#top search logotype (BUTTON) Topics (BUTTON) Conditions * Week's top * Latest news * Unread news * Subscribe ____________________ (BUTTON) (BUTTON) Science X Account ____________________ ____________________ [X] Remember me (BUTTON) Sign In Click here to sign in with or Forget Password? Not a member? Sign up Learn more * Addiction * Alzheimer's disease & dementia * Arthritis & Rheumatism * Attention deficit disorders * Autism spectrum disorders * Biomedical technology * Cardiology * Dentistry * Diabetes * Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes * Gastroenterology * Genetics * Gerontology & Geriatrics * Health * Health informatics * HIV & AIDS * Immunology * Inflammatory disorders * Medical economics * Medical research * Medications * Neuroscience * Obstetrics & gynaecology * Oncology & Cancer * Ophthalmology * Other * Overweight & Obesity * Parkinson's & Movement disorders * Pediatrics * Psychology & Psychiatry * Radiology & Imaging * Sleep apnea * Sports medicine & Kinesiology * Surgery * Vaccination * Asthma * Breast cancer * Cardiovascular disease * Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease * Colon cancer * Coronary artery disease * Dementia * Depression * Heart attack * Heart disease * High blood pressure * Influenza * Kidney disease * Leukemia * Lung cancer * Malaria * Melanoma * Multiple sclerosis * Myocardial infarction * Ovarian cancer * Post traumatic stress disorder * Rheumatoid arthritis * Schizophrenia * Skin cancer * Stroke * Type 2 diabetes * Full List » * (BUTTON) * share this! * 5 * 14 * Share * Email 1. Home 2. Psychology & Psychiatry 1. Home 2. Pediatrics * * * __________________________________________________________________ May 12, 2020 Social media influencers could get teens to follow social distancing guidelines, say researchers by University of Cambridge Social media influencers could encourage adolescents to follow social distancing guidelines, say researchers Credit: Jasmin Sessler from Pixabay Public health bodies should consider incentivizing social media influencers to encourage adolescents to follow social distancing guidelines, say researchers. Many adolescents are choosing to ignore the guidelines set out by governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and peer-to-peer campaigns are likely to be more successful in changing attitudes. "For many people, adolescence—between the ages of 10 and 24—is when you want to be making more social connections, not losing them. It's also a time of increased risk-taking and sensitivity to peer influence," said Jack Andrews at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, and first author of the paper. "For some adolescents it's a challenge to stick to social distancing rules, particularly if their friends aren't following the rules." Breaking social distancing rules is a risk-taking behavior, putting at risk the health of the rule-breaker and of others—in many places with legal or financial consequences. But adolescents are particularly sensitive to the negative effects of social exclusion, and may prefer to risk breaking the rules rather than lose their friends, say the researchers of the paper published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences. Campaigns led by adults that try to influence adolescent behavior often have mixed success. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the widespread implementation of social distancing measures, led by governments, which are likely to be in place in some form for the foreseeable future. But media reports of large student gatherings in the US in March demonstrated the challenge of stopping young people from meeting their friends face-to-face. Social distancing guidance could be more effective if adolescents are allowed to develop and deliver their own campaigns, focused on changing peer attitudes around the importance of social distancing. With the current restrictions on face-to-face interventions, social media is expected to be particularly effective in promoting social distancing behaviors amongst adolescents. "Adolescents look to their peers to understand social norms, and align their behavior with the group they want to belong to. The speed and extent of peer influence online is likely to amplified, because social media has such a wide and immediate reach," said Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore at the University of Cambridge's Department of Psychology, who led the report. Previous studies have shown that adolescents are more likely to take certain risks, such as experimenting with drugs or posting sexual content online, when peers are present or doing the same things. Adolescents are also more likely to get involved in beneficial activities, such as volunteering in the community, if they know others who are doing them. Young people's capacity to encourage each other in a positive way has been demonstrated in previous studies, for example in a peer-led approach to reducing bullying in schools. This study identified highly-connected, well-liked students, and asked them to develop their own anti-bullying campaigns to share with their peers. Bullying dropped by 25% as a result, compared with other schools. "The advantage of social media influencers is that the motivation for social distancing comes naturally from the young people themselves. Influencers could post videos or photos online, for example, showing how they are following social distancing rules by staying at home, and add tags to increase their visibility through sharing and Likes. Many YouTubers are already doing this. It's really just presenting public health advice in a more accessible way that adolescents are more likely to listen to," said Blakemore. If social distancing can be established as a group norm amongst friends, it is more likely to be copied by others. Another advantage of targeting social media influencers is that they exist across many spheres of interest so have the potential to reach diverse groups of young people. The researchers say