The way young people use social media is generally not much like free
play. In fact, posting and commenting on social media sites is the opposite
of Gray’s definition. Life on the platforms forces young people to become
their own brand managers, always thinking ahead about the social
consequences of each photo, video, comment, and emoji they choose. Each
action is not necessarily done “for its own sake.” Rather, every public
action is, to some degree, strategic. It is, in Peter Gray’s phrase,
“consciously pursued to achieve ends that are distinct from the activity
itself.” Even for kids who never post anything, spending time on social
media sites can still be harmful because of the chronic social comparison,
the unachievable beauty standards, and the enormous amount of time taken
away from everything else in life.
📚 The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.
🖋 Jonthan Haidth.
play. In fact, posting and commenting on social media sites is the opposite
of Gray’s definition. Life on the platforms forces young people to become
their own brand managers, always thinking ahead about the social
consequences of each photo, video, comment, and emoji they choose. Each
action is not necessarily done “for its own sake.” Rather, every public
action is, to some degree, strategic. It is, in Peter Gray’s phrase,
“consciously pursued to achieve ends that are distinct from the activity
itself.” Even for kids who never post anything, spending time on social
media sites can still be harmful because of the chronic social comparison,
the unachievable beauty standards, and the enormous amount of time taken
away from everything else in life.
📚 The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.
🖋 Jonthan Haidth.