How Beauty and Mob Mentality for Teen Girls on Social Media Are Found on YouTube Videos

How Beauty and Mob Mentality for Teen Girls on 

Social Media Are Found on YouTube Videos

I don’t know where we’re going, but from the look of this crowd, it’s got to be good.

My concern for teen girls and advocacy against social media angst and exploitation has focused on psychologists’ reports in general terms; the more recent, the better. However, when you start digging deeper into this landscape, you discover an atmosphere of reality shows filled with competitiveness, big personalities, and passionate followers where the narrative and attention is based on the melodramatic or highly emotional to get more clicks, views, brand deals and profits. 

The use of the term "mob mentality" raised immediate red flags. Why are young people participating to what end even as a serious mindset into a democratic world view versus autocratic control?

The beauty community thrives on YouTube as a sisterhood where socially connected brands matter as much as beauty products where teen girls can spend about $400 per year, with skin care being the most popular...imagine the hype to care for young, fresh skin.

YouTube videos provide a sweet spot to learn about makeup applications in real time. Teen girls become fiercely loyal to their favorite top influencers and their preferred brands as they talk to them face to face on the camera, up close and personal, telling them how to be beautiful with cosmetics.

Such direct communication is now called having “parasocial relationships.”

"This tendency to become emotionally attached to influencers occurs from frequent viewing and the brain's natural instincts to interpret virtual as social, such as making eye contact, smiling, and personal disclosure — as it would in person. This is not a pathology, but a normal response."  Pamela Rutledge, media psychologist.

YouTubers need to be aggressively competitive to be profitable and creditable. One wrong word or slur from any other person can result in a “cancel culture” for the group where the media guru can lose hundreds of thousands of subscribers in one week. More social media history becomes exposed and a Dramageddon can result.  

However, any opposition is met with fierce allegiance by the group members; thereby, the possibility of mob mentality runs a muck.  It can be compared to herd behavior if there is a public attack - "it's like when drone bees attack to protect the queen.”

Why is this such a dangerous reaction? These behaviors where people can be influenced by peers are based largely on emotion without any rational logic. In one sense, it can be called gang mentality on a lesser scale.  When problems arise, what matters most is social inclusion, right or wrong, with lack of trust in oneself or indifference … a sad state of affairs on the world view.

One of the most important courses I taught to middle school students was how to manage a conflict situation fairly. Most were shocked to think that both sides could own right reasons. Their lesson was to list different viewpoints each with negative and positive consequences. At the end of discussions, decisions were made with compromise to be as positive and helpful to both sides.   

“Whether the question is what to do with an empty popcorn box in a movie theater, how fast to drive on a certain stretch of highway, or how to eat the chicken at a dinner party, the actions of those around us will be important in defining the answer.” Robert Cialdini:  The Psychology of Persuasion.

Some of the top beauty and fashion influencers can make hundreds of millions of dollars a year. So, I decided to check out what kind of person can become a top respectful representative on social media. 

More red flags started to wave frantically to read about the kind of influence that YouTuber Shane Dawson provides to his 23 million subscribers  and 6.5 billion views. (Wikipedia). Born in 1988, Shane Dawson has become one of the most famous YouTuber internet personalities. He first started in 2008 by making sketch comedy videos that made fun of popular culture. By 2015, he began his most viewed video conspiracy shows  discussing a variety of conspiracy theories and criticized for misinformation like the flat Earth, moon landing hoax, and 9/11 hoax. In 2018 he released two New York Times best-selling books, I Hate Myselfie and It Gets Worse.  

Personally, my distress is palpable to imagine how this kind of questionable social media power can affect the important social psychology of groups, especially teenagers. Humans, at best, as social animals need to apply common principles with their actions and feelings; such as, matters of self-concept, interpersonal skills, attitudes, stereotypes, without aggression, prejudice and discrimination.

We already know that one of the factors in this transition from teenager to adult involves intense peer pressure to conform to group standards and beliefs; or be ostracized and bullied.  All of a sudden, vitamins called Sugar Bear Hair are worth fighting for on a massive scale as dictated by a fashionable guru because he says so and everybody else can be cancelled.

Am I worrying too much this group think has now become normal behavior in our larger culture? Not to question, not to analyze or educate, not to trust democratic debate, not to challenge hype or fake news, but to believe in mob mentality, in minor tweets versus dialogue, without criteria and discipline.

