Pupils are more savvy about social media than adults give them credit for, research shows

Teenagers are critical of celebrity-endorsed content, and can see that it is irrelevant to their own lives, a study suggests
25th January 2018, 12:04am

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Pupils are more savvy about social media than adults give them credit for, research shows

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/pupils-are-more-savvy-about-social-media-adults-give-them-credit-research-shows
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Secondary school pupils are far more critical users of online content on social media than adults give them credit for, a new study reveals.

For example, they are highly critical of celebrity-endorsed content, and are able to see that it is not applicable to their own lives.

Academics from the University of Birmingham surveyed 1,300 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18, from 10 schools. They found that the pupils were not simply passive recipients of the online information they came across.

Instead, most teenagers would swipe past content that was not appropriate for their age group, even when it was marked as “recommended” or “suggested”.

‘Potentially damaging information’

And pupils were aware that looking at their peers’ selfies - which presented unrealistic versions of their lives - could be a source of pressure, as could the social implications of liking one another’s social-media posts.

Many were highly critical of online content endorsed by celebrities. Looking at health-related social media, one teenager said that celebrities were living “a certain life that we are not living”, and were more likely to be “having surgery” than to work out in a gym.

Victoria Goodyear, lead author of the paper, which is published today in the journal Sport, Education and Society, said: “We know that many schools, teachers, parents and guardians are concerned about the health-related risks of social media for young people.

“But, contrary to popular opinion, not all young people are at risk from harmful health-related impacts. Many young people are critical of the potentially damaging information that is available.”

‘Scale and intensity’

The study does reveals that some pupils found it difficult to distinguish between content endorsed by celebrities and genuine posts by sportsmen and sportswomen. This, the researchers said, left them vulnerable to celebrity influence.

The academics, therefore, concluded that adults - such as teachers - still have a crucial role to play in ensuring that teenagers understand how potentially harmful information might reach them online.

Dr Goodyear suggested that teachers could focus on pupils’ experiences online, helping them to think critically about situations that they encounter.

Professor Kathleen Armour, Birmingham’s pro-vice-chancellor for education, said: “It is important to be aware that teenagers can tip quickly from being able to deal competently with the pressures of social media to being overwhelmed.

“The sheer scale and intensity of social media can exacerbate the normal challenges of adolescence. Adult vigilance and understanding are therefore vital.”

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