____________________ (BUTTON) How Does Social Media Affect Teenagers? A Parent’s Guide To Influencers How Does Social Media Affect Teenagers? A Parent’s Guide To Influencers -- How Does Social Media Affect Teenagers? A Parent’s Guide To Influencers * Post category:Healthy Relationships -- -- Teenage years are an important time for teens to form new relationships. Some of these relationships include social media influencers. -- Teens want to fit in and feel accepted among friends. Influencers are often part of this fitting in process. Yet teenage children still want their parents’ support and love. -- -- that seem inessential, overpriced, or against values they live by. They may not see the hidden player in this tug-of-war: the social media influencer. -- Peer Pressure, Anxiety, and the Impact of Social Media The amount of peer pressure teens experience has exploded with social -- -- The amount of peer pressure teens experience has exploded with social media. Influencers can have huge impact on what teens want to look like, do and what they talk about with each other. Teens rely on notifications on their phones to feel connected with friends. That’s -- -- listening for them may get no break from the pressure to keep up. Social media influencers can ramp up levels of peer pressure beyond anything their parents knew. All kinds of media bombard teens with information about how they are supposed to dress, how to act, and what -- -- information about how they are supposed to dress, how to act, and what music, foods, and brands to like. This comes at a time when they’re already more vulnerable to peer influence. Some feel added pressure to adapt in ways that may not be a good fit for many reasons: * Desired behaviors may not match the teen’s own personality -- -- support We may not be aware of the extent to which social media influencers add pressure to family relationships. -- -- pressure to family relationships. A Definition of a Social Media Influencer -- What is a social media influencer, and how do they play into pressures we see in family relationships? -- -- we see in family relationships? Here’s a helpful definition of a social media influencer on Pixlee.com: -- “A social media influencer is a user on social media who has established credibility in a specific industry. A social media -- established credibility in a specific industry. A social media influencer has access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach.” – Pixlee.com -- -- This definition doesn’t address the connections that often exist between influencers and brands. It’s not a transparent process. Pixlee, for instance, helps brands “create relationships through their most -- for instance, helps brands “create relationships through their most passionate customers.” That means influencers are in business using their popularity with teens to foster brand affinity. -- -- The Power Struggle Between Parents, Teens, Brands and Social Media Influencers -- Influencers are not just social media personalities who loom large in a teen’s social life. They shape the choice of items kids are coaxing parents to buy. -- -- parents to buy. Retailers are aware of this influence, and are using it: “It’s perhaps no coincidence that Amazon.com is one of the online -- -- “It’s perhaps no coincidence that Amazon.com is one of the online retailers that has seen the value of social media influencers for back-to-school sales. The company has partnered with popular social media personalities like Ava Phillippe and Olivia Jade to promote -- -- – Matthew Stern in RetailWire, August 21, 2019 Influencers are in the business of promoting brands. Their impact can add to peer pressure, and increase friction between teens and parents about buying choices. -- -- There’s Growing Emotional Pressure On Teens Another way social media may impact teens emotionally is internal. We see social media use linked with anxiety teens feel within themselves. -- -- important resource that adolescents still need. How to Have More Positive Influence as A Parent -- As a parent, you may have more power than you think to influence healthy social media use. You can help by being curious and talking about relationship quality, healthy autonomy, and mental health with -- -- teenage children. Parents can have a positive influence on their teen’s use of social media. -- Parents can reduce the negative impact of social media for teens by: * Setting rules for behavior. Ask that everyone turn off the phones at the table, or during a conversation.