CommuniKate: Social Media Musings – KateDickman.com CommuniKATE: Social Media & Other Musings

Is Social Media Making Today's Kids Vain?

*This has been going on for years I know... but I was reminded of it all while spending time with my niece*

It's an epidemic! Kids everywhere are falling victim to vanity! Why? Because they now have a place to display it; a place where it's encouraged - heavily. Peer pressure has always been existent but never in this way. With the emergence of social media, comes a new way for kids and young teens to express themselves. Since privacy is extremely important these days, the only other people these kids are exposed to on these networks is their peers - thus creating pressure and encouragement to validate themselves through photos and words on their page. Back before the days of the internet and social networks, one only had to worry about the way they acted in school. Now you have to worry about the way you appear around the clock as these sites are readily available at the click of a button. If you do not represent yourself in a "cool way", you could be the topic of tomorrow's gossip discussion.

I have a 14 year old niece who is constantly signed onto Myspace and Facebook and after seeing her numerous friends' profiles, I sit here in awe at how vain these kids are (or at least pretending to be). It's sad to see these girls try to portray an image that doesn't have to be them at the tender age of 12. One would argue that they should not be on these sites but let's face it - if they want to be on them, they will be on them somehow.

They spend hours in front of the mirror taking photo after photo of themselves with sexy/serious looks in order to obtain the "perfect" one. I cannot sit there and say that I haven't had a moment of vanity myself (as I believe most women have? Maybe? Maybe not?) but the age these kids are starting such behavior is young. My 10 year old niece is also catching on to the trend and I wonder of the pressure to maintain a constant image on these networks in morphing today's children in a negative way. If I could post the photos of 10 friends of my nieces' at random, you would understand (and quite possibly be shocked!) but due to the underage issue, I am not allowed to do that. While social media is providing both children and adults numerous opportunity, we face the growing negativities associated with these new mediums as well. What are the long term effects of these networks when it comes to bullying, vanity and more?