Questions, comments and debate are very welcome. I don't think teenagers can relate to such disadvantages, but I hope parents and adults can.  
Note: I welcome the opportunity for podcast interviews. See previous blogs.

Sincerely,
Annemarie
amarie10@gmail.com
833 471 4661 (please note best time to talk)  
https://helpfulmindstreamforchanges.com

Check out earlier blog: Essential Metaphor of Culture as a Tree for Teenagers 

Read article: Why the beauty community on YouTubeis one of the most turbulent and drama-filled places on the internet

New World of YouTube Fan Fiction - Questions and Choices for Teenagers and Parents

New World of YouTube Fan Fiction - Questions and Choices 

for Teenagers and Parents

"The culture of fandoms is relatively new. Not being a fan of someone per se, but today it's easier to feel connected to a celebrity or creator. Back then they were just celebrities so they may not understand how we feel as though we know them." Helena…teen creative writer on Wattpad…connected at 12 years

 

Have you heard of Wattpad on YouTube, a special community where 13 year old teens can set up an account, write and read stories by some of their favorite stars? Does it matter if internet safety experts have concerns about X-rated, dark, violent, sexual or offensive content with recommendations “you’ll also like this.” 

Psychologists explain teens can be fixated with popular celebrities and favorite online stars; made to feel special by belonging and consuming anything and everything. This new special YouTuber hero (heroine) talks directly to the camera, up close and personal, with effective eye-contact to give the feeling of authentic friendship.

Have you heard of this new term called  a parasocial relationship between fans and YouTubers, where they feel a particularly strong sense of allegiance through their vlogs?

"In a parasocial relationship, the audience comes to feel that the personality is a friend and they experience the person as if they were in a reciprocal relationship, rather than a one-sided one … this experience is amplified in social media where influencers respond to comments and fans, increasing the illusion of friendship."  Pamela Rutledge (media psychologist)

So what happens if Fan Fiction can have adult themes or turn dark or inappropriate with nude references to  the “biggest horny boy ever met,”  or violence, homophobia and even suicide?  

Is the adolescent brain assaulted again by content it is not emotionally mature enough to understand?  Or worse yet, grow neuronal pathways that this is normal behavior or culturally appropriate.

Smut warnings exist; screenshots are shared to Instagram for more viewers. There are no age restrictions on the majority of fan fiction sites. Even Wattpad notes that “problems can also arise if the fantastic online world starts to get in the way of their real offline life.”

One teen writer thinks fan fiction is something older people just don't understand like teenagers do or value “fandom.” She admits there is certainly mature adult themes that can get pretty dark sometimes; but she reads the descriptions first and knows what she is getting into. She is glad to be part of it.  Good for her … easier said than done.

My teacher's heart breaks. I loved to teach creative writing to my students. There were formal rules to write many different kinds of paragraphs from descriptive to expository with many outlines to structure from least to most important with a comprehensive conclusion. Novel studies further outlined the importance of settings and plot for a suspenseful mood to paint the main character and add conflict to the antagonist. 

But, today, by reading this one article, I had to add some new dictionary vocabulary to this social media revolution:

Wattpad, internet safety expert, media psychologist, parasocial relationship, online Fan Fiction, fandom, YouTubers, adultification. (I knew what a vlog is.)

Once again, what I call the Social Media Medusa Manipulator extends her domain into creative writing for teens with or without positive intentions … right or wrong answers ... leaving the choice to a teenager to make a logical choice during an emotional transition of time.

Once again, do parents have to worry … or not? Where do children go if something upsets them beyond their years? Definitely, the responsibility lies  with the parents to control these safety settings, sometimes harder to do with moving targets and fly-by-night influencers.

"There's nothing more important than having an open dialogue with your child about what and who they are engaging with online. Having regular, honest, and open conversations with your child is the best way to stay in tune."

Carolyn Bunting, the CEO of Internet Matters, an organization dedicated to keeping children safe online.

This is the reality of our Internet Revolution where the average child owns their first smartphone at 10.3 years and can open  accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Kik and Snapchat.

Are parents somewhat complicit in allowing their kids exposure to content that generation ago would be off limits?  

Is the stage set for early adultification making the right time for marketers to take advantage of adolescent social rites of passage? 

So many questions. What do you think? What are the problems? What are the solutions? I believe more than tactics are required to stop this social media  infiltration with a different mindset for teenagers.

