Earlier today, within the span of an hour or so, I ran across two separate reports on young people who use social media that seemed to completely contradict each other so profoundly, my reaction was basically the same as Bert from Sesame Street’s is in the gif above.
First, the good news:
When they look up from posting to their blogs or browsing the Internet, the social media savvy are more likely than the un-savvy to share their stuff, help someone with directions, or give up a seat on the bus.
This data comes out of a new survey of more than 24,000 people in 16 countries, masterminded by non-profit organization Let’s Heal, reports The Next Web. The survey compared respondents’ social habits, Internet and media usage and brand preferences.
And there’s more. When the social media savvy — those frequently on sites like Twitter and Facebook — make their way to the grocery story (after plucking an escaped kitty off a tree, and stopping by the weekly blood drive), they’re also more likely to be partial to products from companies that share their philanthropic bent, choosing brands that embrace a socially conscious agenda.
Now the bad news:
If you’re a teenager you’re most likely on a social networking site like “Facebook.” For most it’s a fun, easy way to keep in touch and find out what’s going on with friends. But new research shows a growing number of youngsters who obsess over the on-line sites may be headed down a troubled path.
The American Academy of Pediatrics warns of a new problem called “Facebook Depression.” It results from being bombarded with friend tallies, status updates, and photos of people happy, having the time of their lives, when you are not.
“If I’m just like sad or something and just kind of chillin’ at home and I see pictures of people having a party I’m like oh that’s awesome… like I’m not there… that’s kind of depressing,” explained high school student Elizabeth Kisch. But Kisch also says she doesn’t take Facebook too seriously.
Of course, renowned Internet old person-frightener Matt Drudge seized upon this immediately, nevermind the fact that teenagers were horribly depressed long before f*cking Facebook came around.
So, a verdict: The good news I mentioned jives with my own personal experiences, and happens to be rooted in researched data, while the bad news appears to derive merely from a bunch of old people sitting around a table and making personal judgments about social media, something they know little to nothing about. In other words, what they say is, in my opinion, about as valuable as what comes out of a cat’s ass. Carry on as you were.
(Bert gif via, pooping cat gif via Tumblr)