Quote · TED Talks Daily
What we're getting wrong about teens and tech | Candice Odgers | Your Body on Tech
Where this was said
What Teens Are Actually Doing Online
At 28:19 · chapter starts 28:00
Odgers dismantles the image of teens doom-scrolling through algorithmically manipulated feeds: the primary activity is music listening and content consumption, making social media function more like television than a peer network. Real social interaction lives in small Discord servers or group chats composed largely of people teens know offline, where they share content pulled from larger platforms. They are not creating most of the viral content adults worry about. They go online for the same basic reasons they seek connection anywhere — to reduce boredom, find information, connect with friends, and sometimes seek mental health support. Odgers lands an uncomfortable mirror: adults make assumptions about teen behavior based on their own unhealthy relationship with social media [1] — Candice Odgers "Teens are primarily listening to music and consuming content online, not creating it. Social media is more like television than the interac…" 28:00 , when teens are often more sophisticated at managing notifications and curating feeds than the adults hand-wringing over them.
Teens are primarily listening to music and consuming content online, not creating it. Social media is more like television than the interactive social platform adults imagine — and real social interaction happens in small Discord and group chat spaces with people they know offline.