Sincerely,

Annemarie

amarie10@gmail.com

833 471 4661 (please leave a message for the best time to talk)

https://helpfulmindstreamforchanges.com

PS: I welcome podcast interviews. See previous blogs.

Excerpt: Teen Girl Faces Time in the Sand - a timely tale of social media struggles, regrets and survival with superpower tool.

"Imagine, you are just 14 years old, yet your brain is wired for positive feedback which gets a dopamine spike with every click, every buzz, to keep the story fresh and wanting more.  How could it be any other way? Your habit of posing and posting becomes like an itch, somebody else's itch, but you got to keep scratching it, painful as it may be at times, because sometimes you get the word LIKE.

And here's the true tragedy. Many young people who inhabit their smart phones will refuse to face any other truth beyond their existence on their smart phones because it becomes the core of their experience. Think about that. Mass media will never apologize for what it is doing because it makes money. Cosmetics and fashion are expensive. Sex sells whether you are 14 or 40. Did you know plastic surgeries have increased by nearly 100% in the last few years?"

Read the full article: YouTuber Fan Fiction Teens Exposure to Violent Sexual Content 

Up a Pole or Draw a Line in the Sand - Can Teenage Girls Make a Choice in a Changing Culture, or Not.

Up a Pole or Draw a Line in the Sand ... Can Teenage Girls Make a Choice in a Changing Culture ... or Not  

Madonna says when she was criticized by a famous feminist as someone who objectifies women. She responded by saying:

‘If you are a feminist, you don’t have sexuality, you deny it. I am a different kind of feminist; I am a bad feminist.’ Madonna.

My heart and mind are troubled. I recently had a comment from a parent about my ebook (Teen Girl Faces Time in the Sand.) She thought the story was too much of a negative image about how social media affects teen girls’ behavior. She said, “Social media is like going to the mall to hang out…they will shake it off as they grow older.”

I wish I could so believe that the adolescent brain will survive neuronal passages based on messages of materialism, hyper sexuality, ego worship, and adult role-play as they develop more logical, deductive thinking skills.

The learning process cannot be relegated to the mall or cellphones as singular acts soon enough forgotten. Our brain creates a mental map of its environment with triggers for learning from sensory inputs to cognitive associations. It builds networks of perceptions, facts and combinations, encodes memories and habits, where breaking fixed assumptions and routines is hard to reset.

Neuroscientists and psychologists are able to explain how your brain is physically wired from your actions and emotions. These are neuronal connections based on what you do repeatedly in your life; both good and bad, which  are strengthened with repetition. Think of how many hours teen girls spend on social media or their choice of Selfies to get the most responses.

Therefore, if you want to change how you think or act, you need clear steps to break out of the habit, to experience and stimulate different neuronal pathways. So, what are the different steps that teen girls would be willing to take to adapt to other activities especially in this modern celebrity infused environment?

We all understand the brain has an amazing adaptive quality known as neuroplasticity. Teenagers will undoubtedly change as they mature, intact with long term memories and new explorations. My biggest fear and question is how the current environment will help or hinder them.

On one hand, at least 100 million people witnessed the Superbowl Pepsi Half-time Show with very talented singers and dancers, some main lusty performers who were 40 years old and older.  There was one male singer who appeared dressed from neck to toes in a silver trench coat, baggy pants with even a helmet to cover his head. The women had free flowing hair and dressed in skimpy outfits flouncing a tableau of every kind of sexually suggestive movement imaginable.  One actually climbed a pole and performed a style of stripper pole dance with the briefest thong visible in a costume.

So, here is the question: Is this sexualized image of gyrating and twerking women a matter for only one night’s entertainment? Or is this an acceptable common social landscape and modeling for our young teen girls?  Or the young teen boys who view such female extravaganza as desirable, worthy to emulate? Does any kind of push-back exist, or does it even matter? Have we crossed the line to no return to civility?

Has our cultural narrative changed so gradually that simple sexual objectification of women is normalized with accolades for this kind of performance?  What does that communicate about thoughts, feelings, relationships  or how love is manifested? Overt sexual displays by beautiful women have nothing to do with getting to know another person over time with all their feelings and thoughts.

How deep is our culture embedded in disrespect when society can’t seem to stand up for itself? What kind of reality matters when facts can be twisted to suit the influencers, when lies matter? The silent majority have experience, insight and wisdom but may be intimidated or anxious not to be overwhelmed by mass media.

