Engaging Youth & Young Adults in Social Media
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
2 likes•4,084 views
Social media continues to be an important tool for youth and young adults to connect with the world and with each other. Get the latest research and statistics on how youth and young adults are using social media, and how your organization can strategically use social media to engage with youth and young adults. Learn what platforms youth and young adults are using and how you can create a simple social media strategy to more effectively reach this audience.
Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (20)
Similar to Engaging Youth & Young Adults in Social Media
Similar to Engaging Youth & Young Adults in Social Media (20)
More from Brittany Smith
More from Brittany Smith (13)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Engaging Youth & Young Adults in Social Media
- 1. RESEARCH & TRAINING CENTER ON PATHWAYS TO POSITIVE FUTURES Pathways Webinar | December 2014 Engaging Youth and Young Adults in Social Media December 9, 2014
- 2. RESEARCH & TRAINING CENTER ON PATHWAYS TO POSITIVE FUTURES Overview • Introductions • Brittany Smith, Build Social LLC • John Ossowski, Pathways RTC • Topics • What is social media? • Who's using it? • How are they using it? • Benefits & Risks • Example Sites • Organizational Considerations • Platforms • Creative Content
- 3. Engaging Youth & Young Adults in Social Media Brittany Smith, Build Social, LLC
- 4. What is Social Media? Any online platform or channel for publishing and disseminating user-generated content.1 Social media allows us to engage with and empower our communities. Connection Access to information 1. http://heidicohen.com/social-media-definition/
- 5. Take it seriously! As of January 2014 74% of online adults use social media.1 We spend 20% of our time on computers using social media.2 63% of Facebook users report using it at least daily.3 32% percent of 18-24 year olds use social media while in the bathroom.4 1. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/social-networking-sites.aspx 2. http://www.cnbc.com/id/100275798#.http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/social-networking-fact- sheet/# 3. http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/12/30/frequency-of-social-media-use/ 4. http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/millennials-technology-social-connection.html
- 6. It’s About Relationships To connect with family and friends. 2/3 say staying in touch is a major reason they use social media.1 Most online adults describe their experiences using social media in positive terms.2 1. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Why-Americans-Use-Social-Media 2. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Social-Networking-Sites
- 7. Positive Benefits The average user has more close ties and is ½ as likely to be socially isolated.1 65% of teens have had an experience that made them feel good about themselves. 58% have felt closer to another person.2 Young adults who spend more time on Facebook are better at showing “virtual empathy.”3 Youth who use blogs, websites and email to discuss politics and current events become more socially engaged over time.4 1. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Technology-and-social-networks 2. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Teens-and-social-media/Summary/Majority-of-teens 3. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/10/facebook.aspx 4. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/02/friends.aspx
- 8. Millennials 89% of online 18-29 year olds use social media.1 More than 74% feel that new technology makes their lives easier, and 54% feel it helps them be closer to their friends and family.2 When asked what makes their generation unique, Millennials ranked “Technology Use.”3 1. http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/social-networking-fact-sheet/# 2. http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/millennials-technology-social-connection.html 3. http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/millennials-technology-social-connection.html
- 9. RESEARCH & TRAINING CENTER ON PATHWAYS TO POSITIVE FUTURES Social Media: Some Caveats • Lower self-esteem correlated with more frequent visits to facebook (and longer durations of visits). • Individuals who scored higher on a scale of narcissism also engaged in more on-line activity. • Self-promotion enhanced by the ability to upload selective content (i.e.: inflated desirable attributes/diminished negative attributes) • Facebook also offers the ability to pursue many less meaningful relationships (rather than fewer, more intimate ones) (Mehdizadeh, 2010)
- 10. RESEARCH & TRAINING CENTER ON PATHWAYS TO POSITIVE FUTURES Social Media: Access to Mental Health Information & Support Content Reach ? Impact “If you tell people about your research, they look at it”. (Terras, 2012) BUT – reach is not necessarily a good measure of impact… (Allen, Stanton, Di Pietro, & Moseley, 2013)
- 11. RESEARCH & TRAINING CENTER ON PATHWAYS TO POSITIVE FUTURES Social Media: Access to Mental Health Information & Support Reach = a major benefit of using social media* Social media can overcome both geographic and social isolation (stigma). Platforms like Twitter can instantly share public health information directly with people who need it. Actionable tweets were found to be most successful. (Stephens-Reicher, Metcalf, Blanchard, Mangan, & Burns, 2011) (University of Sydney, 2013) * Provided your intended audience has access (consider technology, disability and literacy).
