May 13 (edited) • General discussion
Social media initiated Adolescent Adverse Connection Experiences
I’ve been working on something deeply connected to the questions many of us are asking right now:
What is social media doing to young people — and how do we protect connection without simply removing technology?
Today I’m sharing:
- a new infographic, and
- a white paper introducing the concept of SMAACE (Social Media Initiated Adolescent Adverse Connection Experiences).
The work came out of research with middle school youth and youth co-researchers in Indianapolis, and honestly, one of the biggest takeaways surprised me:
The young people were incredibly thoughtful.
They didn’t just describe harm.They also described protection, wisdom, boundaries, community, and what they actually need from adults.
Some of what they asked for:
- more trusted adults,
- better education instead of only bans,
- healthier online norms,
- stronger offline community spaces,
- and accountability from platforms.
One line from the paper continues to stay with me:
“The youth in this study were not asking to be disconnected. They were asking to be equipped.”
I hope these resources spark reflection, conversation, and action — especially for those of us thinking about youth development, healing, belonging, identity, prevention, and the future of community.
Would genuinely love your thoughts after reading.
#YouthDevelopment #MentalWellness #Prevention #Community #GenerationAlpha #DigitalWellbeing #HealingCentered #YouthVoice
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Social media initiated Adolescent Adverse Connection Experiences
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