Today’s blog highlights teen’s views on Instagram. Yesterday we released a new Screenager’s Podcast episode which is my candid interview with 3 teenage girls about Instagram. And it is, in my unbiased opinion, an awesome interview :).
The podcast is titled Instagram Unfiltered: Teens Tell All and can be found here: Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Youtube // Website
So, in today's blog, I highlight some key points we discussed and encourage you to listen to the podcast with kids, girls, and boys, as well as use the discussion questions at the end of this blog.
My guests come from various stages of life — middle school, high school, and college—providing a broad spectrum of insights on the topic. Jen, a middle schooler, got Instagram at 13 because she liked the funny memes and her family members were using it. Anya, a high schooler, downloaded the app at 16 to manage social media for her school clubs. Farah, who is now in college, started using Instagram at 12 when her parents gave her permission to have social media after getting a phone.
On the show, we explore how they are using Instagram and what's helpful and what's not.
Instagram’s ability to captivate attention was a recurring theme. Jen mentioned that she can get distracted by quick, random posts about people's lives. Anya and Farah both spoke about how easy it is to spend hours scrolling through posts, Reels, and memes, which often adds up without them even realizing it.
Farah emphasized that while staying informed is beneficial, the constant news stream can sometimes be overwhelming and negatively impact her mood.
Comparison is inevitable on social media. Farah highlighted how influencers often present only the good parts of their lives, making it easy for others to feel inadequate by comparison. Despite being aware that social media is highly curated, it still impacts users' self-esteem and self-worth. Jen agreed that seeing the fuller versions of people's lives, including their struggles, could make social media more relatable and reduce feelings of inadequacy.
If you listen to the episode, you will hear about my experience posting about my real feelings and what happened in response (Spoiler alert: it was good).
And we talk about how people's posts are generally curated and happy. Yet, what about the fuller aspects of ourselves? Is it ever okay to reveal some of that?
In addition, a topic that I feel is greatly under-discussed is the egregious content of inappropriate ads coming to our kids. For example, the 13-year-old in the interview reports seeing numerous beer ads. Recently there has been an explosion of ads for Zyns-- the oral pouches that deliver nicotine. Just the other day, a young man who knows about our film, Screenagers Under The Influence, wanted to tell me about all the ads for Zyns flooding his feed. He doesn't use Zyns, and he was really disheartened to see the ads everywhere.
The teens also shared their thoughts on advertisements and sponsored posts that flood their Instagram feeds. Jen, who is still in middle school, noted receiving age-inappropriate ads like ones for alcohol. Anya found location-based ads unsettling, while Farah got a mix of jewelry and comedic content.
The teens had different approaches to posting. Per her parents ' guidelines, Jen doesn’t post pictures of her face or anything too personal. Farah posts occasionally but keeps her account private to control who sees her content.
As we wrapped up, Farah shared that some of her friends have decided to delete social media for the summer to focus more on themselves. This conversation highlighted the importance of setting boundaries and taking breaks from social media to maintain mental well-being.
Questions to get the conversation started with your group or family:
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Today’s blog highlights teen’s views on Instagram. Yesterday we released a new Screenager’s Podcast episode which is my candid interview with 3 teenage girls about Instagram. And it is, in my unbiased opinion, an awesome interview :).
The podcast is titled Instagram Unfiltered: Teens Tell All and can be found here: Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Youtube // Website
So, in today's blog, I highlight some key points we discussed and encourage you to listen to the podcast with kids, girls, and boys, as well as use the discussion questions at the end of this blog.
My guests come from various stages of life — middle school, high school, and college—providing a broad spectrum of insights on the topic. Jen, a middle schooler, got Instagram at 13 because she liked the funny memes and her family members were using it. Anya, a high schooler, downloaded the app at 16 to manage social media for her school clubs. Farah, who is now in college, started using Instagram at 12 when her parents gave her permission to have social media after getting a phone.
On the show, we explore how they are using Instagram and what's helpful and what's not.
Instagram’s ability to captivate attention was a recurring theme. Jen mentioned that she can get distracted by quick, random posts about people's lives. Anya and Farah both spoke about how easy it is to spend hours scrolling through posts, Reels, and memes, which often adds up without them even realizing it.
Farah emphasized that while staying informed is beneficial, the constant news stream can sometimes be overwhelming and negatively impact her mood.
Comparison is inevitable on social media. Farah highlighted how influencers often present only the good parts of their lives, making it easy for others to feel inadequate by comparison. Despite being aware that social media is highly curated, it still impacts users' self-esteem and self-worth. Jen agreed that seeing the fuller versions of people's lives, including their struggles, could make social media more relatable and reduce feelings of inadequacy.
If you listen to the episode, you will hear about my experience posting about my real feelings and what happened in response (Spoiler alert: it was good).
Many young people are overwhelmed by constant social media use, which can displace important activities like sleep, schoolwork, and friendships. Over 200 school districts are suing platforms like Meta for harms related to social media addiction. The blog covers what problematic social media use is from a clinical perspective and how our kids can talk with a friend (or family member) if they are worried their friend might have some level of problematic use.
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A week ago, Instagram announced changes to its rules for “Teen Accounts.” All new teen users will be defaulted into these accounts, and current teen users will transition over the next two months. Instagram’s head of Products, discussed these changes, and one comment surprised me. She mentioned that teens aged 13 to 16 will need parental permission to have a public account, hoping this would encourage dialogue between teens and parents about social media use. However, I feel this still puts too much responsibility on parents when we need broader societal solutions. I discuss this and the rest of the changes in today's blog.
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We have created a table that compares the 4 most common social media platforms and the specific ways they are similar and different. Spoiler alert, they are way more similar than different. It makes perfect sense since companies see what young people use on other apps and incorporate such features into their own apps.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