 When did our normal social rites of passage begin to disintegrate from tolerance, decency, trust, and equality to degrees of violence, intimidation or hierarchies…to belong or not to belong with or without discrimination? Is there a visible enemy or a monster to fight against with what tools?

The latest teen girl pop sensation is described as having a “gothic-horror aesthetic” dressed in a canvas sack whose music represents the Gen-Z generation without gender but defined image her music crying for privacy with  anxiety and apathy. Recently, a Gen-Zer, raised on social media, states on a TV interview she sees nothing wrong with spending money on plastic surgery "if it makes you  look and feel good."

And new research continues to stream in with studies that now are using MIR technology to measure responses  and long-term studies are evaluating what happens after a number of years of exposure in this grand social experment.

New Research on How Social Media Affects Adolescent Brains is a Sad Confirmation and SeriousCall-out

Stunning NewFacts about Mental Health Conditions among Teenagers from WHO - World HealthOrganization Oct.23. 2019

To the mother who feels her teen daughter will just “shake it off,” I’m not sure it will be that easy in a changing culture where celebrations of female sexuality can be viewed as relative to bar scenes or porn videos where lonely men and prepubescent males go to watch strippers to satisfy their fantasies and continue the thread of misogyny. Girls can learn to work a pole. 

 I believe it is time to draw a line in the sand. On one side are our basic norms to stay healthy and moral, democratic with trust and consensus,  smart with introspection versus distraction, where teen girls have time to create their independent roles into womanhood and motherhood without imposition.  On the other side, there will continue to be the influencers with bully pulpits, the wolves in sheep clothing, the celebrities hanging from stripper poles.   

 Questions and comments are always important. What is your opinion? Has our cultural norms crossed the moral line in the sand? Is Social Media benign or malignant? What tools can young people use to counter this invader and raise their voices for freedom?

Sincerely,
Annemarie
amarie10@gmail.com 
833 471 4661 (please leave a message and best time to chat)
https://helpfulmindstreamforchanges.com


EXCERPT: Teen Girl Faces Time in the Sand ... a Timely Tale of Social Media Struggles, Regrets and Survival with Superpower Tool: (plus Kindle)

You know how all the great myths about superheroes are about their journeys to overcome problems and teach us morals between right and wrong. Today the real tragedy with young people is how to overcome the huge problems created by a Giant Media Monster; like a Medusa manipulator using her vast army of words and images to twist, to seduce and undermine the ability of people to think critically and freely. It's like a vast army of fake selfies attacking what's good and normal.

The great personal tragedy is made worse because most young people do not use their real characters to take offensive action but rather create their own fake Selfies to closely reflect what the Media Monster promotes. These are soldiers on the same side with the same goals which means the Monster wins every time. Like I said before, the Monster has no regret for what it is doing; it will never apologize if you keep liking her artificial ugliness again and again.

Two Big Picture Questions and Teacher’s Answers that Matter for Parents and Teen Girls on Social Media

Two Big Picture Questions and Teacher’s Answers for Parents that Matter for Teen Girls on Social Media

"No teen girl should be like an insect nymph getting sustenance from the environment dominated by a Giant Clown Face. What kind of organism would destroy its youth society through mind control before reaching the adult stage? What kind of adulthood would result?"

Excerpt from Teen Girl Faces Time in the Sand

On a recent podcast show for parents I was asked a pointed question upfront:

What is the one thing about you that would make parents want to listen to you?  

The answer was simple, drawn from a long background of pride and achievement.  I am a  teacher, now retired, with 24 years of teaching experience. I am a disciplined teacher with total faith in the teaching principles such as asking questions, analyzing content, making a decision with multiple viewpoints. 

Good teaching results in good learning such as comprehension, association, critical and creative thinking. My main job as an educator was to show the Big Picture of any unit study … how all the parts fit together to make any system function as a whole.

However, we are now faced with a new unprecedented unit of study…it’s new, only 20 years old, it’s a technological revolution affecting humanity. Social media has absorbed our communication systems for better or for worse. 

As adults, with wisdom, we can try to cope and handle the changes. But what about teenagers, especially teen girls, how do they find their way without rules, discipline or foresight? How do their adolescent brains know what is right or wrong, dangerous or doable without consequences? What viewpoint do they have to see the Big Picture of how social media has impacted their normal social rites of passage and potential?

