Girls + Social Media Research Report

Girls + Social Media

A STUDENT ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT

TECH + SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB

Marymount School of New York

Girls + Social Media i copyright 2024

Marymount School of New York

Introduction

In the digital age, social media platforms have emerged as significant arenas for social interaction, particularly among adolescents, and particularly among girls. Girls have unique experiences and challenges which require further scrutiny. Social media may affect girls’ socialization processes, identity development, and mental health in distinct ways

Amanda Raffoul, an instructor at the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health and a researcher at STRIPED (Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders), noted that “ exposure to videos and photos on social media platforms can contribute to body dissatisfaction and eating disorders among teens and adolescent girls, and lead to serious mental issues.” She further added, “the more teenage girls are on social media and exposed to image-based social media in particular, the more likely they are to have a poor body image.” (Gerson, 2023)

A 2023 research study by Pew Research entitled, Teens, Social Media, and Technology 2023, concluded the following:

YouTube continues to dominate.

TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram remain popular among teens

Teens are less likely to use Facebook and Twitter.

Teens’ site and app usage has changed little in the past two years.

Nearly 1 in 5 teens say they are on YouTube and TikTok ‘almost constantly ’

The study also concludes that “girls are more likely than boys to say they almost constantly use TikTok (22% vs. 12%) and Snapchat (17% vs. 12%).” However, there appears to be no difference in gender for YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Key usage statistics are shown in Appendix 1. (Pew Research Study)

Mertler defines action research as “ any systematic inquiry conducted by teachers, administrators, counselors, or others with a vested interest in the teaching and learning process or environment for the purpose of gathering information.” (2020, p. 5).

The basic process of conducting action research consists of four steps:

Identifying an area of focus

Collecting data

Analyzing and interpreting the data

Developing a plan of action (Mills, 2011)

The action research framework, in this context, provides a “systematic inquiry ... for the purpose of gathering information about ... how teenage girls use social media.”

The students in the Tech + Social Media Club at Marymount School of New York posed the following action research question:

“How does the use of social media by teenage girls affect their overall well-being and daily life?

Literature Review

Social media has become an integral part of adolescent life profoundly influencing the experiences and development of teenage girls. Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat have sparked interest among educators, researchers, parents, and students regarding the potential impact of these platforms on the mental health, social behavior, and overall well-being of teenage girls.

In a systematic review of forty-three original research papers investigating or exploring the effects of online technologies on adolescent well-being or related concept(s), Best et al (2014) found “the benefits of using online technologies were reported as increased selfesteem, perceived social support, increased social capital, safe identity experimentation, and increased opportunity for self-disclosure ” On the other hand, harmful effects included “increased exposure to harm, social isolation, depression, and cyberbullying.” The results further reveal “ an absence of robust causal research regarding the impact of social media on mental well-being of young people ” Furthermore, a longitudinal study by Vannucci et al (2017) found that higher social media use predicted increases in anxiety and depressive symptoms over time in adolescent girls A similar study by Shensa et al (2017) found that problematic social media use (PMSU) was strongly and independently associated with increased depressive symptoms ” They further suggest that “intervention efforts aimed at reducing depressive symptoms, such as screenings for maladaptive social media use (SMU) may be most successful if they address addictive components and frequency – rather than time – of SMU ”

The role of social media in shaping social behavior and peer relationships is complex While social media facilitates communication and socialization for teenage girls, the online environment may also be a breeding ground for cyberbully, with girls being more susceptible to targeted harassment The fear of negative comments or social exclusion can lead to self-consciousness and a reluctance to engage online. Furthermore, the curated nature of online interactions can create a sense of inauthenticity, further fueling social anxieties. (Lenhart et al, 2010)

That's not to say that social media is not without its benefits Platforms may foster connection and community for girls, especially those who struggle with social interaction in traditional settings Girls may connect with like-minded individuals who share similar interests or experiences, providing a sense of belonging and support (Boyd, 2014) Boyd further suggests that social media may also be an important platform for self-expression and activism

The research leaves educators, parents, researchers, and students in a bit of a pickle How should students navigate the challenges of social media while availing themselves of the possible benefits? D'Amour (2024) argues that the choice between whether parents should “refuse to give their tween or teen access to social media” or “allow access to social media and then try to monitor what happens” is not a simple one. There is no solution that “lets kids access social technologies while eliminating all downsides ” D’Amour advocates for a “slow-going, pragmatic approach that can help protect kids, adults’ relationships with them, and kids’ connections to their friends.”

