Teens Know That Social Media Companies Want to Manipulate Them

[cageymaru]

Teens are addicted to social media, but a new study finds that they are cognizant that the companies are manipulating them. Social media companies like Snapchat have activities that require that you send at least one message to a group of friends or family members at least once a day to maintain a "streak." They also are aware that social media warnings on their phones interrupt their ability to study or sleep but they like the interaction. Only 32% of teens say that they like to communicate with their friends face to face as most prefer texting to talking.

"Nearly three out of four teens (72 percent) believe that tech companies manipulate users to spend more time on their devices," the report reads. "We find it very encouraging that teens are very aware that social media companies like Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook are manipulating them. That means that they're increasingly aware that those companies don't necessarily have their best interests at heart," Steyer said.

 

[viper1152012]

Kids are geniuses and know they are being manipulated, but they are also addicted to social media and constantly involved in multiple social rings and don't care....... So they are actually just playing into their captors hands?

So pointless

 

[Master_shake_]

maybe tech companies know that they know and manipulate them anyway?

 

[Burticus]

Really? Most of the teens I know and have met are, um, yeah. Not destined for greatness, if you know what I mean.

 

[Eickst]

Really? Most of the teens I know and have met are, um, yeah. Not destined for greatness, if you know what I mean.

You could probably say the same for most generations teenagers, taken from the perspective of the older generations at the time.

 

[nilepez]

Really? Most of the teens I know and have met are, um, yeah. Not destined for greatness, if you know what I mean.

That's what they said about kids who played video games and before than AD&D and of course people who did drugs, like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Wozniak or listened to devil music Rock 'n Roll or countless other things that were allegedly going to destroy the country.

 

[HockeyJon]

 

[mullet]

I hope and pray that kids learn and wake up and decide to drop their stupid phones and go outside and fish, hunt, skate, ride bikes, archery, learn about rebuilding engines, dirt bikes, sports, girls in bikinis, getting a tan is a good thing, hiking. And biggest of all learn that PC gaming is far superior to lame consoles!!!!111!juan!!

 

[iNViSiGOD]

"Only 32% of teens say that they like to communicate with their friends face to face as most prefer texting to talking."

How awful.

 

[Private_Ops]

I prefer texting when there's no need to have a full on conversation. But social media can go die in a fire.

I'm not a teen either.

 

[lostin3d]

Wonder how long till someone prepares a study showing the correlation between the advances of AI and the decline of human intelligence. Seems, at least in part, that would be reflected with studies like this.

 

[Burticus]

That's what they said about kids who played video games and before than AD&D and of course people who did drugs, like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Wozniak or listened to devil music Rock 'n Roll or countless other things that were allegedly going to destroy the country.

Hey that sounds like a fun Friday night back in high school!

 

[Armenius]

Teens are addicted to social media, but a new study finds that they are cognizant that the companies are manipulating them. Social media companies like Snapchat have activities that require that you send at least one message to a group of friends or family members at least once a day to maintain a "streak." They also are aware that social media warnings on their phones interrupt their ability to study or sleep but they like the interaction. Only 32% of teens say that they like to communicate with their friends face to face as most prefer texting to talking.

"Nearly three out of four teens (72 percent) believe that tech companies manipulate users to spend more time on their devices," the report reads. "We find it very encouraging that teens are very aware that social media companies like Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook are manipulating them. That means that they're increasingly aware that those companies don't necessarily have their best interests at heart," Steyer said.

Microsoft did the same game theory with their Rewards program change earlier this year. Or tried. Just through the regular course of playing on my Xbox I earn 10k - 20k points a month, or the equivalent of a $25 gift card. If you look on the website they have all these gimmicky minigames to point you to their advertisers that earn you just 20-50 points at a time.

 

[ThatITGuy]

To be fair-
What percentage of people know that smoking is bad for them, and yet still do it?
What percentage of people know that processed foods and excess sugar is bad for them (and actually can create cravings to eat more of it), but do it anyways?
Same for drinking and driving, and many other "vices".

Honestly the most disturbing part of this trend is more that kids today lack good interpersonal/social skills, which can set them back in the workplace (as well as outside it).

 

[Devilpup]

"Only 32% of teens say that they like to communicate with their friends face to face as most prefer texting to talking."

How awful.

Fun fact: Some people are pretty cool but are ugly or smell bad, they should be glad they have "friends"

 

[Kdawg]

the mute generation

i predict in 50 years, presidential speeches will be defunct. Everything will be tweeted.

 

[Kdawg]

Honestly the most disturbing part of this trend is more that kids today lack good interpersonal/social skills, which can set them back in the workplace (as well as outside it).

I've heard that this generation has so little human interaction that when they accidentally physically bump someone else, they don't say sorry.

 

[Oldmodder]

I would not care for people manipulating me, thats why i stopped voting and vigorously look for someone new to vote for, cuz i am big on voting, but just not for the lesser of 2 evils, or the lesser of 9 evils in the case on Denmark.
Doing anything else are stupid,,,,, and yes i too am stupid on other points like google use - microsoft use ASO

 

[dgz]

Kids are geniuses and know they are being manipulated, but they are also addicted to social media and constantly involved in multiple social rings and don't care....... So they are actually just playing into their captors hands?

So pointless

That's true but it's hardly just kids. We are all quite primitive but go through great lengths to justify our feelings. So in the end we are smart and doing the right thing, you know? Of course you do. You are a grown man. An adult. Possibly someone's grandpa

 

[Nytegard]

To be fair-
What percentage of people know that smoking is bad for them, and yet still do it?
What percentage of people know that processed foods and excess sugar is bad for them (and actually can create cravings to eat more of it), but do it anyways?
Same for drinking and driving, and many other "vices".

Honestly the most disturbing part of this trend is more that kids today lack good interpersonal/social skills, which can set them back in the workplace (as well as outside it).

It could also be similar to the McGurk Effect. It's an optical illusion, that even if you know how it works, in the end you're still powerless to overcome it. We could just be hardcoded to fall for social manipulations, and nothing we can do will ever be able to change it.