And so, I wrote this short e-book with a Big Picture. A teen girl narrates her story of making some bad choices about Selfies and drugs pointing to a symbol of the Social Media Circus impacting an adolescent brain in a dream. She keeps asking, “Is it my fault?”  Her grannie helps to explain the transition of time as experiences with symbols in the sand and the power of choice made in reference to a timeline with 3 essential questions. 

My deep fear is that young teen girls can find too much sustenance on Social Media which can metamorphose into adult lifestyles that defy cultural norms.

The second important question was: what is the most important message you can give to parents? Such an important answer deserved two parts:

First, there is an image in the story that shocked me even to think about it where symbols can mean so much more than words. One of the main characters is a symbol of the Social Media Clown Face … a huge, amorphous, hatch-tagged, cell-phone slinging organism that appears again and again. Another real symbol is the damselfly that represents the fragility of life and self-survival skills of even the smallest being.

In the last chapter, the two symbols meet. The teen girl relates to the damselfly nymphs that survive in their underwater environment with their special appendages for many years only to emerge as adults, to mate, lay eggs and die within weeks. The shocking image shows a nymph with a teenager’s profile finding nourishment and sustenance from this huge Social Media Clown face. The words ring loud and clear:

   Yes, perhaps, like a nymph, I, too, have struggled with my adolescent brain. However, my food supply was scavenged from a giant clown face imposing sexualized Selfies, trying to molt me into grand media impositions, a classification where I never belonged. It never gave me the strength or confidence as a child to metamorphose into a strong capable adult.

As a society, we need to take a closer look at this Big Picture and what matters to our youth as they transition into adulthood to build a sustainable culture.   

Second, parents always ask for advice about better ways to communicate with teenagers in competition with social media. There is much advice to be found on the internet. My best message, however, is to spend as much time as possible with your teenager doing anything that doesn’t involve a cell phone in your hand … making dinner, playing a game, helping a community project, building a  sandcastle.  Since learning is based so much on experience and repetition to form new pathways in the brain, it  is so important to replace ONLINE time with OFFLINE time together. It might even be fun enough to do again and again.  

The heavy-duty social media wavelength is here to stay in sickness and in health. What we all need is the key to better choices to value our personal timeline as our most valuable commodity. This is the theme of the story called Teen Girl Faces Time in the Sand.

Ask yourself the same question: what is the one thing that would make people want to listen to you?

Questions and comments are always important. For more podcast questions check this blog. What other questions would you ask this teacher? Challenge her experience because she is the first to admit she has never posted a Selfie! 

 Sincerely,

Annemarie

amarie10@gmail.com

833 471 4661

https://helpfulmindstreamforchanges.com 

Excerpt: "I idly trace a square shape in the slightly damp sand.  Yes, I can call this yesterday … can't relive it but learn from it.  Fill it up so many bad choices, so many regrets without the context of present and future. I was so young to be powered by a rash and brash developing brain. I am now so much better informed about new vocabulary and protection in our changing society.

.

Then, something different, I trace a long deep line in the sand and mark off a short section near the beginning. This is my total lifeline and this very short segment shows my teenage years. Six short years can make a profound difference on a long lifeline, that's for sure.

Now I draw a heavier more rippled line above my lifeline. This, I think, is the internet's social media timeline.  It is powerful and here to stay forever; but I will not allow its size and influence to affect this small section of my life called teen years. I will not fall into a hole created by the Media monster."

 

10 Ways to Praise Social Media Use for Teen Girls versus Struggles, Regrets and Selfies

10 Ways to Praise Social Media Use for Teen Girls versus Struggles, Regrets and Selfies

Let’s encourage teens to use social media for more than just selfies. Show them how to use it as a tool to affect the world.

A quick check on Google with the topic teen girls on social media brings out a flurry of reports such as The Lonely Burden of Today’s Teenage Girls in Wall Street Journal saying “amid our huge, unplanned experiment with social media, new research suggests that many American adolescents are becoming more anxious, depressed and solitary.”

There are so many psychology reports about mental breakdowns, depression, anxiety, even suicidal behavior among teen girls, more so than any other group, including boys. As a teacher, noting the early body images and sexual hyperinflation of teen girls minus their normal social rites to adulthood, I wrote an e-book …a timely tale of struggles, regrets and survival on social media as a teen girl’s first-person narration.

But this internet revolution, this virtual world, does not need to be a Bad Monster that swallows up its young generation and regurgitates carbon copies of an inflated and hypocritical society; along the way, denouncing our cultural values and heritage.

