Real Models, Not Role Models

A reliance on social media may have a prolonged effect on young people, in part by creating false role models, and in part by encouraging ‘FOMO’, or ‘Fear of Missing Out’. But many young children start using social media at a young age.

“One of the things I see parents doing is using screen time to keep their kids entertained while they’re doing something else,” said Dr. Joannie Busillo-Aguayo, CSUN associate professor of Educational Psychology and Counseling. “My oldest granddaughter is 16 years old and social media is her life. If she’s not able to do what her friends are doing, it affects her life.”

The Royal Society for Public Health and the Young Health Movement published a report ranking Instagram as the worst social media platform, in term of its impact on the mental health of young people. YouTube was ranked as the most positive social media platform. Snapchat was also ranked as among the most negative.

According to the Pew Research Center, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular platforms among teens. Forty-five percent of teens said they’re online almost constantly.

The RSPH report recommends three possible solutions: the introduction of a pop-up heavy usage warning on social media, platforms identifying users with possible mental health problems based on their posts, and platforms alerting users when photos of people have been digitally manipulated.

Social media remains popular among young people, who say they want to do everything their peers are doing. A new iPhone update tells users how long they’ve been on their phones, and on social media specifically.

“The other day I went on my Instagram, and I look [at the update], and it says [I’ve] been on this for four hours,”  photographer Nathan Zielke said. “It was six o’clock in the morning.”

Zielke and recording artist JR Jones said they use social media to connect with people.

“I think that [social media] is literally my number one tool,” Jones said. “It has helped me build a really strong fan base, and it’s real people you can connect with, that don’t have to be in your local area. I’m reaching out to Canada, to Spain, to Portugal… it gives me a platform to share my music, and allow my music to go further than it would if I was just a local artist with no social media at all.”

Zielke has more than 29,000 followers on Instagram, and Jones has almost 34,000 followers. But Jones and Zielke, who have worked together, said they believe social media should be more about showing everyone who you really are, rather than showing people who you are trying to be. They said they’re aware of the potential for a negative impact.

“I feel like it gives me [the platform] to be a real model, instead of a role model,” Jones said. “I curse; I show the negatives; I show the down moments; I show me at my weakest moments… I think social media’s problem is it gives people an illusion that everything is great. You see the vacation… [and] you just see the picture of the sunset and the beach and stuff.”

“That’s the biggest fight with social media,” Zielke said. “I call it ‘fake flexing’. There are a lot of people out there who fake flex, and find ways to portray themselves as always being happy, always doing something…. they’ll be at home and [they’ll] post a vacation picture to make it look like they are somewhere else.”

Wrestler Sammy Guevara has about 15,000 Instagram followers. He said he does make choices about what to post.

“No one really wants to see the bad stuff,” Guevara said. “I get messages from people who get inspired from my videos. These videos aren’t solely about me. It’s a bigger picture thing… I wouldn’t call it fake energy or whatever, but some stuff is not meant for the camera and some stuff is.”

“I think it’s more important for [posts] to send a real message, and not a fake message,” Jones said. “I think it’s bad for kids to have this cookie cutter image of how life should be. You see this guy and he says all the right things, does all the right moves, with the most beautiful women, always happy… the minute the kid isn’t living [up to the fantasy], [he’ll think] ‘I’m a failure because I’m not like him’.”

Moderator: Tammera Magaña

Producers: Manuel Fuentes and Natalia Vivino

Anchor: Natalie Vivino

Social Media Editor: Mario Saucedo

Reporters: Ahmad Akkaoui, Sandy Chavez, Manuel Fuentes, Tammera Magaña, Mario Saucedo and Natalia Vivino