A Teenager's Social Media Breakdown

The older my kids get, the more I'm interested in how they view social media. There is an article worth checking out about how social media platforms are used and perceived by teenagers. It was written by a nineteen year old college student, and while it's not a scientific "study", it does read as very true (at least to me). 

The main takeaways? The more anonymity, ephemeral and less "linking" to outside things the better. Instagram and Snapchat are the clear winners, along with something I'd never heard of called "Yik Yak" (I am, of course, old). [I was recently made aware that Yik Yak is now in the dustbin of social media sites. -mdd]

And Facebook?

"Facebook... is seen as an awkward family dinner party we can't really leave."

As the annoying uncle at that dinner party, I know what he means.

A Teenager’s View on Social Media (Written by an actual teen) by Andrew Watts [Backchannel - Medium.com]