Effects of Social Media on Millennials Page | 1

Effects of Social Media on Millennials

Mellijor,Sheryl Mae M.

University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines

Executive Summary

Millennials and Generation Z were born into an age where social media

and digital technology have been integrated in nearly all aspects of their lives. While

social media has proven to be a valuable communication tool in connecting with

each other and sharing information, the long-term psychosocial effects are beginning

to become more apparent as social media matures. This study analyzes what these

effects are and how communication is impacted for these young people. Many

suggest that social media is harmful to young people, while others argue that the

benefits of the internet and social media outweigh the costs and risks. By analyzing

the current research, it seems like there is still a lack of consensus on this debate.

This study analyzes what these effects are and how communication is impacted for

these young people.The goal of this study is to provide a general overview of the

prior research and literature in order to suggest future areas of study to help improve

internet safety and the understanding of how young people use social media.
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Background

First popularized in the 1990s through blogging, chat rooms, and message

boards; social media has become one of the most widespread and prominent forms

of communication in the world. Over the last decade and a half, due to the creation

of popular websites such as Facebook and Twitter, social media has grown

exponentially and provides people all over the world with the chance to connect and

communicate with each other quickly and simultaneously (Richards et al., 2015).

This accessibility to this type of communication has only increased since the

invention of smartphones and tablets, allowing even people on the go to be able to

connect to their favorite social media app (Swist et al., 2015). Because human

beings are social animals, communication and feeling connected to one another are

“fundamental aspects of human life (Spoor & Kelly, 2004, p. 398).” In order to fulfill

this innate social need for communication, we have created thousands of different

ways to keep in-touch and connect with one another that have evolved along with

the invention of new technology and modes of communication. Prior to social media,

inventions such as email or personal messaging boards and online discussion

groups led the way and sparked the interest in different forms of online

communication because of their ability to connect people faster than ever before

(Sajithra & Patil, 2013). This desire for quicker communication has only escalated

since the invention of traditional social media in the late 1990s to early-mid 2000s as

the urge and relative accessibility of the internet increased exponentially. This has

allowed for the invention of current social media due to the access it provides

individuals to an even more efficient way of connecting with loved ones and staying

updated on their lives (Sajithra & Patil, 2013).

Case Evaluation

This project is on literature exploring the impacts of social media

communication on the well-being of young people, more specifically Millennials born

between 1980 and 1994, Generation Z born between 1995-2015, and cuspers falling

in-between the two generations born between 1990 and 2000. The main question for

this paper is, what are the psychosocial effects of social media communication on

young people’s well-being? The question can be broken down into the following sub-

questions: (1) how do Millennials and Generation Z communication habits compare

to older generations? (2) what are the benefits and concerns of using social media?

and (3) how can social media and digital technology be leveraged to enhance young

people’s well-being through communication processes? Through this study, the

researcher aims to gain further insight into the digital media impacts within this

demographic and how communication can be improved to be more effective. The

main hypothesis of this research project is that social media does have a negative

impact on well-being.

Addiction

The most widely used social media apps such as Instagram, Facebook, and

YouTube are designed like slot machines. With gambling psychology and reward

systems, app developers have learned to retain the attention of consumers and

influence their consumption patterns (Shimada, 2019). Through these algorithms,

apps are able to personalize content and recommendations to keep users online for

as long as possible (Alter, 2018). In the attention economy, time is money and the

addictive nature of these apps puts users at risk. Many of the institutions that acted

as information gatekeepers were originally pushed away by social media, but they
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have learned to continue holding power by redesigning their strategies to adapt to

this new communication medium because it is inexpensive, has a large audience

reach, and can collect direct feedback (Li and Bernoff, 2017). People do not have as

much control over their social media consumption as they think.

Social Health

Social media became successful by giving users the opportunity to generate their

own content and maintain peer-to-peer connection. Relationships and social

connection are basic needs for all human beings. Matthew Lieberman describes

social connection as “a resource in the same way that intelligence or the internet are

resources” (Hobsbawm, 2017). Quality relationships are needed to maintain social

health and ultimately boost productivity. Hobsbawm (2017) describes social health

as “the ability of individuals and organizations to have access to sufficient knowledge

and networks—and to manage time to use these in a balanced way” in addition to a

system for managing these connections. While it is known that rich forms of

communication like face-to-face (see figure 1 below) are significantly more effective

in delivering messages and minimizing miscommunication, newer technologies like

video chat and text provide more convenience and speed. People spend less time

together in-person which could lead to relationship decline. However, social media

and other technologies allow this decay to slow down (Hobsbawm, 2017). Social

media’s ability to create platform intimacy, or the feeling of closeness or connections

to others, makes it easier for people to stay connected with those they are physically

separated from and also feel intimate with those they do not know personally. This is

more powerful on platforms that are image-based because they create stronger

emotional responses than text-based platforms (Modality Effects, 2018).

