Teenagers and social networks: between risks, learning and education

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Adolescents and social networks: an inseparable duo, and often a source of concern for parents and educators alike. In France, the average age of the first smartphone is 9, and over 90% of 13-17 year-olds actively use at least one social network, according to thee-Enfance association. TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat... Young people spend several hours a day on them, with increasingly documented effects on their mental health: sleep disorders, anxiety, lowered self-esteem, digital addiction.
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Faced with this alarming situation, some countries are considering restricting access to social networks for minors, or even banning them. But is this solution really appropriate? In her podcast L'Île aux ados, Marilyn Mesguich, in charge of middle school coordination and literary disciplines, history-geography and science at our innovative middle school in Marseille, shares some enlightening testimonials: her students revise philosophy with TikTok, learn Korean thanks to K-pop on YouTube, create businesses via Instagram or militate on the networks for the climate. All examples that show that networks are not just dangers: they can also be levers for learning, expression and emancipation.
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So, how do we reconcile risk prevention and opportunity enhancement? Is an outright ban desirable - or should we rather rethink our role as adults to support teenagers in an enlightened and responsible use of social networks?
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Social networks and teenagers: massive use from an early age

From the moment they start secondary school - sometimes even before - social networks have become an integral part of teenagers' lives. According to asurvey on the digital practices of 11-18 year-olds conducted by the Génération Numérique association, 59% of 11-14 year-olds have a digital device (computer, phone, tablet) with them at all times in their room. The same applies to 86% of 15-18 year-olds. Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram make up the trifecta of most-used social networks.
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More than just a leisure activity, these networks fulfil a profoundly social function: they enable young people to feel part of a group, to express their personality, to test their image, to receive signs of recognition and to exist in the eyes of others. This need is all the greater during adolescence, a period of identity construction and the quest for external validation. In the same study, the young people interviewed felt that these social networks primarily enabled them to :
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• communicate with friends and family ;
• learn new things;
• entertainment.
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The Covid-19 pandemic accentuated this trend. Successive confinements deprived many teenagers of physical links with their peers. Networks then became their main space for interaction, support and entertainment. Since then, this hyperconnection has become ingrained in their daily lives, well beyond the health context.
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But while networks fulfill a relational need, they also shape norms, references and emotions. The "like" becomes an indicator of value, the "scroll" a way of occupying silences, and the screen, an extension of the self. They were born with it. They shape their codes, codes that shape and govern usage and escape parents. And yet, one of the keys to better supporting young people in their digital navigation lies in this understanding of these codes.
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What are the dangers of social networking for teenagers?

While social networks offer opportunities for expression and learning, they also represent a minefield for teenagers. Their impact on mental health is now widely documented. The above-mentioned survey indicates the top 3 negative impacts of social networks:

• addiction to these networks;
• spreading rumors;
• contribution to cyber-bullying.
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The same observation was made in the 2022 survey by 'lUnaf, Parents, children and the digital world.
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In its 20225 EnCLASS survey on the mental health and well-being of middle and high school students in mainland France, Santé Publique France reveals that 51% of middle school students and 58% of high school students have recurrent somatic and/or psychological complaints. 14% of middle school students and 15% of high school students are at high risk of depression. Mental health and well-being deteriorate during middle school and do not improve in high school.
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Several reports, such as the WHO report on Adolescents, Screens and Mental Healthindicate that intensive use of networks is directly correlated with sleep disorders, lowself-esteem and a feeling ofchronic dissatisfaction, linked to constant social comparison.
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Emotional overexposure

In the episode devoted to teens and social networks of the podcast L'île aux adosMarilyn Mesguich talks about :

"Some self-loathing teens nonetheless overexpose themselves every day on the networks, posting dozens of stories as if seeking recognition they can't find anywhere else."

This overexposure, often unconscious, exposes them to mockery, criticism and sometimes even online harassment. Cases of cyber-violence are on the rise, and videos filmed in the schoolyard are sometimes circulated throughout an entire school in a matter of hours, with no way of erasing what has been seen by hundreds of eyes.

Algorithms and manipulations

Young people are also vulnerable to misinformation, violent or extreme content, and to algorithmic manipulation, which encourages addiction to polarizing or sensationalist content. Bots, trolls and anonymous accounts contribute to the confusion and aggravation of tensions, by spreading hate speech or amplifying divisions. In fact, we talked about the need to develop critical thinking skills in relation to what is disseminated by social networks in our article on AI education from primary school onwards.
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Alone, facing the world

The paradox is obvious: the more connected teenagers are, the more isolated they can feel. The illusion of social connection sometimes masks real loneliness, an addiction to notifications, a frantic quest for validation... and a life "by proxy", as Goldman sang, but version 2.0. Other people's lives seem so much more exciting. They can spend 7 hours on the networks and feel like they've only been there for 15 minutes.

Frustration and injustice are the feelings they experience. Drowned in the mass of information that reaches them, young people lack the perspective to sort things out, to reconnect with themselves, with the present moment.

In this context, it is essential not to demonize, but to understand the mechanisms at play in order to support teenagers, instead of leaving them alone to face a digital world with shifting and often confusing codes.
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And yet... networks can also be learning levers

To reduce social networks to a mere threat would be to miss an essential part of what they represent for today's teenagers. While the dangers are very real, positive uses also exist, and deserve to be recognized, valued... and supervised.
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Learning differently, with motivation

In the podcast L'Île aux ados, Marilyn Mesguich shares a striking anecdote. Her students prepared for their philosophy exams with videos shared by a philosophy teacher on Tik-Tok. They had found a teacher who popularized concepts with humor, clarity and rigor. Rather than object, Marilyn watched the videos with them and validated the approach. Spoiler: no one scored less than 14.

