Social network influence on youth
Impact of social networks on young people
Associate Professor at the University of Alcalá de Henares. He is a member of the research group "Imágenes, Palabras e Ideas" where he researches on new media literacy, transmedia narrative and augmented reality. He also participates in university educational innovation projects.
PhD in Communication, Education and Society. Master in "Communication and Learning in the Digital Society" by the University of Alcalá. Degree in History and Audiovisual Communication from the Complutense University of Madrid.
Audiovisual producer and director since 2002. He has directed short films, commercials, documentaries and video clips. He has also created holographic installations, 3D projections and interactive screens. He is responsible for numerous projects for the dissemination of film heritage.
Professor of Audiovisual Communication at the University of Alcalá (Madrid). Her studies analyze how young people use digital media, for example, video games or social networks. She explores the conditions that allow an active and responsible participation in society, mediated by the resources provided by the Internet. She approaches everyday life and citizenship education from an interdisciplinary perspective. She has been a visiting researcher, among other foreign universities, at the Comparative Media Studies (CMS) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and at the Digital Ethnography Research Centre (DERC) - RMIT University (Melbourne, Australia).
What is the influence of social networks on young people?
Social networks are harmful
However, the use of social networks can also negatively affect adolescents by distracting them, disrupting their sleep, and exposing them to bullying, rumor spreading, unrealistic opinions about other people's lives, and peer pressure.
What is the influence of social networks on society?
Summary. Social networks have two clear functions: to facilitate communication and the exchange of information and to foster the creation of communities. These two functions can help to understand their rapid growth and their omnipresence in people's lives.
What are the negative impacts of social media influencers on young people?
Many influencers promote unrealistic body standards, which can contribute to body dissatisfaction and eating disorders among their followers. They also promote materialism and consumerism, encouraging their followers to buy products they don't necessarily need or can't afford.
The Dangers of Social Networking
In addition, the constant flow of benefits offered by social networks keeps us coming back for more. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex, striatum [15] and ventral tegmental area [12] of the brain are activated every time we receive a "like" or a new follower.
Researchers observed a connection between increased Internet use and decreased offline social interaction and psychological well-being when the Internet began to gain popularity. [23] The researchers explained these results with the hypothesis that the Internet favors low-quality relationships. As a result of the emergence of online social networking, there has been growing concern about a possible relationship between individuals' activities in these forums and symptoms of psychopathology, particularly depression.
Self-identity, also known as self-concept, can be defined as an individual's set of beliefs about oneself. [40] It is also defined as an individual's response to "Who am I?" [41] Especially for adolescents and young adults, social media allow for the exploration and formation of self-identity. Compared to other developmental stages, most online identity exploration occurs during early adolescence. [42] [43] Researchers have identified some of the most common ways in which adolescents explore their identity early through self-exploration (e.g., to investigate how others react), social compensation (e.g., to overcome shyness), and social facilitation (e.g., to facilitate relationship formation). [43] [44] In addition, younger adolescents are more likely to use the Internet to communicate with strangers and form new relationships, whereas older adolescents are more likely to socialize with their current friends. People have a strong need for social affiliation, but find it difficult to make social connections in the outside world, and social media can provide a sense of connection that satisfies their needs for belonging, social feedback, and social validation.... [45]
Los jóvenes y las redes sociales
Las redes sociales han revolucionado nuestra forma de relacionarnos e interactuar. También han dado lugar a un nuevo fenómeno: los influencers de las redes sociales. Los influencers son personas que han acumulado un gran número de seguidores en plataformas de redes sociales como Instagram, TikTok y YouTube, y son capaces de influir en las opiniones y comportamientos de sus seguidores. Aunque los influencers pueden tener un impacto positivo, cada vez preocupa más su efecto en las mentes jóvenes.
Los influencers suelen ser percibidos como modelos a seguir y creadores de tendencias, especialmente entre los jóvenes. A menudo se les considera la encarnación del éxito, la popularidad y la belleza. Esto ha llevado a un aumento de la tendencia de los contenidos "aspiracionales", en los que los influencers muestran sus lujosos estilos de vida y promocionan productos que prometen hacer que sus seguidores se parezcan más a ellos.
Sin embargo, el contenido que promueven no siempre es positivo o saludable. Muchos de ellos promueven estándares corporales poco realistas, lo que puede contribuir a la insatisfacción corporal y a los trastornos alimentarios entre sus seguidores. También promueven el materialismo y el consumismo, animando a sus seguidores a comprar productos que no necesariamente necesitan o no pueden permitirse.
Positive aspects of social networks
Aceves, C. (2020). Impact of social networks in times of crisis. September 2021, from Red de Universidades Anáhuac Website: https://www.anahuac.mx/generacion-anahuac/impacto-de-las-redes-sociales-en-tiempos-de-crisis
Ariza, J. M. R., Matas-Terrón, A., del Pilar Rumiche Chávarry, R., & Chinguel, G. R. C. (2021). Scale for Measuring Phubbing in Peruvian University Students: Adaptation, Validation and Results of Its Application. Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research, 10(2), 175-189. https://doi.org/10.7821/naer.2021.7.606
Colmenares, K., & Márquez, J. (2018). Influence of the social network "Instagram" in the configuration of a new collective imaginary among adolescents of the Liceo Abdón Calderón, Carabobo state. Horizontes. Revista de Investigación En Ciencias de La Educación, 2(8), 273-283. https://doi.org/10.33996/revistahorizontes.v2i8.62
Fondevila, J. F., Gutierrez, Ó., Copeiro, M., Villalba, V., & Polo, M. (2020). Influence of Instagram stories in attention Influence of Instagram stories in attention and emotion. Media Education Research Journal, XXVIII, 41-50.