Proposed Solutions

Internet safety for kids depends on parents being aware of online risks and

understanding how to help their children and teens avoid them. Almost every child

and teen has access to the internet. They socialize in online games or on

smartphones just as they would on a playground. They live largely in a digital

community. But like any community, there are risks and dangers. Ninety-five percent

of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45 percent of teens say they are online

“almost constantly,” according to the Pew Research Center. Even younger kids are

accessing the internet in large numbers. Roughly two-thirds of fourth to eighth

graders have access to phones or tablets. And almost half of them have a computer

in their bedrooms, according to the 2016 Children’s Internet Usage Study conducted

by the Center for Cyber Safety and Education. But first, you have to understand

those risks for yourself. This means keeping up-to-date on the latest technologies,

apps and social media trends. It can be challenging, but it better prepares you to talk

to your kids about what to expect online . Know the dangers of the internet ,when it

comes to cybersecurity, kids are often one of your family’s weakest links — and that

can be for lack of knowing the dangers of the internet. Teach kids about suspicious

activity online and encourage them to ask for help if something seems unusual.

Sometimes kids make themselves vulnerable to identity theft by disclosing

personal information online because they believe they have nothing to lose. A child’s

identity can have as much value as an adult’s identity. Remind children not to reveal

too much information about themselves. Their date of birth, address, and SSN are all

examples of personal information, and they shouldn’t share them freely. Teach your

kids about phishing scams and warn them not to click on URLs in an email or social

network message. Passwords are the primary defense against hackers. Yet, many
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people reuse the same password for multiple accounts and use passwords that are

easy to guess, because they’re also easy to remember. Teach your kids to create a

hack-proof password by selecting a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters,

numbers, and symbols, and make sure it's at least 12 characters long. Never use

common words, phrases, or personal information like a phone number or family

members’ names. Keep a close eye on your social accounts. If someone messages

you who hasn’t done so in a while, be suspicious. Your friend’s account may have

been hacked. Parents should remind teens to also never meet in person with

someone they met online and tell an adult if a stranger is messaging them. Setting

clearly defined rules and explaining the reason for each rule and the hazard it

protects against can help your child understand potential risks. You may even ask

your child or teen to sign an online safety contract. The contract can be a chance to

teach your kid about online risks and how to respond to them. Contracts can also

jumpstart a conversation about the boundaries you want to set for the way in which

your child uses the internet.Keep the conversation open and ongoing as your child

gets older with the promise of more rights and responsibilities as he or she grows.
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Conclusion

Overall, the literature review showed that although social media has

many potential threats to well-being, they become magnified by typically older

generations who do not see social media’s potential to positively develop all areas in

life. The harm with using social media comes from a lack of education and coping

mechanisms on combatting these threats because these harmful effects are only

starting to surface recently. Based on the literature, young people do not have the

capacity to manage social media’s impacts on their own although they are the

largest population that uses these platforms. It is the role of adults to acknowledge

that social media is deeply ingrained in current society and that they must learn to

help young people navigate digital citizenship to prevent potential harm. Rather than

chastising social media, society needs to learn how to leverage its strengths

because it is not going away anytime soon. Many companies have realized this and

have taken advantage of this opportunity which has potential for consumer

exploitation. How a young person uses social media and interprets the information

presented is what impacts their experience and not the usage itself.
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Implementation

"Best Practices: Safe Social Networking Safety Tips for Social Networking

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter can be a great way to connect with

friends. But there are some social networking safety tips you should always keep in

mind. Manage your privacy settings. Learn about and use the privacy and security

settings on your social networking sites. They help you control who sees what you

post and manage your online experience in a positive way. You'll find some

information about Facebook privacy settings at the bottom of this webpage.

Remember: once posted, always posted. Protect your reputation on social networks.

What you post online stays online. Think twice before posting pictures you wouldn't

want your parents or future employers to see. Recent research found that 70% of job

recruiters rejected candidates based on information they found online. Build a

positive online reputation. Recent research also found that recruiters respond to a

strong, positive personal brand online. So demonstrate your mastery of the

environment and showcase your talents. Keep personal info personal. Be careful

how much personal info you provide on social networking sites. The more

information you post, the easier it may be for someone to use that information to

steal your identity, access your data, or commit other crimes such as stalking.

Protect your computer. Security start with protecting your computer. Install Antivirus

software. Keep your operating system, web browser, and other software current. You

can use the Pitt Software Update Service to automatically download the latest

security updates for Windows. Know what action to take. If someone is harassing or

threatening you, remove them from your friends list, block them, and report them to

the site administrator. Use strong passwords. Make sure that your password is at

least eight characters long and consists of some combination of letters, numbers,
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and special characters (for example, +, @, #, or $). Be cautious on social networking

sites. Even links that look they come from friends can sometimes contain harmful

software or be part of a phishing attack. If you are at all suspicious, don't click it.

Contact your friend to verify the validity of the link first. Facebook Privacy Settings

Make sure you know how to access and use Facebook's privacy settings. Log in to

Facebook, click the Settings menu. Select Privacy to view and edit who can see your

photos, activity and information. Select Apps and Websites to control access to your

Facebook account by applications and websites Select Blocking to block specific

users or application invitations."

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