The Truth About Social Media Effects On Girls

The Real Truth About Social Media Effects On Girls

Dangerous Algorithms, Selfie Syndrome & Waning Empathy

As the owner of a company inspired by and created for strong girls, I’m concerned about social media effects on girls. We know that image-based platforms like Instagram only exacerbate the issues today’s girls face, but these companies continue to prioritize their predatory algorithms over health & safety.

Girls today are spending more time than ever on these platforms, hoping to escape the mental health stressors & social isolation of an ongoing pandemic. But it’s a dangerous way to self-soothe…

Instagram doesn’t care what is good for us. In fact, they know that strong negative emotions keep our attention longer, so their algorithms are expressly designed to push us toward toxic content to boost engagement and extend our time on the platform. Then they monetize our behavior by selling it to advertisers.

Social media effects on girls is measurable – we’re now witnessing dramatic increases in depression, anxiety & self-injury among girls. And last month the U.S. Surgeon General even issued a public health advisory on the mental health challenges confronting youth.

Selfie Syndrome

In her most recent book, “UnSelfie: Why Empathic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World,” parenting expert and educational psychologist Dr. Michele Borba highlights another social media pitfall she calls “selfie syndrome.” Her concern is that it is slowly eroding our character & making us less empathic.

“Selfie syndrome” is all about self-promotion, personal branding, and self-interest at the exclusion of others’ feelings, needs & concerns. It’s our ego emphasizing “me” over “we,” separateness over togetherness & tricking us into believing that love & worth are measured in likes & follows.

I got to hear Dr. Borba speak about the power of empathy as an antidote to “selfie syndrome” at the American Camp Association’s national conference in San Diego in February 2020. Dr. Borba argued that face-to-face human connection is the foundation for empathy, so we need to make more time in our plugged in lives for in-person interactions (like those that happen organically at camp!).

One month later the world went into lockdown…

Our Detour into Fear

As young girls we have a natural sense of ease about us. We feel free to be who we are without apologies. We radiate love. But adolescence heightens our self-consciousness… we worry about our changing body & where we fit in our social network. As we grow, our culture can alter our perception of ourselves, exacerbate insecurities & dim our inner light.

This is certainly how it happened for me. Way back in the 1900’s when I was a competitive gymnast, I’d already flirted with an eating disorder by middle school. And I struggled with depression on & off through high school & college. During those years, I believed I’d lost the joy I once knew as a little girl and that something was inherently wrong with me.

I didn’t understand how the unconscious messages around me were affecting my self-perception. Social media effects on girls aside, just tune into the latest “reality” show, take a stroll down the aisles at a girls’ clothing store, or look up at any billboard and you’ll see that the messages us girls get about our bodies, sexuality, and about one another are often harmful and degrading.

Today girls are up against all the same messaging we’ve always faced AND an artificial intelligence that’s programmed to profit from our negative thoughts.

Instagram puts the size of our friend group on public display, and subjects our physical appearance to the hard metrics of likes and comment counts – it takes the worst parts of middle school and teen magazines and intensifies them.

Fuelled by the pressure to look perfect, its addictive nature, and the tendency to share only the most positive and polished parts of our life, is it any surprise that the more we use this platform, the more disconnected we feel from our true “selves” & each other?

A Movement Towards Love (& Empathy)

With all that we know today about the harmful social media effects on girls, I’m optimistic we’ll finally get meaningful federal regulation in place to protect children.

In the meantime, let’s resolve to move to love. “Move to love” means to move towards a state of mind more connected to our Spirit or highest self (peace, joy, happiness… all that positive stuff). We can choose to “move to love” at any moment – it happens when we have the courage to listen to our inner guide over the voice of fear (ego).

I started American Dance Training Camps right out of college because my experience attending an overnight gymnastics camp for 8 summers growing up gave me the ability to move to love in a way I didn’t know I was capable of during school years focused on grades, cliques, competition and prom. Even during my worst detours into fear, camp brought me back to myself – to love.

ADTC turns twenty this year & although we now live in a world where online connection is primary, I’m more convinced than ever that camp is a vital need for girls. We’re happier & healthier when we’re with other people. And we’re starved for the social, emotional & physical benefits of community. Remember, in-person connection is the foundation for empathy, which according to Dr. Borba is the antidote to “selfie syndrome.”

But being together isn’t enough. In order to truly check in with ourselves & each other, we also need to unplug & detox from our devices sometimes.

ADTC offers a tight-knit, all-girl community and a place where we aren’t bombarded by confusing, fear-based messages. This space allows us to be present in real life with each other & to shed some of the unnecessary psychological “weight” we’ve accumulated living in our harsh world. Most of all, it allows us to reconnect with the authentic “selves” we struggle to hold on to during the school year.

While we’re not at camp, I hope we can open an honest dialogue with our daughters & friends at home about how different types of content makes us feel about ourselves. Girls need to hear more authentic offline stories from other strong girls.

Let’s support one another as we design our own blueprint for success & happiness so we can inspire other girls & share our true gifts with the world. And let’s encourage each other to put down our phones once in a while!

P.S. Early Bird Dance Camp Rates Through April 15th!

After safely operating in eight U.S. states in 2021, we can’t wait to be back together doing what we love in 2022 ~ our 20th anniversary summer! We hope to you’ll join us for dance, adventure, new friends & fun!!

Studies show that a key to happiness is having something to look forward to…now you can brighten your daughter’s school year as she gets excited for camp. This is your best summer rate. ADTC Early Bird registration ends April 15th!