More than 200 eighth graders from across the country allowed their social media feeds to be studied by child development experts who partnered with CNN. This is the first large scale study to analyze what kids actually say to each other on social media and why it matters so deeply to them.
“I think they’re addicted to the peer connection and affirmation they’re able to get via social media, ” said child clinical psychologist Marion Underwood, the study’s co-author. “To know what each other are doing, where they stand, to know how many people like what they posted, to know how many people followed them today and unfollowed them … that I think is highly addictive.”
Sales Renewal’s insight:
CNN found that some teens do not see a distinction between their lives in the real world versus the online world. Yet they’ll still post online what they admit they’d never say in person. Also:
- 61% of teens said they wanted to see if their online posts are getting likes and comments.
- 36% of teens said they wanted to see if their friends are doing things without them.
- 21% of teens said they wanted to make sure no one was saying mean things about them.
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