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Teens 'rebelling against social media', say headteachers

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Teens 'rebelling against social media', say headteachers

#81
post #62

As a teenager (probably a bit younger than the average HN reader) there's definitely been a change in how we approach social media. Most kids now take advantage of privacy settings to moderate who can see what messages, often creating private or "fake" accounts that only a few friends can see that contrast with their "public" accounts. Ironically the "fake" accounts are more "real" due to the more honest and realisti…

> often creating private or "fake" accounts that only a few friends can see that contrast with their "public" accounts The younger sister of a family friend called this a "sin-stagram", but some people also call them by the more family-friendly "fun-stagrams" or "funstas". Kind of a hilarious concept, creating multiple social media accounts for multiple sides of your personality. Coincidentally I was reading an artic…

> patients have a habit of trying to search for their doctors on Facebook and Instagram. Apparently this causes issues from time to time in the doctor/patient relationship, so it's common practice among many in the medical field.

Also very true for teachers, whose students will inevitably look them up. I have several teacher friends that either don't use social media at all, or have changed their names to make it harder for them to be found on there.

I keep in touch with them via a private group text, which I'm much more active on than social media.

Re: Teens 'rebelling against social media', say headteachers

#82

At some point, the general population has to realize that the relationship with social media is pretty one-sided. It's an egregiously impersonal landscape with zero regards for personal well being. Plain and simple, social media companies exist to cash in on your personal data. It's about time that a generation takes a stand.

But that's not what's going on here. It's not that anyone has taken a stand against business motives or impersonal exploitation of incidental intimacy, within the context of this particular story. In these anecdotes, the people mentioned are rebelling for different reasons, in an effort to control choices relating to personal habits, as they modify what are perceived as necessary social obligations and compulsory pub…

These are really two sides of the same coin. Commercial companies are getting people to behave in ways that are contrary to their own benefit. Now the people are starting to realize it, and are stopping. Soon the commercial companies will realize what is happening, and I guess go into some sort of panic.

Re: Teens 'rebelling against social media', say headteachers

#83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just the companies behind it that are a problem. The concept of civil debate and discourse is, in large part a thing of the past. Issue any opinion, politely, well reasoned on facebook and you most likely be savaged.

In my experience there is plenty of civil debate and discourse going on, just that Facebook isn't where it's happening, except may be some closed groups. Even in the small city I live in, population ~87,000, there are two regular philosophy meet ups and a skeptics group. The local state university hosts regular guest speakers. There is a tonne of podcasts and books produced from around the world with vastly differing…

>Even in the small city I live in, population ~87,000

My guess is things like this are a lot more likely to happen in a small city than a large one, or at least a much higher percentage of the population will be involved.

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