Research Context

Identifying the area of focus

Marymount School of New York is an independent, Catholic day school located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan Marymount is a member of the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS) as well as the Global Network of RSHM (Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary) Schools

With an increase in the number of news stories focusing on the impact of social media on mental well-being of teenagers, students in the Tech + Social Media at Marymount sought to “take the pulse” of girls and social media. For the past five years, the club has worked, through a series of webinars and workshops, to educate parents, students, and educators about how girls use social media as a communication tool and as a content creation tool.

Collecting data

The survey questions were developed in collaboration with ICGS and with Robert Getz, Independent Science Research Facilitator at Marymount School of New York, in the fall of 2023 The survey may be accessed using this link

The survey was open to girls ages 13 to 18 worldwide and was implemented in January and February 2024 The survey was promoted through ICGS and the Global Network of RSHM Schools, as well as through personal and professional connections worldwide. Participation in the survey was optional and over 960 responses were received

Data was collected in a Google Sheet and was cleaned to remove data that was incorrect, duplicate, unnecessary, unneeded, or bad

Data was then analyzed using appropriate data analysis techniques, primarily the “COUNT” and “COUNTIF” functions in Google Sheets. Graphical representations of the data were then developed.

Results: Demographics

Question 1a: How old are you?

Question 1f: In which country do you live?

Results: Social Media Use

Question 2a: Do you ever use any of the following apps or sites?

Yes No

Question 2b: Thinking about the sites or apps you use, about how often do you visit or use ...

Results: Social Media Use

Question 2c: What is your daily average time spent on social media?

Question 2d: What do you usually share or post on social media?

Results: Social Media Use

Question 2e: Do you use social media right before bedtime? If so, how often, and do you think it affects your sleep quality?

Response 1: Yes, and it often affects my sleep.

Response 2: Yes, sometimes, and it affects my sleep.

Response 3: No, it doesn't affect my sleep.

Response 4: I don't use social media before bedtime.

Results: Social Media Use

Question 2f: Have you ever taken a break from social media (a “digital detox”)? If so, how did it make you feel?

No,butI'veconsideredit 24.5%

No,I'venevertakenabreak 20.9%

YesandIfeltbetter 28.9%

Yes,butitwasdifficult 25.8%

Results: Social Media Use

Question 3a: How much do you rely on social media for news?

Likert Scale:

1 - I don’t use.

3 - Equal use with others.

5 - Primary source.

Results: Validation

Question 4a: Do you seek validation or approval from others on social media?

Question 4b: Do you ever feel pressured to portray a certain image or lifestyle on social media?

Results: Validation

Question 4c How do you feel when your social media post gets positive feedback?

Likert Scale:

1 - Self-conscious.

3 - Neutral.

5 - Amazing.

Question 4d: Have you ever used Snapchat AI for relationship advice?

Results: Monitoring

Question 5a: To what degree do your parents/guardians monitor your social media use?

Question 5b: How closely do you track your social media use?

Likert Scale: 1 - Not at all. 3 - Sometimes.

- All the time.

Conclusions

Several key themes emerged from the data.

Most respondents noted that they rarely or never seek validation from social media. However, most respondents expressed feeling better about themselves when their social media posts were “liked” or received positive feedback. It is possible that respondents may not recognize that social media is a form of validation.

Respondents who always seek validation from social media use Instagram either constantly or several times per day.

