Digital Discourse Database

Number of Posts: 13
Posts 1 - 10

Growing social media backlash among young people, survey shows

Hyperlink

Newspaper | The Guardian
Date | 5.10.2017
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, cyberbullying, research/study, social media, technology-free, threat, youth
Summary | Two out of three pupils claim they would not care if there was no social media. According to the survey, young people are aware of the negative effects of new technologies on their lives and mental health. Some of them said that they had been victims of online abuse, that they were addicted, or/and that they felt less confident. Other pupils talked about the positive aspects of new technologies and social media (e.g. memes, Snapchat stories) and what improvements they would like to see. At a private boarding school for girls, pupils tried a new experiment: hand over their phones for three days. The girls liked the experiences and would like to do it again for a longer period.
Image Description | Photograph of someone (whose face is cut off) sitting on a bed and using/looking at a laptop.
Image Tags | computer/laptop

Girls and social media: 'You are expected to live up to an impossible standard'

Hyperlink

Newspaper | The Guardian
Date | 23.8.2017
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | gender, social media, threat, youth
Summary | According to a new poll, 1 out of 3 girls feels pressured to be "perfect" on social networks. Five teenage girls share their opinion on the subject. For instance, they constantly compare themselves to other people online and then feel like they have to project a perfect image of themselves online. Some people delete their pictures online because they don't feel confident anymore and think they are not following the "rules". Moreover, young girls online constantly look for other people's validation and "likes". Instagram seems to be the worst social network for those girls.
Image Description | Photograph of hands holding smartphones.
Image Tags | hand(s), smartphone

Screens and teens: survival tips for parents on the technology battlefield

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Telegraph
Date | 23.9.2017
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, smartphone, social media, threat, youth
Summary | A mom talks about her battle over digital screens with her children. Children are spending more time online, and research keeps showing the negative effects that screens can have (e.g. isolation, bullying, porn, suicide etc.). Since the phenomenon is so new, it is difficult for parents -they have no guide to follow. Technology is not necessarily bad, but parents should make sure their children are okay and happy. The article provides a list with some advice concerning young people and screens; from screen time limit to online groups and social media.
Image Description | Photograph of a young girl using her laptop, a mom and her daughter with a laptop and tablet, three children behind books, and a mom and her two kids with a laptop, tablet, and smartphone.
Image Tags | computer/laptop, female(s), male(s), smartphone, tablet

Should I befriend my children and their pals online?

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Telegraph
Date | 10.6.2017
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | childhood, privacy, social media, threat, youth
Summary | 80% of children between 11 and 15 years old have a smartphone. They spend a lot of time on social media platforms. Social media have a lot of advantages but they can also lead to social exclusion and embarrassment. According to a study, Instagram and Snapchat are the worst platforms for teenagers and young adults. As a result, some parents want to join the same social media sites and befriend their children so they can keep an eye on them. However, this might not be the right solution. Children and parents have a right to privacy.
Image Description | Photograph of a woman (foreground) and two children on their phone (background), a kid using and looking at a screen,
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone, tablet

Girls gang up on boys in new cyberbullying craze called 'roasting', expert warns

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Telegraph
Date | 25.7.2016
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | (mental) health, cyberbullying, gender, social media, texting, threat, youth
Summary | "Roasting" is a new cyberbullying craze where girls pick on boys on WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook until they crack. Teenage girls and boys have already killed themselves because of cyberbullying.
Image Description | Photograph of three young girls using and staring at their smartphone
Image Tags | female(s), smartphone

Are teenagers having less sex – and is social media the reason why?

Hyperlink

Newspaper | The Guardian
Date | 10.3.2016
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | addiction, research/study, social media, youth
Summary | Teenagers are having less sex; is it because of new media? One theory says that it might be because young people spend more time in their bedroom in front of their screen and less time socializing and getting drunk with friends. The drop in teenage pregnancies is also accompanied by a drop in teenage drinking levels. A US report claims that teenagers spend 9 hours each day on social media, and kids between 8 and 12 spend 6 hours online each day. Japan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, and they even coined the word 'sekkusu shinai shokogun' which means “celibacy syndrome”.
Image Description | Photographs of a boy looking at a tablet, girl wearing sunglasses (we can see the Facebook logo in the reflection), two girls sitting back to back using their smartphone, classroom with students and teacher
Image Tags | Facebook, female(s), headphones, male(s), smartphone, tablet

Rise of the defrienders: Nine in ten young people have been 'ghosted' by their friend or partner

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Mirror
Date | 6.5.2016
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | smartphone, social media, texting, youth
Summary | “Ghosting” or defriending someone by text or social media is a new phenomenon. It seems that young people prefer using their smartphones and laptops to end relationships instead of doing it face-to-face. The term "ghosting" came from Katy Perry's song "Ghost" where she talks about ex-husband Russell Brand who had not spoken to her after demanding a divorce via text. Thanks to social media and the fact that you can hide behind your phone it is now easier to defriend people by ghosting.
Image Description | Photographs of two hands holding a smartphone, Russell Brand and Katy Perry, a man using his phone and looking at it, a hand holding a smartphone displaying the Facebook icon.
Image Tags | Facebook, female(s), hand(s), male(s), smartphone

Meet the 'mega monk' changing our attitude to happiness, one tweet at a time

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Telegraph
Date | 20.3.2017
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | (mental) health, Facebook, smartphone, social media, Twitter, youth
Summary | A monk from Korea has gained a large following on Facebook and Twitter with short posts with life wisdoms. Many people respond to his preaching of mindfulness: the position that people should slow down and take the time to reflect on themselves and their emotional state without becoming obsessed. The monk thinks these little moments of mindfulness are nowadays more important than ever, when we tend not to interact with each other directly but only through smartphones.
Image Description | A bunch of portraits of the Twitter-famous monk in various surroundings and a few of his tweets.
Image Tags | male(s), Twitter

Cop launches furious rant about 'yoofs' - but parents are really not happy

Hyperlink

Newspaper | Mirror
Date | 11.5.2017
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | Facebook, law, politeness, social media, youth
Summary | An unidentified police officer posted a rant about youths in the Manchester area asking parents to "lock up their kids till school time on Monday" because they are out of control, causing public nuisance. Local teachers and parents reported the post as wildly inappropriate and the heads of the police department issued an apology and promised to find out who posted the offensive content as officers are supposed to uphold their standard of behavior online as well. Many people however liked the post because they felt understood. They commented engourangments to the anonymous officer that he/she should not let the political correctness army get him/her down and keep his/her sense of humor.
Image Description | Getty images of young men/boys in black tracksuits from behind and a young man/boy with his face partially hidden with a black hoodie.
Image Tags | male(s)

‘We’ve grown up with some frightening events’: UK teenagers' hopes and fears

Hyperlink

Newspaper | The Guardian
Date | 19.3.2016
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | addiction, smartphone, social media, youth
Summary | Five teenagers and young adults talk about the society they live in (jobs, school, alcohol, social media, etc.). They blame social media for being a waste of time and for favoring bullying. Moreover, social media are responsible for spreading certain norms that young people are expected to follow (e.g. ideals of beauty for men and women). One teenage girl claims that social media make people competitive. Even though she agrees that smartphones are addictive, it would be hard for her to live without it because she wouldn't want to miss out on things.
Image Description | Series of six photographs: two teenage girls on their smartphone are sitting back to back, and portraits of the five interviewees.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone

Page 1 of 2
Back | Next