Social Media, Part 2

So, I posted yesterday about the influence of social media on my younger daughter. Today I want to comment on it's effects on my soon-to-be teenager. While my concerns for my youger daughter apply to my older one, as well, she has other issues aside from the sexual content. My older daughter does have an instagram account which I am able to access. Instagram, for those not familiar, is an online way of sharing pictures and sayings. It's a nice way to stay connected with friends and acquaintances. However, it also is a way for kids to know who is where and with whom, and realize that they were left out of an activity or not invited to a party. My daughter has been devastated on many occasions when she looks at instagram and sees her supposed friends all at a birthday party that she was not invited to. She has seen groups of them at the mall or other places and questions why no one calls her. Kids post anything and everything from pictures of themselves in front of a mirror, to sleepover pictures. And, they think nothing of the effect these pictures have on those not invited. In fact, I think some of these kids post these pictures with the intent of hurting those not there. Sometimes technology is a blessing and other times I feel it was better when we were growing up and were blissfully oblivious to the fact that we were social misfits. Now days, kids are made painfully aware of their social status through online media. A little side note- my daughter is in middle school. I am amazed at some of the postings and pictures that some of her friends, both girls and boys, post. There are many with obscene language or content. The girls post provocative pictures of themselves with skimpy clothes and in sexual poses. These are middle school kids!! I wonder where there parents are and why they are not monitoring what their children are posting. I can only hope that the parents are not knowingly allowing these posts!