Respondents who say they depend on social media for their news (Likert scale response 4 or 5) indicate that TikTok was their most consistent and highest used social media platform. Results suggest that these respondents use TikTok almost constantly, several times per day

Sixty-four percent of respondents who use social media before bedtime stated that this social media use affects their sleep habits

Respondents who had the lowest screen time usage (less than one hour; one to two hours) were also those respondents who relied on social media for their news the least (Likert scale response 1 or 2)

The most used apps were YouTube and Instagram, followed by TikTok. This is in line with the Pew study

Anecdotal evidence suggests that students use social media for either communication or content creation

Action Plan

A more nuanced approach to girls, social media, and online technologies is needed. Parents and educators should promote digital literacy skills, helping girls to critically evaluate online content, develop healthy online habits, manage the use of mobile devices, and, most importantly, manage the use of social media.

Our action plan includes the following:

Publishing our research in pedagogically-appropriate journals

Presenting our research at webinars, workshops, and conferences.

Enhancing our parent, student, and educator “girls and social media” workshops at Marymount

Offering our parent, student, and educator “girls and social media” workshops to other educational institutions

References

Anderson, M., Faverio, M., & Gottfried, J. (2023, December 11). Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023 Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech; Pew Research Center https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/12/11/teens-social-media-and-technology2023/

Best, P., Manktelow, R., & Taylor, B. (2014). Online communication, social media and adolescent wellbeing: A systematic narrative review Children and Youth Services Review, 41, 27–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.03.001

Boyd, D. (2014). It’s complicated: The social lives of networked teens. Yale University Press.

D’Amout, L (2024, March 25) Beyond All-or-Nothing: A Pragmatic Approach to Kids and Social Technologies. Joan Ganz Cooney Center. https://joanganzcooneycenter org/2024/03/25/beyond-all-or-nothing/

Gerson, J (2023, September 13) The complicated ties between teenage girls and social media and what parents should know. The 19th. https://19thnews.org/2023/09/socialmedia-teenage-girls-mental-health-body-image/

Lenhart, A., Ling, R., Campbell, S., & Ellison, N. B. (2010). Teens, social media, and privacy. Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2010/04/20/teens-and-mobile-phones-3/

Mertler, C A (2020) Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (6th ed.). Sage Publications, Inc.

Mills, G.E. (2011). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Shensa, A., Escobar-Viera, C. G., Sidani, J. E., Bowman, N. D., Marshal, M. P., & Primack, B. A (2017) Problematic social media use and depressive symptoms among U S young adults: A nationally-representative study. Social Science & Medicine, 182, 150–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.03.061

Vannucci, A., Flannery, K. M., & Ohannessian, C. M. (2017). Social media use and anxiety in emerging adults Journal of Affective Disorders, 207, 163–166 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.08.040

Research Team

The research team is comprised of members of the Tech + Social Media Club at Marymount School of New York

Cecilia McCarthy ’24, cemccarthy24@marymountnyc org

Colleen Peterson ’24, cpeterson@marymountnyc.org

Lilly Spero ’25, lspero@marymountnyc.org

Madeline Stocks ’25, mstocks@marymountnyc org

Addison Bump ’25, abump26@marymountnyc.org

The faculty advisor for the research team and the Tech + Social Media Club is:

Eric A Walters, eric walters@marymountnyc org

Acknowledgements

The research team would like to thank the following people.

Megan Murphy, Global Executive Director of the International Coalition Girls’ Schools, for her commitment to girls’ education and for her unparalleled support of this initiative

Natalie Demers, Director of Research Initiatives & Professional Learning, and Debbie Hill, GARC Coordinator and Research Advisor, for their guidance and expertise on action research

Concepcion Alvar, Head of School, Marymount School of New York, for her faith and encouragement

Sabra McKenzie-Hamilton, Divisional Head, Upper School, Marymount School of New York, for her support and encouragement.

Robert Getz, Independent Science Research (ISR) Coordinator, Marymount School of New York, for his expertise in project design, data collection, and data analysis.

Appendix

Source: Pew Research Study, 2023

Source: Pew Research Study, 2023

Appendix

Source: Pew Research Study, 2023