Today’s teenage generation differs greatly from the generations before. One reason for this is the oh-so-easily accessed Internet from smartphones, laptops and any other electronic device that stays glued to teens’ hands. Social networking sites make it so teens are able to document the details of their lives like never before.
“I get bored and they’re easy to use in any place, really. I usually post about my mood or if I’m mad about something, or happy about something, or excited about something,” senior Gloria Rodriguez said.
Using social networking sites when angry comes as an urge to some people.
“I tweet when I’m angry because it’s just an impulse I have. If I can’t express it to somebody else, my phone is right in my hand. I can just tweet it and express myself and it’s a relief,” Rodriguez said.
Some try to keep what they post to a minimum.
“I like to see what other people are doing. I don’t put everything in my life on Twitter or Instagram, but I put just a fair amount of stuff, not my whole entire story,” junior Briana Green said.
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are only some of the social networking sites and apps that teens access via the Internet and their phones.
“I use [Twitter] everyday. It’s like a way of expressing myself and expressing my feelings without telling somebody face to face,” senior David Candelori said.
Compared to teens, adults have a different perspective on what teens post. Counselor Telisa Hunter feels like teens document their lives on the Internet.
“I think that we have a lot of teens who feel like everyone needs to know what they’re doing all the time and so they document where they are and what they’re doing, which can have some dangerous impact,” Hunter said.
Social networking sites provide a place for teens to be more open than any other generation. It is basically a way to document their lives. While some people post their thoughts and information freely, others are more reserved.
“I try not to [document my life], although some people do that on Twitter. I don’t like it because it’s your life, it should be private,” sophomore Trent Cline said.
Despite what some may think, documenting your life on social networking sites can have a large impact on your future.
“I’ve had a college actually contact me and tell me that they thought it would be best if a person took down their Facebook page because of what they had posted,” Hunter said. “It was actually painting a very negative picture of them and was causing that college not to consider them to get in.”
Social networking can provide a way for teens to look back in the future on their lives and experiences. It would be like a scrapbook or photo album, but more intimate.
“When I get older I’m probably going to sign back into Twitter and be like, ‘This was what I was saying when I was 17, 18 years old.’ I feel like there’s going to be a bunch of stuff to smile about,” senior Charles Hope said.
Others, however, already feel regretful looking back on what they’ve previously posted.
“I look back at stuff I’ve posted months ago, and I’m like, ‘What was I thinking?’” Rodriguez said.
Whether they’re tweeting, putting pictures on Instagram or posting on Facebook, teens should be aware of how they are exposing their information for the world to see.
“Sometimes we think we are the only ones that can see it, but it’s out there for everybody, especially on Twitter,” Hunter said. “Teenagers are not as concerned about their future and how [social networking] could impact the future as some adults are.”
— By Jessica Clayton