RAB Source Entry 1 – Bri

My research question is: How does social media affect young girls negatively? 

This topic interests me because, when I was in high school, I witnessed firsthand how social media has a negative effect on young girls. There was this one time where a girl in my gym class posted a picture, and she received a comment that said, “You’re fat.” After that, her whole day was ruined, and she looked down while in school. There were plenty of other times that something similar happened. Seeing hateful comments on social media can ruin somebody’s whole day. I already know that cyberbullying happens a lot online. I also know it is a reason for some people to fall into depression. It also has a lot to do with the fear of missing out, because people feel sad when they see other people having fun when they are bored at home. I want to explore how social media has a lot to do with affecting mental health. Another thing I want to know more about is how social media messes up self-confidence. I also might research why young girls spend so much time on social media.

Part 1: MLA Citation

Bennett, Jessica. “Being 13.” The New York Times, 20 Sept. 2023. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/09/20/well/family/13-year-old-girls-social-media-self-esteem.html

Part 2: Summary

In the article “Being 13,” Jessica Bennett shows us the impact of social media on the lives of young girls, as well as the issues with adolescent girls on social media. Bennett includes personal stories from three 13-year-old girls, Anna, London, and Addi, highlighting how they are affected by their use of social media. Anna is concerned about her popularity level due to not being on Snapchat. She states,“I feel like not having social media makes me just as insecure as having it would.” She experiences FOMO, fear of missing out, without social media, even though she knows having it won’t do her any good. London turns to violence when it comes to bullying on social media. She was recently sent to the principal’s office for “lashing out” on a girl because of social media. Addi turned to social media to cope with the lockdown, and her whole life revolved around it. She has a “close connection” to her phone. Her phone helps her get through the day. She takes breaks from social media sometimes to focus on her mental health since she knows that it can have a negative effect. Bennett also mentions that social media contributes to young girls’ self confidence dropping  around the age of 13. According to Bennett, social media pressures young girls to meet social media “standards”. This can cause unnecessary stress in young girls’ lives. Jessica Bennett’s article is a “snapshot of being 13 in the age of social media.”

Part 3: Reflection

I was drawn to choose this source because it resonates with my own personal experiences regarding social media’s impact during my middle and high school years. I went through similar things as Anna, London, and Addi. I agreed with Anna because, when I was 13, it was legal to download Instagram, but my mother forbade me from doing so. By doing that, I felt left out because my classmates would always talk about what happened on Instagram the next day. This is where my FOMO stemmed from. I feel where London was coming from, where she had to get violent at one point because of social media, since I had to as well. There was this time where these girls bullied my friend on social media, which led to a huge physical altercation. Although social media has some negative aspects, it also has some positives. It can be used as a coping mechanism to get through the day. I check my social media accounts over 50 times a day. According to my “Screen Time” feature on my phone, I spend around 5 hours each day on social media. Like Addi, I have a “close connection” to my phone. I feel like the pandemic made me feel “closer” to it because all I did was stay on my phone. I felt connected to this article because I went through similar things, so it was a great article to read.

Part 4: Rhetorical Analysis

             This article is a feature piece written by Jessica Bennett. Her intended audience is parents and educators. As well as anyone interested in learning more about the impact of social media on teenagers, specifically teenage girls. The purpose of writing this is to raise awareness of the challenges adolescent girls face in the age of social media. The tone is informative because it gives insights into the lives of 13-year-old girls using social media without being judgmental. Bennett uses pathos throughout the whole article by using personal stories and experiences from the young girls to create empathy for the readers. Jessica Bennett is a credible author because she is a contributing editor in the Opinion section of the New York Times. She teaches journalism at New York University and is an author who writes on gender issues, politics, and culture. The New York Times is credible because it is worldwide and has around 740,000 subscribers, which shows a lot of people find it trustworthy.

Part 5: Notable Quotables

“I just feel like I need my phone, you know? Like it helps me get through the day.” (Bennett)

“I feel like not having social media makes me just as insecure as having it would.” (Bennett)

“Self-consciousness has always been an unavoidable part of being a teenager.” (Bennett)