Humans are most impressionable during childhood, the time where we are introduced to societal norms and begin to form our own identity. However, according to the social learning theory, these are things that are heavily influenced by our environment and the people around us. As we mature, these specific forces change over time. According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), childhood development can be divided into three different stages: early childhood, middle childhood and late childhood (adolescence). In these earlier phases, the biggest influences come from people within the child’s sphere of daily interaction, like parents, teachers, siblings or other close participants. Growing and developing, we expand from that sphere into a world that is now mostly online in order to connect with more people. Social media has redefined future generations by providing them access to many popular figures through technology and with this constant accessibility comes the impact of the online influencers. We at The Tower believe that it’s normal to follow trends and use celebrity sources to create conversations, but that it’s important to form your own opinions instead of blindly following others because of their name or status.
Celebrity access is most enabled through social media and kids are rapidly growing their online presence. According to a report by the NLM, 56% of US youth have their own social media accounts with the average sign up age being 12.6 years old, even though most apps say they have a 13+ requirement. This age occurs in between the stages of middle childhood and late childhood, where kids begin to go through puberty and have an increased desire for independence and have a stronger sense of self. Interestingly enough, this desire for independence is mostly achieved through the concept of uniformity or fitting in with what your impressionable factors have deemed as good or right.
Trends especially become more relevant at this age and with the confounding factor of social media, where trends are presented on a whole other scale with celebrities promoting things to kids constantly. Now, just because a product or phrase is trendy doesn’t mean that it’s inherently bad, but it’s important to define your own sense of self whether that’s through your own style, set of morals or hobbies. We at The Tower believe that celebrities can introduce many positive hacks and suggestions, but the key factor is that you interpret them in your own unique way.
According to the National Institute of Health, the impressionability of teens is not a new concept nor a fixable problem. Teens have more synaptic connections in their brain, which are the places where neurons connect and communicate with each other, that are constantly being modified as they grow and learn new things. They are made to absorb and memorize concepts quickly and because trends are constantly changing, teens’ brains are under constant evolution and gaining more outside impressions. Impressions from influencers aren’t necessarily a con, but influencers flaunt unique lifestyles that are largely unattainable and instead of that being recognized, it can leave individuals feeling insecure or like they’re not matching up to a higher standard. We at The Tower acknowledge the allure of influencers but encourage individuals to avoid comparing yourself to people who you may not know much about, since what people post on social media are only the most marketable, small pieces of their life.
The vulnerability that teens experience during this time of their lives may not always be seen or felt but sometimes influencers can help rectify these issues. We at The Tower support people who use influencers as sources of comfort or ways to pass time when life feels stressful, but believe that the best way to solve problems you may face is with the people you know and interact with in your daily life.