This testimonial illustrates what pedagogues call informal learning: knowledge acquired outside the school setting, often in a spontaneous, motivated way, and full of meaning for young people.
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Create, discover, emancipate

The networks are also spaces for self-expression, creativity and experimentation. One student learned Korean on her own, thanks to a K-pop community for which she became an ambassador in France. Another was offered a scholarship to a New York dance school after posting her choreography on Instagram. One teenager learned to play the piano via YouTube videos, without ever having taken a face-to-face lesson.

"Thanks to networks, teenagers develop incredible skills, learn all kinds of new things, pass on knowledge, share experiences, create new things, help each other, and, for some, break out of a form of isolation. In short, they become emancipated," sums up Marilyn.

Networks can become personal and even professional springboards, provided they are well used.
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Autonomy, trust, commitment

Contrary to the image of passivity often associated with screens, some young people find in them a means of action and commitment. One of Marilyn Mesguich's students has become a youth spokesperson for the climate on TikTok. She was spotted by a Belgian politician. Others engage in societal debates, share their artistic creations, or launch online brands.
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These experiences foster the development of key skills for the future: autonomy, initiative, critical thinking, creativity, communication.

So many reasons not to throw social networks out with the digital bathwater, but to also consider them as tools for learning and expression - provided they are used with awareness and guidance.
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Teens and social networking: what's the problem? Lack of digital literacy

If social networks pose a problem, it's not because they exist, but because we've left teenagers to face them alone, without preparation or support. In other words, the real danger isn't TikTok or Instagram per se, it's the lack of digital education.
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Social networking: teenagers left to their own devices and adults overwhelmed

As Marilyn points out in L'Île aux ados:

"We're not born with it, we don't master it, and they do, and to perfection. In general, what we don't master makes us vulnerable to others. We are therefore vulnerable to our children, to their great satisfaction. None of us - parents, teachers, educators, therapists - are immune to this, whatever our social class.

But young people, for their part, are vulnerable too, because they're still in the process of building themselves up. And since we adults are theoretically incompetent to train them, educate them, protect them, raise their awareness, stop them, well, they make their own education on the net, alone in their room or among themselves, with all the nuggets listed above and all the drifts that can, and often do, ensue".

They create their own codes, sometimes encrypted, and develop uses that escape adults. Far from being malicious, they are simply unaware of the consequences of their online actions.

Parents, teachers and educators are struggling to keep up. Many have not grown up with these tools, and feel illegitimate or powerless. As a result, they shy away from the subject, or react too late.
This gap creates vulnerability on both sides, and feeds an intergenerational divide.
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The emergency: developing psychosocial skills

To support young people in their digital lives, it's not enough to forbid them. They need to be given ethical, emotional and relational guidelines. This means working on fundamental psychosocial skills:

• Empathy: to understand the impact of a message or image on others.
• Emotional regulation: to avoid knee-jerk reactions, humiliation or public vengeance.
• Critical thinking: to take a step back from content, algorithms and fake news.
• Self-confidence: so you don't define yourself by likes or views alone.
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A major educational challenge

This work lies at the heart of active pedagogies, such as those practiced in Esclaibes international schools. By encouraging self-knowledge, authentic expression, debate and cooperation, they give young people the tools to exist in ways other than reaction or staging.

The challenge is not just to learn how to use social networks, but to learn how to position ourselves in the digital world with humanity and discernment.
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Social networks: ban or support?

Faced with the risks associated with social networking, the temptation to ban may seem legitimate. Some countries are considering restricting access, as is the case in France with the debate on a minimum age requirement or the ban on telephones in schools. However, prohibition alone is not a sustainable solution. It often creates an effect of circumvention, frustration or defiance among teenagers, without giving them the tools to understand and regulate their use.
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Supporting with dialogue and clarity

One of the keys is co-education: setting a firm but fair framework, and above all discussing networks with young people. It's not a question of controlling everything, but of :

• create a space for discussion about the uses and content seen ;
• take a sincere, non-judgmental interest in their digital world;
• ask them to explain how it works, what they like, what moves them.
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"Ask them for a hand with your own networks," suggests Marilyn. "This way you strengthen the bond that is so important for maintaining relationships."
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Concrete support strategies

Several actions can be taken to support rather than forbid:

• set reasonable, age-specific screen times;
• preserve phone-free times, such as mealtimes, homework or bedtime;
• Set up a screen-free zone in the bedroom or shared areas;
• encourage digital breaks, including at weekends;
• offer alternative activities: outings, cultural activities, discussions, games, sports, etc;
• integrate digital technology into educational projects (network workshops, podcasts, guided digital creations) to develop a critical eye.
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Training without guilt

Finally, it's essential not to make parents feel guilty or demonize teenagers. Everyone does what they can, with the tools they have. But by setting clear limits, opening up dialogue, and valuing good practices, we can make networks a learning ground, not a danger zone.
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Teenagers and social networks: a question of balance

Social networks have become an integral part of teenagers' daily lives. Ignoring or demonizing them would only widen the generation gap. The challenge today is not to shun these tools, but to learn how to tame them: to understand their mechanisms, effects and uses, so as to better manage them.

That's why it's essential to develop a critical digital education from an early age, in the same way as we learn to read or reason. Teenagers need to be equipped to spot aberrations, stand back, show empathy, and exercise their free will in a hyper-connected world.

Because networks can also be tremendous levers for emancipation: learning, creating, getting involved, sharing. But this requires support, vigilance and genuine dialogue between young people and adults.

In Esclaibes international bilingual schools, this approach is an integral part of the educational project: reinforcing critical thinking, stimulating self-esteem, developing the ability to create real links. These are the kind of human, sustainable skills that will enable tomorrow's adults not just to be consumers of images, but to be conscious players in their digital lives.

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