Have you ever wondered why your teen would rather communicate with their device than talk to you? Well this is because they need to interact with others, foster independent learning, and express themselves. Perhaps teens seem to find interacting with others their age more engaging than speaking with an adult that may not understand how it is being a teen in this generation.  

Don’t you feel joy when you find someone to finally agree with? Or someone that you can connect with? Interacting with peers brings delight. In the Argumentative essay “Outsmart your Smartphone” by Catherine Steiner-Adair says “Texting and other use triggers release of dopamine, a natural chemical that produces a pleasurable sensation…” ( 5) In the essay “It’s complicated” danah boyd states that, “Teens often want to be on their own terms, without adult supervision..” (7). This quote provides a counterclaim to Catherine’s statement because the sensation can be the thrill teens feel when they finally get to express themselves without criticism from people who don’t understand like adults and parents.

You might think that just because your relatives live far away you won’t be able to communicate much with them. But that is the main reason social media exists! In the essay “Outsmart your Smartphone” danah boyd mentions how, “Texting and social networking sites make it easier to connect with kids right where you are, too.”(2) In other words, social media platforms make it a smoother process to speak with kids around you. Like in PS 218 the students can communicate to discuss homework, entertain each other, and just interact generally. 

Social media provides a wide area for kids and teens to express themselves, share ideas and opinions with each other, and develop their identity. Especially for our students, social media apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and Tiktok give students an opportunity to discuss how they feel about certain topics and even build relationships over common ideas. In the second paragraph of “Outsmart your Smartphone” the author says, “Expressing yourself,figuring out who you are and developing a sense of self and identity that’s separate from your parents and family are important parts of adolescent development.” To sum up this quote from the essay, the author is speaking about how finding your true self is a crucial part in adolescence and social media helps you do that. Another quote from this paragraph states, “You can use smartphones and social media to build healthy relationships and a sense of belonging.” Just like I said before, finding common ideas and opinions to share with your peers can help you find something to bond over. 

Some people may  argue that social media takes you away from schoolwork, grades, and learning. However this perspective does not consider the fact that school isn’t the only place  that helps to learn. For example the 15th paragraph in “Outsmart your Smartphone” says “…Social media distraction has a negative effect on learning and grades.” This lacks consideration of other learning sources that aren’t school. In the essay “It’s complicated” says “Some teens may reject the messages of adulthood that they hear or see, but they still learn from all of the signals around them. As they start to envision themselves as young adults, they begin experimenting with the boundaries of various freedoms, pushing for access to cars or later curfews.”(6) Teens and students can still learn by using their environment to teach them lessons.

To conclude everything stated in this essay, students at PS 218 are more helped than harmed by their use of social media because they can interact with others, foster independent learning, and express themselves.