- 12. RESEARCH & TRAINING CENTER ON PATHWAYS TO POSITIVE FUTURES Content: Friend or Foe? Content • Creating a supportive online community for youth with mental health challenges. • Recovery-oriented messages • Exemplars: • ReachOut.com • Text, Talk, Act • Glamorize self-destructive behaviors • Trigger urges to participate in these behaviors • Offer strategies to engage in self-destructive behaviors “Research indicates that the Internet may represent a preferred medium for otherwise isolated youth and young adults to communicate with others—namely, others who self-injure…” (Lewis, Heath, Michal & Duggan, 2012)
- 13. RESEARCH & TRAINING CENTER ON PATHWAYS TO POSITIVE FUTURES ReachOut.com • Offers support via phone, text and on-line forums. • Content relevant to young people: • Real-life stories • Videos • User-created content • http://us.reachout.com/
- 14. RESEARCH & TRAINING CENTER ON PATHWAYS TO POSITIVE FUTURES Text, Talk, Act: A National Conversation • National, mobile/text driven, youth conversation about mental health (through Nov 2014) • On-line & in-person components: • Youth gather with friends • Access text-enabled questions • Groups discuss and provide feedback • Feedback is aggregated so group can compare responses with larger national sample http://creatingcommunitysolutions.org/texttalkact
- 15. RESEARCH & TRAINING CENTER ON PATHWAYS TO POSITIVE FUTURES SUMMARY: Social media is a doubled-edged sword Benefits • Strong appeal to young people • Anonymity helps overcome stigma • Overcoming isolation • Avoiding stigma • Anonymity • Effective and timely information sharing • Especially actionable messages • Create a supportive community • Recovery oriented messages Risks • Strong appeal to young people • Anonymity • Fostering more isolation • Easier exploration of potentially dangerous content • Effective and timely information sharing • Glamorize and provide strategies for self-destructive behaviors • Trigger urges to participate Conclusions • Social media is a powerful tool with great appeal to young people. • Maximize benefits by restricting access to unmoderated content. • Seek out and share positive on-line communities. • On-line interactions should support recovery and real-world relationships.
