OLJ Task 14 Module 5
A 2019 study on teenagers and their views of public policy around social media privacy displayed a range of students who were either disinterested, or overly trusting of tech giants, such as Facebook and Instagram (Crocco, Segall, Halvorsen, Stamm & Jacobsen (2019). The overall lack of engagement from students and the passive results of the study were surprising to both the researchers and the teachers, but why should it be surprising that youth have no concern about online privacy?
One consideration is the sheer importance which social media platforms has in the lives of youth and how this can potentially override concern around privacy, and other social and mental health concerns. With over 90% of Australian’s aged 15-17 using the internet, and 87% of them using at least one social media platform (ABS, 2016). The importance of these platforms can be looked at in three ways, engagement, conforming and awareness.
Engagement – Social media platforms are generally considered to impact positively on youth lives, with many youths feeling more in touch with their friends and family (Anderson & Jiang, 2018). The benefits of social media however are under debate, with criticism of engagement tools, such as the importance of followers and likes, creating dopamine responses similar to drug and gambling addictions (Sinek, 2018).
Conforming – The expectation to engage and participate in social media activities is also a predictor of importance. Youth are increasingly pressured to engage in online activities, either by their peers or through a fear of missing out (Bloemen & De Coninck, 2020). Navigating these pressures can be quite complex and have a multi-faceted nature, especially in regard to image sharing and the online extension of youth’s lives (Monks et al, 2019).
Awareness – Youth are surrounded by these social technologies, and when Facebook has more users than China has people, and Amazon is trusted more than national banks, it creates the question of why youth would be concerned about public policy (Qualman, 2019). Another factor in the 2019 study was students reflected primarily upon themselves and didn’t consider the broader context of online privacy. According to one teacher in the study youth may not even consider privacy, because they have never had it (Crocco et al, 2019).
This is a very basic discussion of some factors influencing the disinterest of privacy and the trust youth have of social media platforms. The research for the 2019 study was submitted before the social media fallout of the 2016 U.S presidential election, and the controversy around the Brexit campaign and a more recent study may reflect a more aware and informed youth population (Crocco et al, 2019).
References
Anderson, M., & Jiang, J. (2018). Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/11/28/teens-and-their-experiences-on-social-media/
Bloemen, N., & De Coninck, D. (2020). Social media and fear of missing out in adolescents: the role of family characteristics. Social Media + Society. 6(4), 1-11 https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120965517
Crocco, M, S., Segall, A., Halvorsen, A., Stamm, A., & Jacobsen, R. (2019). “It’s not like they’re selling your data to dangerous people”: Internet privacy, teens, and (non)controversial public issues. The Journal of Social Studies Research. 44, 21-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssr.2019.09.004
Monks, H., Barnes, A., Cross, D., & McKee, H. (2019). A qualitative exploration of electronic image sharing among young people: navigating the issues of conformity, trust, intention and reputation. Health Education & Behaviour. 46(25), 1065-1135. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198119873921
Qualman, E. (2020, June 24). Erik Qualman – Digital Transformation Video 2019 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI5yVTemR6E
Sinek, S. (2018, December 14). This is why you don’t succeed – Simon Sinek on the millennial generation [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNgQOHwsIbg