Social media study finds ups and downs of digital generation

A QUARTER of parents are monitoring their children on social media, according to a survey which also reveals whether they should be worried.

ONE in four parents have admitted to owning a social media account to monitor their child’s online activity.

And teens say they obsessively compare their life and achievements with others, with one in three admitting they regretted one or more selfies they had shared online, a Digital Thumbprint McCrindle survey has revealed.

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Social researcher Mark McCrindle said that a quarter of 18 to 25-year-olds said they were affected by FOMO – the fear of missing out – and so were hooked on social media.

“While at first it may seem self-obsessed to put photos up on Instagram of yet another selfie or the lunch we are about to eat, there is actually more to it than that,” he said.

“Individuals are taking photos of themselves to share their experience with others – it’s keeping in touch, trying to connect and communicate.”

Another 17 per cent said they felt bad about themselves when selfies they posted didn’t get enough likes, the survey of more than 1000 parents and children commissioned by Optus found.

It also showed parents were more concerned about online security than their children, with one in 10 deleting at least one of their children’s social media accounts.

Optus corporate social responsibility director Helen Maisano said the results did not surprise her.

“While parents are right to worry about the physical dangers of social media, it’s important to understand the strong emotional connection young people have to social media,” she said.

“Gen Z, aged seven to 21, is the first to have never known a world without the internet.”

She said Digital Thumbprint workshops, run in high schools across Queensland, were designed to address the concerns of both students and parents, and encourage a positive online image.