Society has focused before on the impact of technology on youth, but what do high school students in Wilton have to say? Wilton Youth Council recently asked Wilton High School students four questions about technology and social media. The students offered insightful, reflective responses.
A couple of themes emerged from the student responses, including a high level of personal insight. Students appreciate the ability to connect online with friends and family, especially those with a niche hobby where technology allows them to forge strong bonds with those who share their interests. Students felt that social media and technology enhance communication and one student described it as “a great resource in school because it can be very collaborative and also it’s a great resource for research.”
Conversely, social media and technology make distinguishing between real and fake information harder, test teens’ ability to focus on and stay engaged in school work and make it harder for teens to understand emotions as technology and social media devalues interpersonal interactions and can “impact mental health and my sleep schedule.”
WHS students offered especially poignant feedback for adults, recommending that the grownups focus more on in-person interactions when together with family and friends. They saw adults as not efficient in their technology use and asked that “teachers use less tech and computers in school.” One student responded “Adults often use technology or are more absorbed by technology than students!” They weren’t alone in recommending adults be more intentional and consistent in their use and guidance to teens.
When it came to what advice they’d give to a younger version of themselves or a younger sibling, students advised to be careful what and how many apps to use and how much to believe on social media; to wait longer to start using social media; and to set limits for themselves.
Overall, the student message was clear: technology and social media offer benefits that teens appreciate but they are also in tune with the challenges technology and social media present. As they look to adults to model sound social media and technology use, almost everyone has room for improvement and needs to align their own use with the advice they give the children in their lives.