We just need to learn how to use one of the most powerful tools ever encountered by the masses … and respect its power, keep it more benign, beneficial than malicious.

Here are 10 ways that the internet and social media can offer many benefits to teenage girls:

1. Connect to various educational components. Access information with teachers, experts, peer groups … answer any question at your fingertips. 
2. Break down physical, geographical, or cultural barriers … easier to make friends worldwide, connect with favorite people … there is no visible handicap 
3. Communicate with diverse communities to open doors to more experiences and dialogue…diversity helps to develop more informed personal, political, and cultural outlooks….avoid cultural biases … celebrities … athletes … nonprofit organizations
4. Discover more about your own community, make new friends … participate more …when, where, and what is happening … keep in touch with old friends
5. Create programs about issues that impact them or their friends … teens gather information to help each other: examples: eating disorders, drug addiction, climate change, elections, poverty in Africa and more    
6. Be able to access every kind of educational resource with or without libraries … listen to a variety of viewpoints … what is relevant and reliable … become a more critical thinker
7. Provides opportunities for online education or distance learning if students can’t attend a regular class, usually flexible and low cost … no marginalization of any student
8. Prepares for possible careers or professions which require knowledge of internet and social media
9. Share talents in many areas:  singing, writing, acting, fashion, craft projects, etc … Self-expression is important which develops self-confidence … positive feedback helps to boost confidence with Likes and nice comments
10. Claim your own identity … the personal profile and comment box are opportunities to be, say, and figure out who you are … time to talk out confusions or vent frustrations …even help to fight depression or prevent suicide

And that is the KEY to success on social media for teen girls. 

Self-expression and self-confidence are directly connected. Teen girls need to be given avenues for being authentic and true to themselves, to find satisfaction and happiness with whom they are they … not a simulated Selfie to fit Social Media demands for exposure and exploitation.

I believe, teen girls must apply a new mindset about getting a better balance between social-media use and other age-appropriate activities. It may help if they can see their timeline and respect that their time OFFLINE is as important, if not more important, than ONLINE time. This is the moral of this e-book Teen Girl Faces Time in the Sand by Annemarie Berukova.

Can you live without your cell phone? We are all caught in this Social Media web with both positives and negatives and we must all learn to be well-informed with good digital etiquette and safety rules.

Questions and comments are always important. Please share some of your other positive experiences on social media. How do you balance your Online time with Offline Time? 

Sincerely,

Annemarie

amarie10@gmail.com

https://helpfulmindstreamforchanges.com

833 471 4661 (please leave a message and the best time to call back) 

Excerpt: "As a teenager I haven't learned yet how to manage conflict where both parties might be right but if others are wrong about something, there’s a good chance I will do wrong to do right by others.

There is no satisfaction now to realize that my brain is thinking differently at 19 years than at 14. Thinking back, there is no training how to deal with changes in technology when my brain's biology remains unchanged  A teenager is still young, still curious, experimental, still wanting to be liked, feel attractive, praised and rewarded again and again.

They buy into the electronic Hall of Mirrors where everyone is watching and comparing themselves, trying to find some piece of wisdom in a crowd or mob, not sure how not stop  suckling from an alternative reality not their own."

  

Teen Girl Faces Time in the Sand … TimelyTale of Struggles, Regrets and Survival on Social Media with Super PowerTool  (Plus Kindle)

Why Teachers Have Concerns About How Social Media Affects Education for Teenagers

Why Teachers Have Concerns about How Social Media Affects Education for Teenagers

Virtual communication is not face to face communication … 

stop the illusion that it is!

How to teach, how to learn, in the process of how to be educated is the foundation for developing our communication, personally and socially. We exchange information by using a common system of symbols, signs and behavior. 

It has always been about people talking to each other in real time relying on personal rapport.

However, I believe that formal education suffers because online communication is a new dimension within an alien territory with a definite lack of interactive skills; relying more on reaction and less on intelligent debate.

When just texting or tweeting, the basic act of talking is removed without seeing how words can directly  affect somebody … there is no need to read body language, facial expressions or vocal inflections.

For example, as a cyberbully, if you can’t see the reaction of victims, it's easier to be anonymous without any consequence for writing something online.  Did you know that the majority of harassers are friends or acquaintances?  Only 23 percent of people report that a complete stranger has bullied them online. 