that to create positive change, adolescents must be given the capacity to lead their own ideas. They hope that their proposals will be taken up by charities and public health bodies who can work with influencers to make sure the correct type of information is being shared. __________________________________________________________________ Explore further Study explores impacts of social distancing on youth __________________________________________________________________ More information: Jack L. Andrews et al. Peer influence in adolescence: Public-health implications for COVID-19, Trends in Cognitive Sciences (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.05.001 Journal information: Trends in Cognitive Sciences Provided by University of Cambridge Citation: Social media influencers could get teens to follow social distancing guidelines, say researchers (2020, May 12) retrieved 20 January 2021 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-social-media-teens-distancing-gu idelines.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. 19 shares * Facebook * Twitter * Email Feedback to editors * Featured * Last Comments * Popular Smart watches can detect symptoms of COVID-19 before wearer knows they are infected 22 hours ago 1 Low-frequency electrical stimulation to orbitofrontal cortex used to treat obsessive-compulsive behaviors 23 hours ago 0 Could NRF2 be your magic molecule for eternal youth? Jan 19, 2021 2 Exploring the role of competitive brain processes in artistic cognition Jan 18, 2021 0 Inhibiting KGA-dependent glutaminolysis in mice found to eliminate senescent cells Jan 15, 2021 2 __________________________________________________________________ Cartilage matrix as natural biomaterial for cartilage regeneration 42 minutes ago New Parkinson's disease therapeutics discovered 43 minutes ago Study identifies European cities with highest mortality due to air pollution 13 hours ago Researchers discover mechanism behind most severe cases of a common blood disorder 17 hours ago Brain cell network supplies neurons with energy 17 hours ago Where do our minds wander? Brain waves can point the way 17 hours ago Parkinson's: Initial steps to show nerves their growth direction magnetically 17 hours ago * Related Stories Study explores impacts of social distancing on youth May 07, 2020 Rejecting conspiracy theories aids public health Apr 24, 2020 Teens are wired to resent being stuck with parents and cut off from friends during coronavirus lockdown Apr 22, 2020 Expert discusses social distancing and cyberbullying Apr 14, 2020 Be clear, positive, and targeted, to help public stick to social distancing, governments urged May 06, 2020 COVID-19 study: Impact of social distancing on older adults May 04, 2020 * Recommended for you Low-frequency electrical stimulation to orbitofrontal cortex used to treat obsessive-compulsive behaviors 23 hours ago Study in twins identifies fecal microbiome differences in food allergies 19 hours ago Youths with mood disorders who use marijuana at higher risk of death, self-harm 21 hours ago Study finds national data may be underestimating illicit drug use in young people 22 hours ago Money matters to happiness—perhaps more than previously thought Jan 19, 2021 Potential new biomarker for depression and bipolar disorder Jan 19, 2021 IFRAME: //js.trendmd.com/trendmd.amp.html?title=Social%20media%20influencers%20 could%20get%20teens%20to%20follow%20social%20distancing%20guidelines%2C %20say%20researchers&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedicalxpress.com%2Fnews%2F2020- 05-social-media-teens-distancing-guidelines.html&journalId=62676 User comments What do you think about this particular story? Your feedback will go directly to Science X editors. (BUTTON) Your message to the editors ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Your email (only if you want to be contacted back) ____________________ (BUTTON) Send Feedback Thank you for taking your time to send in your valued opinion to Science X editors. You can be assured our editors closely monitor every feedback sent and will take appropriate actions. Your opinions are important to us. We do not guarantee individual replies due to extremely high volume of correspondence. E-mail the story Social media influencers could get teens to follow social distancing guidelines, say researchers (BUTTON) Your friend's email ____________________ Your email ____________________ [ ] I would like to subscribe to Science X Newsletter. Learn more Your name ____________________ Note Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Medical Xpress in any form. Your message ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ (BUTTON) Send (BUTTON) (BUTTON) Newsletter sign up Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties. ____________________ (BUTTON) Subscribe More information Privacy policy Phys.org Phys.org Daily science news on research developments and the latest scientific innovations Tech Xplore Tech Xplore The latest engineering, electronics and technology advances ScienceX Science X The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web Newsletters ____________________ (BUTTON) Subscribe Science X Daily and the Weekly Email Newsletter are free features that allow you to receive your favorite sci-tech news updates in your email inbox Follow us * * * * * Top * Home * Search * Mobile version * Help * FAQ * About * Contact * Science X Account * Sponsored Account * Newsletter * Archive * Android app * iOS app * RSS feeds * Push notification © Medical Xpress 2011 - 2021 powered by Science X Network Privacy policy Terms of use Medical Disclaimer Your Privacy This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, and provide content from third parties. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Ok More Information (BUTTON) E-mail newsletter ____________________ (BUTTON) Subscribe Follow us * * * * It appears that you are currently using Ad Blocking software. What are the consequences? (BUTTON) × Quantcast