The Online World of Young People
As technology has continued to grow and expand the online world has become integrated more and more into our daily lives. We used to think of the internet as a place where we would send AIM messages and play virtual pinball, and we knew to never share our share personal information there. Since that time the internet has massively expanded. The popular video-hosting site Youtube has over 500 hours of content uploaded to it every minute. The internet now more closely resembles the real world in its many functions and the pandemic has highlighted what can be done online, with many jobs and schools shifting to virtual environments. During this time the internet has also played a huge role in maintaining connections with our friends and family. In this age, electronics and the internet play a key role for young people for socialization, education, entertainment, and more.
Online platforms come and go, and there are more websites than any one person could keep track of. However, understanding major platforms and how they work can help provide some context for how many young people are using the internet. Most platforms do have standards for what is and is not allowed on their site, and frequently sites have options in their settings section that can increase user safety. Facebook’s settings allow users to hide as much of their information as they want: birthdays, pictures, posts, and other information can all be protected from the general public. Tiktok (a short video-hosting app), Instagram (an app/site for pictures), and many other platforms allow users to make their accounts private, meaning that only friends may see what is posted and strangers aren’t able to send messages. Snapchat (picture/messaging app) is mostly used for messaging, but it also incorporates a location feature that allows friends to see the exact location of the user when using the app. This feature can be customized or turned off in the settings. Utilizing available privacy settings can be a great way to add simple protections. A few of the biggest social media sites have child-friendly versions of their platforms specifically designed for a younger audience. Facebook Messenger and Youtube both have versions for children where content is heavily moderated. There are also websites and online multiplayer games whose main user base is children and young teens and these platforms often take measures to cater to and protect their younger users.
Many sites and apps use algorithms to increase engagement. The site considers what you have watched and liked in the past to guess what pictures and videos you might like to see next. It then compiles what it thinks you may want, as well as what is currently popular, and shows it to you. Because of how many people use popular websites the algorithms run on their own with minimal direction from a moderator (someone involved in running the site). Platforms like Youtube and Tiktok use similarly autonomous technology to scan what gets uploaded on their site to automatically detect and take down anything that might be inappropriate. This can be very useful, but the lack of human involvement means that sometimes mistakes are made, and it can be useful to be mindful of what sites are automatically suggesting to young children. On Youtube, there is a simple setting that allows its algorithm to pick another video to automatically play after the one that was originally searched is done. You could wind up watching videos completely unrelated to what was searched for them (think Elmo to reality TV or gaming discussions to political debates). While many children and teens would simply turn that setting off or click away, it is still useful to be aware of the existence of autonomous algorithms.
The role of technology in the lives of children and teens is one that should not be overlooked. While we may want to limit screen time as a general rule, we have to consider what the screen time is being used for, especially now. Young people use the internet to connect with friends, express themselves, and participate in a new and unique kind of global culture as well as for school and telehealth. Cultivating meaningful online friendships is very normal for young people and the online world greatly reflects our own. Becoming familiar with popular platforms, exploring privacy settings, and recognizing the validity of virtual connections in today’s world can help when trying to navigate the online world.