Who wants to learn proper communication skills when 140 characters can take the place of a sentence? Or, better yet, who wants to learn how to write a paragraph, a whole group of sentences to state a theme and resolution? What matters most is measurement by data called LIKES, HATCH TAGS, RETWEETS ... even ignorant ones.

Let me ask you ...  have you read any teenager’s texts lately? Do you think there is a problem if there is limited evidence of proper spelling, syntax and grammar? Do you know that texting lingo has at least 1500 text messages and online chat abbreviations? Does it bother you that that writing skills, whether formal or informal, may be in decline? Who knows the proper format for letter writing? Even cursive writing is an anachronism now.

Does it bother you that learning itself may be in decline, also? Learning is an activity or process of gaining knowledge or skill through study, practice and experience. Learning helps to reorganize the structural changes of the brain to better understand and contribute to our surrounding culture.

Then you can say, "I learned something new today."

In the classroom, to learn a unit of study on any topic, may involve weeks of presentation, asking questions, analyzing facts, making decisions, and evaluating from different points of view. It is not the same thing as using the internet hoping to find  a reliable source for information. It is not checking out social  media platforms for quick answers.

This is not teaching … this is not learning. This is not even retaining information.

Real thinking is a mental process by which to form models of the world and psychological associations.  It takes time for the brain’s neurology to form concepts, solve problems, find reasons and make decisions. Cognitive frames are built by absorbing, processing and remembering, to be smarter and more emotionally and environmentally composed.

As well, there may be other communication problems that may affect education. Perhaps there is a disconnect between parents, who may not be as adept on social media compared to teenagers who live in their own Selfie domain. They may both lack an understanding of potential overuse. Perhaps, students are allowed to use their cellphones during classes which become a major distraction.  Studies have shown that teens who frequently check their profiles have lower grades and lower reading retention.  Academic performance may be impacted by lack of sleep, which parents may not know about.

Did you know that American teens send and receive text messages 144 times a day?

As a retired teacher, I am always open to podcast interviews to address the struggles and, regrets of teen girls on social media. This is another excellent questions to discuss: What kind of concerns do teachers have about how Social Media affects education for teenagers.

Check out blog for 10 more beginning questions to answer about teenage girls on social media and a way to build a better educated mindset   .

Questions and comments are always welcome. What are your concerns? What are your successes with education on social media for teenagers?

Sincerely,

Annemarie

amarie10@gmail.com

833 471 4661 (leave message and the best time to connect.)

https://helpfulmindstreamforchanges.com

   

Excerpt: A frown crosses Grannie's face. "You know the role of technology in society is very new. It's only a couple decades versus centuries of human interaction. And you can read about how many people are worried about addressing the problems as they get deeper and deeper.

Your dear Smart phone is just one player without any instructions; you can cross any lines you want.  You can watch the internet unsupervised. Just think, you can take a picture anytime, anywhere and post it wherever, whenever; regardless of an invasion of privacy and self-rights. Don’t you agree?

Teen Girl Faces Time in the Sand … A Timely Tale of Struggles, Regrets and Survival on Social Media with Superpower Tool

Kindle edition 

Is this the Right Time to Profit in the Digital Economy as a Self-Franchise Entrepreneur in 2020 with 12 Questions?

Is this the Right Time to Profit in the Digital Economy as a Self-Franchise Entrepreneur in 2020 with 12 questions?

"Some people can call it rapid experimentation, but more importantly, we call it 'hypothesis testing.' Instead of saying 'I have an idea,' what if you said, 'I have a new hypothesis, let's go test it, see if it's valid, ask how quickly can we validate it.' And if it's not valid, move on to the next one … that’s in some sense the real pursuit."  Satya Nadella (Microsoft CEO)

GOOD NEWS for 2020: The Self Franchise Report is updated with new information!

The Self Franchise Report answers two questions to help make your 2020 more successful:

1.How can you adapt  the principles of intellectual distribution to bring value to every online business owner?

