2. WHO ARE WE??
Melinda Dubinski
Turning Point at People’s
Place
REAL Relationships
Coordinator
Kent & Sussex Counties
Kristen Herman
CHILD, Inc
safe + respectful
Coordinator
New Castle County
#SM4TEENS
3. WHO ARE YOU??
What are you hoping to get out of this presentation?
How much experience do you have with social media?
#SM4TEENS
4. OBJECTIVES
Understand how teens use social media
Discuss positives/negatives of teen social media use
Why you need to be on social media
Social media basics
Experience familiarity with Twitter
Incorporating social media to your organizations goals
#SM4TEENS
5. WHERE ARE YOUTH?
As of 2012, 95% of
all teens ages 12-17
are now online.
81% of them use
social networks.
#SM4TEENS
8. HOW TEENS USE SOCIAL
MEDIA
Activity % of teen SM users that engage
in activity
Send instant messages/chat
with friends through social
media site
88%
Post comments on friends
posts
87%
Post a status update 86%
Post a photo or video 80%
Send private messages to a
friend
76%
Tag people in posts, photos,
or videos
69%
Play a game on social media
site
50%
*Pew Research Center, 2011
• Older teens (14-17) are more active in all categories except
social media gaming.
• Girls are more active in all categories except social media
gaming. #SM4TEENS
9. Teens do NOT use social media in the same ways
adults do.
THINK: Where did you socialize
with friends outside of school?
#SM4TEENS
10. In the 1980’s, the most popular “hang out” site in
the U.S. was the mall– a public space where teens
could gossip, support one another, share
information, flirt, joke, and goof around.
Social networks have become the new stomping
ground for teens.
The site has changed, but the practices are quite
similar. Social media is simply another place for
teens to connect with friends.
Adults are more likely to use social media for
“networking”– reconnecting with old high school
acquaintances, find business connections, or
date.
*Boyd, 2001.
#SM4TEENS
12. Identity vs. role confusion (ages 12-
18)
Who am I??
Social relationships most important–
separation from parents and move to friends
Exploring independence
Developing personal identity
Desire approval and social acceptance
Likely to experiment with different roles and
identities
#SM4TEENS
13. “Teens must work out how they envision
themselves and how they want to be
seen and then they must use tools to
formally articulate this” (Boyd, 2001)
Creation of profiles
Much time & effort devoted to the creation of
profiles that reflect who they are and how they
want to represent themselves to others.
Constantly reevaluating
#SM4TEENS
15. SURE, SOCIAL MEDIA HAS
DOWNSIDES…
Cyberbullying & Digital abuse
One in six youth report being the victims of cyber bullying,
which is abuse and harassment from someone other than a
romantic partner (Urban Institute, 2013).
One in four dating teens is abused or harassed online or
through texts by their partners (Urban Institute, 2013).
#SM4TEENS
16. Sexting
2% of all teens ages 12-17 say they have sent a
“sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photo
or video” of themselves to someone else. 16% of
all teens have received one of someone they
know (Pew Research Center, 2011).
Spend a LOT of time online
Access to unhealthy/untrue media
Privacy issues
#SM4TEENS
18. BUT, SOCIAL MEDIA ISN’T
ALL BAD…
Find information privately and
comfortably
Connect with friends and family easily–
which teens list as their primary reason
for being online
Social media users are more politically
and socially engaged in national
conversations and movements.
69% of social media using teens say
their experience is that peers are mostly
kind to each other in social network#SM4TEENS
19. Nearly 65% of social
media using teens say
they personally have had
an experience on a social
networking site that made
them feel good about
themselves
58% of social media using
teens day they felt closer
to another person
because of an experience
on a social network site
*Pew Research Center, 2011
#SM4TEENS
20. WHY SOCIAL MEDIA
MATTERS
Young people deserve
real information, when
they need it, how they
need it.”
Social media is not
going away– we must
embrace it!
Prevention &
awareness building #SM4TEENS
21. WHY SOCIAL MEDIA
MATTERS
Access to diverse youth across the world–
We can reach more kids with social media
than in person
Allows youth the ability to express
themselves safely and positively influence
others
Can be used to reinforce curriculum
material– Youth need to hear messages 7+
times!
#SM4TEENS
36. RESPONDING TO CRISIS
1. Be Prepared
2. Act Quickly
3. Take Charge
4. Be Sorry
5. Encourage Dialogue
6. Deliver on Your Word
7. Know When to Take it Offine
8. Learn Your Lessons
#SM4TEENS