Influencing, trolling and moderating.

Teenagers comparing their lives on social media.

Influencing/Moderating/Unethical Goals

'Teenagers and the impact that social media has on their mental wellbeing'.

Social Media is a worldwide network of websites and applications for the public eye to showcase content and stay in touch with people.

Providing a outlet for all ages to connection with other people. 

Social Media as made a standard for presentation levels of people. E.g Influencers in all industries, celebrities and etc. 

Result - The impact that social media has on their mental wellbeing. Trying to match their level of life and be influenced to do things which affect the self esteem of teenagers while growing.

1. An app where photos are raw, unedited and posts showcase your true self.

- The app will monitor photos and determine whether the photo has been filtered, photoshop or enhanced in any way

- The app won’t have the option to upload from camera roll

- The photos can only be taken in the present time

- It will allow viewers to see that not everyone’s life is as perfect as it seems

- It will allow for less comparing and more relatable content 

- Ultimately will decrease mental stress, depression and anxiety which comes from the pressures of social media.

- Users may find a way to edit photos that goes undetected 

- Some people may still try to upload their ‘best self’

- Teens may not use the app

2. A separate section of Instagram, similar to the explorer page, where unedited photos are shown. 

- An already popular app will allow for an app update which creates an alternative section where unedited, raw and real-life photos are shared

- Users can switch between for example; their usual Instagram feed to this alternative section.

- Teenagers will be more inclined to use this section as it will become apart of an already popular app like Facebook and Instagram.

- It doesn't disrupt the usage of these apps as it will be an optional add-in which users may benefit from.

- These apps may not want to collaborate or take on board this idea

- Users may not post on the section properly

3. A device that removes filters 

- A third party installation download would be created that removes filters from other peoples photos that are posted online

- It would allow teenagers to see what’s true and what has been edited and photoshopped

- This would allow for less comparison 

- It would stop many people from editing, enhancing or photoshopping their photos and people will be able to remove and see the original image and maybe embarrassed 

- It could cause confrontation and cyberbullying 

- It may not work on all photos

- Could make people more fearful about what they post

Monroe, J. (2019, March 8). The Effect of Social Media on... Newport Academy; Newport Academy. https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/well-being/effect-of-social-media-on-teenagers/

One article I came across was a reading that explored the effects of social media on teenagers. Which explains the pros and cons that social media presents. The article begins by exploring previous studies which have been done on this topic. One study explored the correlation between social media and teenagers' mental health. It was discovered in a 2018 study that “14- to 17-year-olds who used social media seven hours per day were more than twice as likely to have been diagnosed with depression, treated by a mental health professional, or taken medication for a psychological or behavioural issue during the last year”. (Monroe, 2019). The article then explores the specific topics and their relations of social media impacts. One topic of discussion was the ways in which social comparison is harmful to teens mental health. Teenagers who spend a lot of time on social media are constantly viewing people's lives through images, posts and statuses, therefore, leading to constant comparisons. This then may impact on self-esteem and self-image of teenagers which ultimately creates negative thoughts leading to negative mental health. A study conducted by Pew research centre reported the effects of social media on teens.”43 percent of teenagers say they feel pressure to only post content on social media that makes them look good to others. Furthermore, 26 percent of teens say these sites make them feel worse about their own life”. (Monroe, 2019)

Liotta, M. (2019). Social media and teens’ mental health. NewsGP. https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/social-media-and-teens-mental-health.

This article discusses the impact of social media on teenagers' mental health. There's a high chance of cyberbullying and negative body image, consequently having opposing effects on a young person's mental health.

According to the article, nearly 10,000 young girls aged 13–16, who often use social media are at particular risk of mental health issues. For boys in the same age group, cyberbullying, sleep, and physical activity considered for around 12% of social media's impact on boys' mental health. Dr Dasha Nicholls, a study co-author from Imperial College London, said that girls at higher risk than boys as they more often accessed or checked social media, but the effect was not as obvious in boys.  Also, the article addressed that social media doesn't cause harm. However, regular use may disrupt activities that have a positive impact on mental health, such as sleeping and exercising. while increasing the danger of young people to harmful content. In 2016–17, the highest proportion of internet users in Australia (98%) were people aged 15–17, and 91% of 15–19-year-olds used social media, spending up to 18 hours a week online.

Piercy, L. (2018). What a new study reveals about selfies and teenage body image. Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2018-05-reveals-selfies-teenage-body-image.html.

According to a study from the University of Kentucky, teenagers are particularly exposed because they are experiencing a lot of physical, social, and psychological changes. Teenagers are the first generation that cannot imagine life without the internet. Some of that cooperation can be positive, allowing teens to find a sense of belonging, but less known is the negative impact of social media on body image. Social media has become an essential thing among teens, and it's even leading their lives regardless of their social class, race or gender. Also, this article discusses how teenagers are affected by perfect body image as it examines a lot of girls who have negative body image. Most of the boys are also unhappy with their bodies. The amount spent on selfies, choosing a photo or editing it, were more dissatisfied with their bodies.

Chosen idea: A separate section of Instagram, similar to the explorer page, where unedited photos are shown. 

We decided to follow through with this idea as we think it will gain the most usage and attention. By incorporating this strategy, to somewhat solve our proposed issue, an already popular social app seems ideal as it's more likely to be used. Instagram being known as a platform that contains endless amounts of filters, editing and photoshopped content would make it a great candidate for our app extension. This will enable us to push back against the rules of social media and perhaps let some users seek comfort in the fact that other users also have imperfections, insecurities and face real problems and insecurities. This approach is also ideal as it isn't taking away from the already built algorithm and isn't changing instagram as a whole. Therefore people will still be able to post their best self without the interruption of the app extension. They now instead will also get the chance to show their followers that there is more than one side to themselves and their appearance and this includes imperfections and problems. In terms of progression for the proposed issue ‘ Teenagers and the impact that social media has on their mental wellbeing’ we discovered that social media has a much more negative impact than positive. Primary research studies stated in our research shows statically how impactful social media and comparing has on teenagers and their mental wellbeing. This app extension titled ‘L me’ which is an abbreviation of ‘love me’ the title represents the idea that others should love you for your true self. Being able to restore some confidence, boost self esteem and generally make teens feel as if they are less alone when it comes to appearance and problems is the main aim for this prototype. 

Color Wheel Pro: Color Meaning. Color-wheel-pro.com. (2015). http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html.

Liotta, M. (2019). Social media and teens’ mental health. NewsGP. https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/social-media-and-teens-mental-health.

Monroe, J. (2019, March 8). The Effect of Social Media on... Newport Academy; Newport Academy. https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/well-being/effect-of-social-media-on-teenagers/

Piercy, L. (2018). What a new study reveals about selfies and teenage body image. Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2018-05-reveals-selfies-teenage-body-image.html.