- 16. Organizational Considerations Define goals Identify your target audience Determine which platforms to use Examine organizational capacity Be strategic Develop a policy
- 17. Mobile Optimization Three out of four Millenials owned a smartphone as of Q1 2013.1 One in four teens are “cell-mostly” internet users.2 You must be mobile! 1. http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/millennials-technology-social-connection.html 2. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Teens-and-Tech/Main-Findings/Teens-and-Technology.aspx
- 18. Platforms 91% of Millennials are on Facebook.1 76% of the time Millennials spend on social media is on Facebook.2 Instagram – 37% of 18 to 29 year olds.3 Twitter – 31% of 18-29 year olds.4 1. http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/millennials-technology-social-connection.html 2. http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/millennials-technology-social-connection.html 3. http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/12/30/demographics-of-key-social-networking-platforms/ 4. http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/12/30/demographics-of-key-social-networking-platforms/
- 19. Creative Content User generated content is 35% more memorable than other media.1 User generated content is 50% more trusted than other media.2 1. http://mashable.com/2014/04/09/millennials-user-generated-media/ 2. http://mashable.com/2014/04/09/millennials-user-generated-media/
- 20. RESEARCH & TRAINING CENTER FOR PATHWAYS TO POSITIVE FUTURES In conclusion… • Social media is a powerful tool for engaging with youth and young adults. • Don't stretch yourself too thin - determine which platforms will give you the most bang for your buck based on your target audience(s) • To get the most impact be strategic and make posts that are actionable, creative, and promote user generated content. • Remember that user generated content engages young people both on and off line: • Examples: ReachOut.com and Meme Contest A recording of this webinar will be available online at http://www.pathwaysrtc.pdx.edu/webinars-previous.shtml
- 21. RESEARCH & TRAINING CENTER ON PATHWAYS TO POSITIVE FUTURES References Allen, H., Stanton, T., Di Pietro, F., & Moseley, G. (2013). “Social Media Release Increases Dissemination of Original Articles in the Clinical Pain Sciences” PLOS One (online journal) from: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0068914 Lewis, S., Heath, N., Michal, N., & Duggan, J. (2012). “Non-suicidal self-injury, youth, and the Internet: What mental health professionals need to know” Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2012, 6(13). Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1753-2000- 6-13.pdf Mehdizadeh, S. (2010). Self-Presentation 2.0: Narcissism and Self-Esteem on Facebook. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13(4), 357-364. DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2009.0257 Stephens-Reicher, J., Metcalf, A., Blanchard, M., Mangan, C., & Burns, J. (2011). “Reaching the hard-to-reach: how information communication technologies can reach young people at greater risk of mental health difficulties.” Australas Psychiatry, 19(S58). Retrieved from http://apy.sagepub.com/content/19/1_suppl/S58 Terras, M. (2012). “The Impact of Social Media on the Dissemination of Research: Results of an Experiment.” Journal of Digital Humanities, 1(3). Retrieved from http://journalofdigitalhumanities.org/1-3/the-impact-of-social-media-on-the-dissemination-of- research-by-melissa-terras/ University of Sydney. (2013). “Social media puts the public in public health information dissemination.” Retrieved from http://sydney.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=10860
Editor's Notes
- Social media is any online platform or channel for publishing and disseminating user-generated content. It’s this ability for anyone to create and disseminate content that makes social media so powerful and so social. Social media is a powerful tool from on organizational perspective because it allows us to have transparency and accountability in a way we’ve never had before, in particular with large organizations and government agencies that previously have been inaccessible. Every individual can now publicly state their opinion, whether positive or negative, and because of the public nature of the space, that opinion is often listened to and taken seriously. Social media allows us as individuals to take our environment and engage with it and shape it in a way that I find empowering and exciting. At the organizational level we can take this accountability and transparency and empower people to engage with us and make the services we provide that much more useful and impactful. The other aspect of social media that I love is the access to information that we now have at our fingertips. For youth in care, some of the information that matters the most is information about health, so that they can make better decisions and get help and support when they need it. It’s this access to connection and information that makes social media so popular – in addition to the fact that when we use social media our brain releases the “cuddle” hormone oxytocin!
- Regardless of your personal feelings about social media, it’s reaching a significant portion of the population and is here to stay, so it’s worth learning about. My goal is to share my passion about social media and provide you with some tools that will help you to feel empowered to use social media so that you can better serve the youth, families, and communities you work with. As you can see, Americans spend a lot of their time online and, in particular, on social networking sites. We spend roughly 20 percent of our time on personal using social media, and 30 percent of our time on our mobile devices doing the same. So it behooves your organization to meet your audience where they’re at. 78% percent of the population is online. Americans spend about 3.5 hours online every day http://www.newmediatrendwatch.com/markets-by-country/17-usa/123-demographics
- Now I want to talk a little bit about why people use social media. There are a lot of reasons people join social networking sites, including to connect with family and friends, to meet new people, and to connect with others that have shared interests and hobbies. What research from the Pew Internet and American Life Projects show us however, is that the predominant reason people use social media is to further their close offline relationships. Adult internet users that also use social media say that connections with family members and friends (both new and old) are a primary consideration in their adoption of social media tools. Roughly two thirds of social media users say that staying in touch with current friends and family members is a major reason they use these sites, while half say that connecting with old friends they’ve lost touch with is a major reason behind their use of these technologies. In addition, adults generally have positive experiences online. When social networking users were asked for one word to describe their experiences using social networking sites, “good” was the most common response (as seen in this word cloud). So people join to stay connected and continue to use social media because of the positive experiences they have. On the next slide we’ll go over some of those positive benefits.
