Kids These Days is an audio episode created by IRL Podcasts. Veronica Belmont and Manoush Zomorodi give us an insight on the just how detrimental the effect social media and self phones have on the youth in America.
Belmont introduces Cameron, a survivor from the horrific Parkland High School shootings back in February 2018. “Suddenly social wasn’t just a waste of time, it was a way for him to get his own perspective.” This quote from Belmont intrigued me. Cameron said he used his social media to “speak truth to power.” Tavis Smiley on an episode on PBS(Public Broadcasting System) stated “Speaking truth to power means comforting the afflicted, and afflicting the comfortable. None of us has a monopoly on the truth. There is the truth, and there is a way to the truth. We must be humble enough to accept that we only know the truth that we know, at any given point on our life’s journey. But the truth that we do know, we must speak it. We must have the courage to say what we see.”
“Less teen sex, less teen alcohol use, less teen drug use,” Belmont is highlighting what it was like for teens before the introduction of the internet and social media. “Many more kids think that they are addicted to their phones, rather than social media it’s self.” To me, this is interesting because from personal experiences and observations I would say it would be the opposite.
The conventions used in the podcast were good and clearly evident. They highlighted what they were going to talk about prior to the intro music being played. The intro music fitted really well with the tone of the conversations. The introductions of people who were in the podcast were good, short and seemed friendly. This helped me feel a closer connection with what I was listening to. The segments were chunked into small sections covering a variety of different perspectives on the topic. The first segment was a positive use of the platforms, however, it progressively leads into a more negative tone as the podcast continued. The outro was simple and gave another recognition to the sponsor.
This episode has helped me pick the challenge of deleting all social media. I would like to see how my life would be impacted without it. This episode highlighted the fact that the kids who aren’t on social media and are away from phones, statistically do better overall and keep them self in check.
I would ask these questions(in regards to the episode);
- What type of digital footprint is being created? How might it impact users today and in the future?
- Communication may be evolving, but being a quality communicator will remain a critical success factor. How is the use of social media shaping communication skills?
- Life moments and memories are an integral part of our lives. Do we want them to be viewed by everyone? Will they expose us to risk?
Owen Allwood