking kids from social media won’t solve the problem of cyberbullying

Here are some questions you could ask to generate conversation about social media:

What are your top three favourite social media apps?
Do you spend an equal amount of time on each of the three?
Are you friends with the same people on each of the apps? Why/why not?
Summarise the purpose of each app in a few words for each.
Do you think social media has a positive impact upon society? Why/why not?
If you were unable to use social media ever again, what would you miss the most?
What is a day where you spent the longest time of social media?
What happened on the day you spent the least amount of time on social media?
Can friendships survive without social media?
Do you follow accounts of people who aren’t friends? Which is your favourite, and why?
Does social media make you more aware of issues in the world?
Are your social media tastes the same as your friends?
What is the most annoying thing about social media?
What is the best thing about social media?
If you could change one thing about social media, what would it be?

Reference List

Buckingham, D. (2013). Beyond technology: Children's learning in the age of digital culture. Polity Press.

Dowdall, C. (2009). Masters and critics: Children as producers of online digital texts. In V. Carrington & M. Robinson (Eds.), Digital Literacies: Social learning and classroom practices (pp. 43-61). Sage.

Fiske, J. (2010). Understanding Popular Culture. Routledge.

Jenkins, H., Ito, M., & boyd, d. (2016). Participatory Culture in a Networked Era: A Conversation on Youth, Learning, Commerce, and Politics. Polity Press.

Johnson, S. (2005). Everything Bad Is Good For You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter. Riverhead Books.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Scroll. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scroll

Snowden, C. (2016). I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social media shapes public debate. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723