- The average user of a social networking site has more close ties and is half as likely to be socially isolated as the average American. Facebook users are more trusting, have more social support, and they are much more politically engaged than most Americans. Young adults who spend more time on Facebook than their peers are also better at showing "virtual empathy" to their online friends and such online empathy predicts real-world empathy. In addition, in a study of 63 Cornell University undergraduates, researchers found that people reported higher self-esteem after spending time on their Facebook profile than after time spent looking into a mirror (Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 2011). "Unlike a mirror, which reminds us of who we really are and may have a negative effect on self-esteem if that image does not match with our ideal, Facebook can show a positive version of ourselves," says Cornell communications professor Jeffrey Hancock, PhD, one of the study's co-authors. "We're not saying that it's a deceptive version of self, but it's a positive one.” From my perspective these positive benefits are astounding. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, this list goes on and on and you can see more of these benefits in the resource. However, I’m not trying to underplay some of the negative things that can and do happen on social media sites – the APA articles that these data came from provides a well-rounded analysis of both the benefits and the risks.
- Nielsen Millennial: 18-36 Pew Millennial: 18-29
- Consider the maladaptive use of social media – social media is a tool.
- It’s how you use the tool – on a personal or organizational level.
- The Internet is a powerful health promotion tool, unrestricted by geographical, temporal or physical constraints. Additionally, it provides advantages of anonymity, 24 hour access and immediate transactional feedback.”
- Mention the need to watch for unmoderated content – along with finding appropriate ways to direct young people’s online activities. If you see a lot of powerful negative consequences, imagine the powerful positive consequences if you use the tool differently.
- We need to work on our offline selves as well as our online selves.
- Define goals: Have specific goals for your social media presence – driving traffic to your website, engaging with a certain target audience Target audience: Define your target audience. Are you reaching youth and young adults exclusively or a mix? Platforms to use: The platforms you should spend time and energy on determine on your target audience. Organizational capacity: It’s impossible to be everywhere at once unless you have a lot of staff time to dedicate to social media management. Based on your goals and your target audience decide on one or two platforms and focus on those. It takes about 1 hour per platform per week – I usually recommend that my clients have a part time FTE dedicated to digital marketing. Be strategic: Develop a social media strategy. Use tools like Buffer App and the Facebook scheduling feature to optimize the time you spend online. Conduct research to see what times of day/days of the week to post. The goal is to
- In reaching youth make sure that whatever you do is mobile-optimized. One of my favorite tools for mobile optimizing an already existing website is called Duda Mobile.
- Facebook is still the primary platform for millennials, but their attention is more fragmented across multiple social sites than older age groups. 91% are on Facebook, and 76% of their time spent on social media sites is on Facebook. If you’re trying to reach youth and young adults, but you have other target audiences as well, Facebook is your best bet. However, know that you have to work really hard to reach your audience on Facebook and at this point, Facebook ads are your best option so be sure to budget for them and use a professional to set them up. This is one of the few things I don’t let my clients do on their own. According to a report from Shareaholic, Facebook referred 23.39% of all website visits during Q2. (http://www.jonloomer.com/2014/10/08/website-traffic-facebook-ads/)
- Find ways to publish and create content that comes directly from your target audience. Think of create ways to engage your audience including contests.