Social media use is a routine part of nearly all of our lives. It is how we stay connected to each other and the world while also going about our daily lives without interruption. You could say we are all sitting on our clouds, floating through life with nearly everyone we know floating by within reach. It is not just adults. Teenagers rely on social media for the very same reasons adults do. This is how we socialize now. Two thirds of teenagers have their own mobile devices. Seventy-five percent of teenagers have at least one social media profile.
I have a fifteen year old daughter. Naturally, I was curious about what the experience of scrolling through social media was really like for girls her age. I, a forty-one year old woman, get suggested reels of Adam Sandler accepting awards on Instagram or advertisements for fitness equipment on Facebook. Expected. But I wondered, what does social media think fifteen year olds are interested in? What might Meta suggest to a teenager? I made a new email. I signed up for Instagram using my daughter’s birthdate. I found out.
And I was heartbroken.