- Nearly a quarter of adolescents in the HABITS study spend eight or more hours a day on social media.
- Young people are forming their identities in environments shaped by algorithms, peer approval and constant comparison.
- Supporting adolescents to be authentically themselves requires action from families, schools, communities and policymakers.
International Being You Day is celebrated annually on 22 June. In a world where online trends change overnight and algorithms continuously shape what adolescents see, being yourself is more challenging than it sounds.
Adolescents, young people typically between the ages of 10 and 19 years, are increasingly navigating digital spaces that encourage comparison, conformity and external validation. Yet this period of development is meant to be one marked by self-discovery and identity formation.
International Being You Day celebrates our uniqueness and individuality, without fear of judgement. However, for adolescents, despite constant messaging to “be yourself”, the environments they find themselves in want them to be something else. Why might this be, you may ask?
When social media shapes identity
In ongoing research by myself and a team of researchers in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pretoria, the Healthy Adolescent Behaviours: Investigating Trajectories in South Africa study, also known as the HABITS study, has found that close to 24.5% of adolescents are spending eight or more hours on social media daily.
In an upcoming publication by the HABITS Research Lab, it was found that adolescents spent much of their time on social media in the 24 hours before participation, consuming entertainment, lifestyle and celebrity content.
It is important to note that social media use offers both positive and negative outcomes. However, in the HABITS study, nearly 24% of the adolescents were categorised as having problematic social media use.
This means adolescents are making decisions and navigating who they are in this phase of self-discovery in an increasingly complex environment, where algorithms shape what they consume and see, and peer approval and dopamine-driven reward responses are quantified through likes, follows and reshares.
The pressure to conform
Throughout the study, the HABITS Research Lab engaged with adolescents, outlining their concerns related to health and well-being, and it became apparent through these conversations that they constantly needed to negotiate who they were and negotiate “being yourself” in an environment that does not take kindly to truly expressing themselves and “being you”.
They often shared instances of how, if they presented themselves as anything but what society or the environments in which they found themselves approved of, their image was turned into a WhatsApp sticker and/or they faced open ridicule on social media platforms.
We need to ask ourselves how we can create environments that celebrate adolescents and allow them to be authentically who they are. The environments that adolescents find themselves in make it very difficult for them to discover and express who they truly are.
The impact of constant comparison
Never before have adolescents had such constant access to information about, opinions on, and images of how others live their lives.
While this creates opportunities for learning and connection, it also exposes young people to relentless comparison and social pressures that can leave them questioning their identity and chasing trends rather than developing a genuine understanding of themselves.
For adolescents, being yourself is not only an individual responsibility but also requires support from families, schools, communities and society.
What can be done?
Some of the actions that caregivers and adolescents could implement include:
- Adolescents could take regular breaks from social media and spend time on activities that reflect their own interests and values.
- Parents and caregivers could create opportunities for non-judgemental discussions about social media and online experiences.
- Schools could integrate digital literacy into the curriculum to foster critical thinking about social media use and being true to oneself. There should also be opportunities for accessible, visible mental health support for adolescents.
- Policymakers could also include adolescent voices in policies that shape and affect their lives.
Being yourself is a shared responsibility
Being yourself is not a destination that adolescents reach on their own. It is a journey shaped by the environments we create around them. If we truly want adolescents to embrace who they are, we need to foster environments, both digital and physical, that give them the freedom, confidence and support to do so.
Professor Davids’ research delves into the critical area of health decision-making among adolescents and emerging adults. His work aims to understand and improve how adolescents and emerging adults make choices that impact their health and well-being. It provides valuable insights to inform interventions and policies that support healthier developmental trajectories.
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