The Dangers of Social Media

A look at how social media affects adolescent girls' identity and self-esteem

WELCOME!

Thank you for exploring my website! This site is mainly intended for parents and guardians of adolescent females. However, it can also be beneficial for teachers and anyone who works with girls around 10 to 19 years old.

As you explore the site, you will familiarize yourself with adolescent female development and the ways social media impacts said development. While social media has many positives, this site aims to make its potential dangers to self-esteem and identity formation known to parents and guardians. The hope is that you will familiarize yourself with the power of social media in order to best support your growing daughters through the challenging period of adolescence.

Navigating the Site

As you explore the site, make sure to check out each tab. Below you will find a brief introduction to each section.

The Science Behind the Adolescent Girl - This tab provides information on the physical changes that occur during puberty. An infographic explains the role of hormones, and there is an interesting article about puberty starting much younger in children than it has in the past.

What is Social Media? - This tab looks into how often your adolescents are using social media, as well as the most popular media sites amongst them. Included is a video that explains several of the more popular social media sites.

Dangers of Social Media - This is a much lengthier tab that looks at research, data, and studies on the relationship between social media use and self-esteem and identity formation in adolescent girls. There is still additional research to be done in this area, yet the current findings are quite interesting.

Responsible Social Media Use - This tab is intended to provide insight and ideas for teaching your daughters how to use social media safely. Social media is not going away, but we can help our children use it in a more positive light.

Helpful Resources - In this section, you will find links to resources that will provide additional education and helpful tools to encourage healthy self-esteem and confidence. It also includes a link for device monitoring and time-limiting parental control apps.

Bibliography - Feel free to further explore my sources and read up on research surrounding this topic.

Essential Question

The website's main goal is to explore and answer the question....

How are self-esteem and identity formation in adolescent girls influenced by social media?

Society today is constructed around a strong co-dependence on technology. Technology is ever-changing and progressing and will always have a strong influence on our lives. Today's adolescents are growing up in a much different world, one that is unfamiliar to older generations. This world is characterized by the constant use of technology, specifically social media. Social media is defined as websites and applications that enable users to create and share content electronically. While large-scale societal interconnectedness has its benefits, too much use and exposure to social media can harm young adolescents.

Young adolescence is a time when students are struggling to answer the question "Who am I?". It is an essential period of identity formation and growth of self-awareness and self-esteem. Unfortunately, this period is made extra challenging by social media pressures and influences. More and more young girls are dressing and acting a certain way to fit in, instead of finding their own path and interests. This website takes a look at how social media use can negatively impact young adolescent girls' self-esteem and identity formation. The included pages are intended to educate and spread awareness to parents so that you can take steps to ensure your daughters are not negatively influenced by social media.

"Every new technological device and process brings exciting changes to societies, as well as challenges."

(Brown and Knowles, 2014)

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