+
upworthy
More

Teens may actually have a better handle on their social media use than we think.

Many adults worry about kids and technology, but a new report by Common Sense Media offers a glimmer of hope when it comes to teens and social media.

Common Sense media conducted a nationally representative survey of 1141 teens age 13 to 17. The report of the survey, called “Social Media, Social Life; Teens Reveal Their Experiences,” compares current survey results with a similar one conducted in 2012. And while some of the results are unremarkable (News flash: More teens are using social media now than six years ago), others may come as a surprise.

Smartphone and social media use has more than doubled since 2012, with 89% of teens surveyed owning a smartphone and 70% regularly using social media. And teen preferences when it comes to social media have changed too. Facebook, which was the most popular social media site in the 2012 survey, has largely been replaced by Snapchat and Instagram. 41% of respondents name Snapchat as their social media site of choice, 22% are avid Instagrammers, and a mere 15% are fans of Facebook.  


Notably, teens appear to be well aware of the pitfalls of social media use and the effect that it can have on their lives.

As opposed to living in digital denial, a majority of respondents agreed that social media distracts them from homework and from the people they are with.

“Teens are often depicted as being heedless of the consequences of spending so much time on their smartphones,” James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media pointed out in a letter. “In reality, our survey reveals that teens are fully aware of the power of devices to distract them from key priorities, such as homework, sleep, and time with friends and family.”

72% of teens surveyed also say they think they are being manipulated by companies to spend more time on their devices. This self-awareness can be used as a tool for parents and educators to encourage healthy technology habits with teens.

Photo via Nicholas Kamm/Getty Images.

Surprisingly, very few teens say that social media makes them feel bad about themselves. Most say it gives them more confidence.

Another unexpected result of the survey is that social media use, for most teens, is not the big bad self-esteem killer that concerned adults often make it out to be. Far more teens report that they good about themselves and feel less lonely, depressed, and anxious when they use social media.

However, there is one caveat. The study also showed that teens who already felt bad about themselves felt worse using social media. So for vulnerable teens who struggle with self-esteem already, social media may exacerbate their confidence issues.

For already confident and emotionally healthy teens, though, social media doesn’t appear to be having a negative effect on their self image.

A note of concern: More teens say they prefer to communicate with their friends through texting than face-to-face.

One technology worry that many adults have—that young people are losing the ability to connect in real life—may actually have some credence. Unlike the teens surveyed in 2012, more teens in the current survey—44%—said their preferred method of communicating with friends is through texting than through face-to-face conversations.

What this means is open to interpretation, of course. Maybe some teens see texting as a means of constant communication and prefer the convenience of being able to reach their friends anywhere at any time. Or perhaps they really are finding it harder to make real-life connections, with all of the natural human intricacies that face-to-face communication entails. Who knows.

It is heartening to know that teens are not oblivious to the downsides of technology.

The social media wave is not going anywhere anytime soon. Talking openly and honestly with kids and helping them navigate those waters, rather than trying to fight the current, may be the best way to keep them afloat.

All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

True

A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
Family

Mom reacts perfectly to daughter who disinvited a friend from a trip because of her weight

She didn’t want the girl to “ruin” her photos of the trip.

A mother confronts her daughter for judging her friend's weight.

A 42-year-old mother wondered whether she did the right thing by disciplining her 18-year-old daughter, Abby, who disinvited a friend from vacation because of her weight. The mother asked people on Reddit for their opinion.

For some background, Abby had struggled with her weight for many years, so she went to her mother for help. The two set up a program where Abby was given a reward for every milestone she achieved.

“Four months ago, she asked that I don't get her any more rewards and add it up to her birthday gift, and for her gift she wants a vacation I will pay for, for her and her friends instead of the huge party I had promised for her 18th. I said OK,” the mother wrote.

Keep ReadingShow less

Deion Sanders during an interview in 2022.

Deion Sanders changed our perceptions of an an athlete when he was one of the handful of people to ever play in the National Football League (1989 to 2005) and Major League Baseball simultaneously (1989 to 1997 and 2001).

Now, he’s changing perceptions on the sidelines as a head college football coach by being passionate, provocative and unapologetically “old school.”

Last season, the Colorado Buffaloes only won one game. This year, after hiring Sanders as a coach, the team is 3-0. One of the big reasons for the overnight change is that Sanders had no problem firing the entire coaching staff and replacing most of the team’s players.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

An 8-year-old snuck his handwritten book onto a library shelf. Now it has a 56-person waiting list.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel— written by "Dillon His Self"—captured the hearts of his local librarians and their patrons.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel captured the hearts of his local librarians.

Writing a book is no easy task, even for adult professional writers. Many would-be authors dream of a day when their work can be found on library shelves, unsure if it will ever come.

But for 8-year-old Dillon Helbig, that day has already arrived—in truly unconventional fashion—thanks to his own determination to make it happen.

Dillon wrote his 81-page graphic novel, "The Adventures of Dillon Helbig's Crismis" (written by "Dillon His Self") in a hardcover journal with colored pencils over the course of a few days. He even put a label on the back of the book that reads "Made in Idho" [sic] and put an illustrated spine label on it as well. Then, without telling anyone, he brought it to his local library in Boise, Idaho, and slipped it in among the books in the children's section.

Keep ReadingShow less
Canva, @theisabelbrown/TikTok

Get yourself a nerd!

Historically, guys with a passion for comic books, Star Wars, or anything else that might have a fandom, haven’t exactly been the poster boys for the ideal love interest. But nowadays, it looks like nerds really do get revenge.

Because apparently, everything that makes a great nerd, also happened to make a great husband. At least, according to thousands of women on social media.

Married podcaster Isabel Brown recently went viral on TikTok for attesting that “nerds make the best husbands,” and that society just gives them a bad rep.

Brown made her appeal as part of a stitch with another woman asking how to find a man that are thoughtful, attentive, good fathers, and know how to “spoil” their wives.

Brown’s response? “They’re nerds.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

A stadium of people launched into an incredible, spontaneous 'Bohemian Rhapsody' sing-along

"For almost 6 minutes, the equivalent of a small city sang, with one voice, the beautiful song of a man who has been dead for decades. If you can do this, you're not just a famous person, you're a legend."

When polarization starts to feel like a defining characteristic of humanity, sometimes we need a reminder that people really are capable of coming together as one.

Watching a stadium full of Green Day concertgoers bust out their best "Bohemian Rhapsody" when it came over the loudspeakers is just such a reminder.

As the person who uploaded the concert footage to Reddit noted: "For almost 6 minutes, the equivalent of a small city sang, with one voice, the beautiful song of a man who has been dead for decades. If you can do this, you're not just a famous person, you're a legend."

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

James Doohan, the original 'Star Trek' Scotty, once saved a suicidal fan's life

The actor called it “the best thing I have ever done in my life.”

Actor James Doohan shares how a fan reached out for help.

When people become famous, they know fans are going to want things from them all the time—autographs, selfies, shoutouts, handshakes and hugs. But what about when a fan reaches out in distress?

Canadian actor James Doohan, who played the lovably surly ship mechanic Scotty on the original "Star Trek" television show and films, received a harrowing note from a fan once. It's hard to know when to take a letter from a stranger seriously, especially when you're a famous actor, but he did.

"I got a fan letter from a young lady—it was a suicide note," he shared in an interview. "So I called her. I said, 'Hey, this is Jimmy Doohan—Scotty from Star Trek,' I said, 'I'm doing a convention in Indianapolis. I want to see you there.'"

Keep ReadingShow less