Part #1 MLA Citation:
Impact of Social Media on Youth | Katanu Mbevi | TEDxYouth@BrookhouseSchool. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soHn6t_jjIw. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.
Part #2 Summary:
This is a seven-minute Ted Talk produced by Katanu Mbevi, a Student at Brookhouse School located in Kenya. In this talk Mbevi speaks about the negative effects social media has on the mental health of young people. Mbevi states more than 60% of the youth are active social media users. She brings up the increase of insecurity when using social media due to the constant comparison towards the people we follow. She continues with a second stressor, which is the value we’ve put on the likes, comments, and shares that create a social currency. Mbevi states this social currency is an epidemic that people are tying their self-worth with the opinions of others and letting it define them. The third stressor is Fear of Missing Out (a.k.a. FOMO). Mbevi mentions when people don’t have access to social media or their phones it causes social anxiety due to the feeling of missing out. Mbevi proposes an action plan with three distinct steps: build a strong value system, collaborate creativity, and be yourself. She concludes with an anecdote where she mentions a time her grandmother gifted her a shirt with an empowering message “No one is you and that is your power.”
Part #3 Reflection:
This is a skillfully developed and inspiring talk. It made me realize that feeling insecure and anxious isn’t healthy or normal to feel every day while actively using social media. I think Mbevi is a powerful and brave young woman to address a controversial issue. I think this topic should be addressed in schools and at home more often as the younger generation is being greatly affected by it. Older generations might not feel the great impact on their mental health, but I believe they see it affecting someone younger with a much greater exposure to social media. It’s hard for older generations to relate or help because they can’t grasp the importance young people have given the likes or comments they receive. I loved how she included a personal story of her grandmother gifting her a shirt that quoted “No one is you and that is your power”. I feel like this helped her reach her audience emotions and remind them that they shouldn’t let the likes or comments define who they are or change how they are. This video intrigued me the second she mentioned her attendance at Brookhouse School in Kenya. This made me realize that the issue we have about social media affecting the mental health of young people isn’t just happening in the United States but it’s an international issue.
Part #4 Rhetorical Analysis:
The audience is young people. Her purpose is to educate and inform the younger generation about the negative effects that social media can have on their mental health. Mbevi presents herself with facts and lists three stressors and proposes an action plan with three steps as a solution for this issue. She concludes with an anecdote where she mentions a time her grandmother gifted her a shirt with an empowering message “No one is you and that is your power”. She uses the rhetorical appeal of pathos to tap into the emotions of the viewers. The audience is inspired to focus more on their mental health, to avoid social media defining them, and become more aware of their social media usage. Katanu Mbevi is a student at Brookhouse School discussing the epidemic social media effects on mental health in young people. Ted Talk is a credible source. Ted Talks are recorded presentations that are peer-reviewed and have a mission to explore new ideas and possibilities. However, YouTube is a social media platform that is not a reliable source. YouTube is also a source to share ideas and perspectives.
Part #5 Notable Quotables
“A collection of Kenyan University say that more than 60% of our youth active social media users” (Mbevi 0:53).
“Whether we notice it or not you notice it or not you see the problem with the excess usage of social media is today’s youth is tomorrow’s future” (Mbevi 1:18).
“We are tying up our self-worth with what others think of us and then were quantifying it for everyone to see” ( Mbevi 3:54).
“It’s important to remember your social media experience could be completely transformed into a healthy screen time if you wanted to” (Mbevi 4:52).
“The simple fact that nobody’s me makes me perfect, don’t ever doubt yourself or yourself worth based on the number of likes you did or didn’t get. Social media doesn’t have to define you or your life” (Mbevi 7:18).
