8
HEALTH
THE SELFIE CULTURE: SHOULD WE BE WORRIED?
By Steven Woda www.uknowkids.com
You can hardly go onto Facebook, Instagram or any other social media site without being inundated with selfies. A recent study found that a 91% of teens have reportedly posted a photo of themselves online. With this kind of statistic, odds are that your teen has already taken and posted at least one of these instant self-portraits. For most teens, selfies are a harmless bit of adolescent fun, no more dangerous than other passing fads. Actual damage by selfie is rare, but it does happen. As a parent, you need to be aware of these risks and become equipped to discuss them with your teen. SELFIES AND SELF-ESTEEM One risk factor for selfies is that the act and obsession with taking them can lead teens to the development of poor selfesteem. There has been some speculation about whether self-portraits help or hurt selfesteem. Out of the few studies that have been conducted on the matter, the verdict on the effects of selfies on teen selfesteem is somewhat conflicting. A body image survey conducted by the TODAY Show found that 65% of teen girls feel that selfies boost their self-confidence. 40% of them agreed that social media helps them put their best face forward. However, 53% of respondents alleged that photos of themselves that are posted by others can make them feel bad. Earlier this year a teen from the UK became obsessed with taking the
perfect selfie. He dropped out of school, lost thirty pounds, and didn’t leave the house for six months because he was devoting ten or more hours a day to taking pictures. Eventually, he attempted suicide by overdose. The chances are pretty good that your teen is not as ill as this young man was, but, while rare, the case demonstrates how poor self-esteem can be exacerbated by the selfie trend. The danger is very real and is something that should be on every parent’s radar. SELFIES AND YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION As with all online and social media activities, posting selfies can have a negative effect on your child’s online reputation. Both the quantity and subject matter of photos that are shared with friends on Facebook can impact the level of support and intimacy within their relationships. Additionally,
the permanence of anything that is posted online, like selfies, can haunt a teen years after they’re taken. Although there are a few ways kids can make the social networks they use more protected, there is never a guarantee that something won’t go viral once it is posted or merely sent to one person. College admissions officers and scholarship foundations now often include a search on social media for prospective students. Many employers have started looking up a job applicant’s online presence and factoring that information into their hiring decisions. That car-surfing stunt a teen photographed in his first year of college may be years in the past. But to an employer, what does that say about the job applicant’s judgment and self-control? He doesn’t know how long ago
that picture was taken or how much your teen has changed in the intervening time; he only knows what the photo tells him. SELFIE SAFETY TIPS: 1. Teach teens early on that selfies, social media posts, and the feedback they receive on social media should not be tied to their self-worth. 2. Ensure that your teens are using proper privacy settings throughout their social media accounts. 3. Instruct your kids to be careful about the personal settings and items that are featured in selfies. 4. Only post selfies that you would be comfortable sharing with the world.
WORCESTER PRIMÊR (t) 023 347 0663 (e) psw@psworcester.wcape.school.za
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