Social Media and Young Women

Social media is a complicated topic. Its impact is felt by the majority of our culture all day, every day. Which platforms do you follow? Twitter? Instagram? You Tube? For 2.89 billion of us, the answer is Facebook.
When I made the decision to include Facebook in the You Are Right on Time footprint, I focused on the benefits of social media. Through our Facebook group, the YAROT Community, we are able to connect around common interests, experiences and emotions that are part of the 60+ season of life. Particularly during the pandemic, Facebook has given us a platform to bridge the gaps created by social distancing and isolation. But we are women who have developed some measure of emotional maturity, able to navigate our Facebook feeds with wisdom, kindness and compassion.
More troubling to me is the information emerging about Facebook, Instagram and other platforms as they affect young women. 

• According to NWPC, “Photo-heavy social networks like Snapchat and Instagram can be dangerous for girl’s self-image. With photo shopping apps, differing angles, filters, and more, everyone can look their best. This focus on the outward appearance, regardless of whether or not it is “accurate,” can undermine anyone’s feeling of self-worth.” 
• Or from the Body Bible, “It can be suggested that female users, specifically adolescent teens, rely very much on the amount of likes they receive on a picture in order to determine their self-worth and position within society.” 
• Perhaps most frightening is the easy access to pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia social media pages. According to CNN, one shocking revelation from Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal’s recent social media investigation is that Instagram actively promotes these pages to adolescent girls.

For perspective, consider for a moment, who were you at the onset of womanhood? In my teenage years, I was a lonely young woman who struggled with low self-esteem. I felt I didn’t measure up to my peers, and as I compared my life to theirs, I always came up short. My solution was to become a people-pleasing, high-achieving perfectionist, and I have struggled most of my life to move beyond the pain of believing I am not enough. But in the 1960’s and 70’s, my social circle was limited to the universe within my high school. In 2021, this is no longer the case. With each new story from today’s young woman, I am heartbroken by the magnitude of suffering that has become part of young womanhood and social media. Heartbroken and angry. The information emerging about what Facebook knew and when they knew it, suggests that the platform has been well aware of its negative impact, and has continually prioritized profit over people. As a woman, I feel a responsibility to these young girls, and I will be following this story closely.
Do you have a young woman in your life? A daughter or granddaughter who spends time on social media? Perhaps it’s time for all of us to pay closer attention…