2. Do you wonder how you can participate in a multi-billion-dollar marketing industry?

Marketing is the lifeblood of every business. But is this the Right Time to Profit in the Digital Economy as a Self-Franchise Entrepreneur? These are important  questions that this updated  Self-Franchise Report answers in 3 parts:

PART ONE: Quick Mini Overview

…3 reasons to be a self-franchise marketer

…4 reality checks to keep it real with adaptations

…unique marketing program every online business needs

PART TWO: Self-Franchise Big Picture Overview

…unlimited online business opportunities

…business power of leverage

…potential power of your online core identity

PART THREE:  Self-Franchise Entrepreneur Changes Mindset

…personal changes start with self-dialogue

…how to bypass preset conforming factors to move ahead into critical new fields

…review of networking principles;  two big blunders to avoid and two things that work

What are your current feelings about internet marketing  based on your experiences whether as an online business owner or independent networker? 

As a former MLM distributor,  my mission statement hung on my office wall:  network marketing was a return to basics where every person with above average dreams can start with minimal capital, time equity and make a difference - based on only 3 concepts; namely,  share a good product, duplicate the message and receive residual  income from direct and indirect referrals. In fact, I started to talk like a fair and democratic home business mentor where early blog posts turned into short e-books about equal opportunities for success. 

Through MLM trials and tribulations,  this mission statement has now been replaced by a Self-Franchise Credo, but still with the focus  on principles of network marketing  and how to plug into the  unlimited power of the internet so as not disenfranchise its citizens and marketers. 

There is no question that the advent of internet marketing has been explosive, exploratory and extremely difficult to master a brand as YOU Incorporated.  As with any major expansion,  the content and strategies have now settled down and matured enough to show that Simplification, Deconstruction and Reinvention are the right time and place to capitalize on internet marketing expertise.

As a teacher trying to educate prospects with too many details, my selling skills remained at ground level with few flights. My faith was that good information could open new ways of thinking by considering the Big Picture with different perspectives and  answers to tough questions. It has been said that sometimes the greatest deterrent to progress is pre-conceived biases and to think you know all the answers. Sometimes the smartest business tactic is admitting ‘I don’t know’ especially if your success is marginal.

On one hand, the internet changes continue to accelerate and saturate with unwanted information, fake news, the chaos of texts, emails, clickbait, distractions  and social media sites which one guru calls digital cholesterol overload. On the other hand, the internet evolution has shown we can re-frame the complex and make it run on simpler principles.

The purpose of this Self-Franchise Report is to consider the hypothesis that it is possible to streamline a complex online marketing world with too many false prophets, imitations, wasted time and stop the clutter and distractions to create bigger profits and enjoy more time freedom.   

Read this comprehensive report to learn more about this all-consuming, all-comprehensive INTERNET AGE TECHNOLOGY WORLD. Make some different connections with the right reasons for making an extra stream of income, a simpler solution to the complexity of Internet Marketing, two major blunders to avoid, and how to utilize the massive power of ONE TOTAL MASTERMIND MARKETING SYSTEM without too much blood, sweat and tears while preserving our most valuable commodity, time itself. 

I welcome any podcast shows for the chance to answer these questions or any other comments about the internet marketing industry as such based on my experiences. Perhaps my story can help so many others to make better informed decisions and walk away from a lot of heartache.

What is the greatest travesty in MLM home business in my opinion?

What is the greatest problem with internet marketing versus network marketing?

What is the biggest regret I would not want to pass on to any other marketer?

Why pioneer strategy called magnetic attraction or self-branded advertising serves a few not many ... a matter of disenfranchisement? 

What are the main principles of network marketing that can be applied to internet marketing? 

Why this is the right time to move from physical distribution to intellectual distribution?

What are two successful online strategies that can work for every marketer?

What qualities are required to be a self-franchised entrepreneur?

How can self-belief or mindset become a problem with business development?

What is the best way to deconstruct, reinvent and simplify the rules that work?

What is my biggest advice if you are considering MLM or network marketing opportunity?

Why visual language is used often to speak a volume of words?

Remember, intelligence isn’t knowing everything; it’s the ability to challenge everything you know

I look forward to hearing your opinions and other online solutions that work for you as an independent marketer. Your experiences, questions and comments are important, also.

  Check out the Kindle Edition SELF FRANCHISE REPORT

Sincerely,

Annemarie Berukoff

amarie10@gmail.com

1 833 471 4661 (leave a message for best time to talk)

Excerpt: In other words, your challenge is to step away from this submerged subconscious wiring and make safe calculated changes to merge with the New Economy. Your past thinking should never limit your potential. The undivided principles are here. You can choose to deny or defy them. But a free 14-day trial will show you if this is the right time to harness the power of today's  technology with the capabilities of expert personnel.

Your question should be: WHO'S GOING TO STOP ME!