Leading in the Digital Environment by Lin Carver

Author:Lin Carver
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781475859249
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2021-01-04T16:00:00+00:00

Relationships and Communication

Eighty-one percent of adolescents feel social media allows them to feel more connected with friends’ lives, and 68 percent feel it allows others to support them during tough times (Anderson & Jiang, 2018). Teens are constantly adopting new modes of interacting but social networking and user-generated content (UGC) are the most popular subcategories of social media. Social networking was a concept long before the introduction of technological devices; however, the primary method for social networking has become digital. Youth still seek peer approval whether face-to-face or through social networking. However, the digital domain has changed the way this feedback is received because of an increase in anonymous feedback platforms used through social networking sites. Feedback and approval have also been quantified with the use of these sites through tracking “likes” and “views.” The problem with these forums is that they allow for online social cruelty, such as cyberbullying or online public condemnation, which can be detrimental especially during the crucial stage of social development.

Social capital in the digital domain is a product of an individual’s impact on a particular subculture that the individual identifies with and from which he seeks acceptance. UGC platforms allow youth to cultivate their social capital. Currently, the most popular sites allow for the creation of memes or short videos that support a movement, stance, or reflect current popular culture. Examples of trendy UGC platforms include Instagram (teens), TikTok (tweens), and Roblox (youth). As the content they produce is “viewed,” “liked,” or recreated, their social capital increases.

Utilizing devices while tending to other tasks reduces productivity, but this behavior can also harm the development of communication skills. Fifty-four percent of teens self-reported that they focus on their devices even when they are with other people (Rideout & Robb, 2018). A recent study reported that teens stated that they prefer communicating with friends via text (35 percent) rather than face-to-face (32 percent). These results may indicate that digital devices are eroding social communication skills, or it could be an indicator that this generation has decided on an alternative platform that is just as effective for bonding with friends and family. It also could be an indicator that youth are “overscheduled” starting at a very young age and by their adolescents are completely overextended. Perhaps digital devices are not a distraction but allow for the healthy engagement with society. Teen development is dependent on socializing, or networking, with their peers. It allows for peer guidance, feedback, and support at a time when they are exploring their identity and actively seeking independence from their caregivers.

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