Instagram will debut “teen accounts” for users 18 and below, a new poll indicates that lots of teens spend seven hours or more a day on social media, and some powerful influencers are launching a Lunchable competitor. But first:
Meme of the Week: “They’re Eating the Pets”
A claim made by former President Trump that US immigrants are “eating the dogs, the cats, and the pets” is being paired with footage of pets looking absolutely horrified. Trump’s debate claim that undocumented Haitian migrants are eating pets in Springfield started with a US citizen butchering a cat in Canton, Ohio (because of course it’s Ohio). Although the meme is fueling discussions about topics like immigration and climate prejudice, for many viewers, imagining pets reacting with fear to this news is the whole point—and is simply hilarious.
Three Conversations
1. Keeping Accounts
What it is: Meta is rolling out “teen accounts” for minors on the app.
What parents should know: Meta is claiming that this change will provide “protections for teens, peace of mind for parents.” All teens under 16 with Instagram accounts will be automatically opted in to this type of account, and those who sign up for a new account before they turn 18 will be opted in, as well. Automatic notifications will let teens know when they have used the app for 60 minutes in a 24-hour period, and all teen accounts default to being private. Teen accounts are on the most restricted messaging and content settings, with the goal of limiting who they can talk to and what they can see on the app. Unfortunately, none of these settings would totally eliminate one of the biggest online threats teens face—bullying from other teens who they know in real life.
Continue the conversation: Will “teen accounts” keep teens safer on Instagram?
2. Out to Lunch
What it is: MrBeast, Logan Paul, and KSI are teaming up to launch a Lunchables competitor called “Lunchly.”
Why pre-teens might gobble it up: Lunchly is aimed at the same demographic that has made both MrBeast’s Feastables chocolate bars and Paul/KSI’s Prime Energy drinks a smashing success—young people between the ages of 9 and 13. Lunchly kits will include Prime Energy as well as a Feastables bar in every package, along with a processed food option like pizza or nachos. Lunchly is being marketed as “healthy” because it is a lower-sodium, lower-sugar option than its main competition, but that doesn’t mean it would actually offer a higher nutritional value than other prepackaged school lunch options.
Continue the conversation: Do you think people will want to eat Lunchly just because MrBeast is involved?
3. Time to Waste
What it is: Social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt partnered with the Harris Poll firm to try to capture what Gen Z really thinks about social media.
What it shows: The nationwide poll of over a thousand 18-27 year olds asked “Do you wish TikTok was never invented” (47% said yes) and also posed questions about what steps they’re willing to take to limit their social media use. Maybe most eye-opening were the questions about time spent on these apps—over 60% said they spend over 4 hours a day on social media, and almost a quarter said they spend over 7 hours a day. The poll also captures some of the complexity of Gen Z’s feeling toward social media, with many saying that it’s overall a negative thing for society (and children) but a positive thing for themselves as individuals.
Let’s translate this one further…
Jonathan Haidt begins his commentary on the poll for the New York Times by remarking how “astonishing” the average amount of time Gen Z is spending on social media is. But what’s maybe more surprising is the way these 18-27 year-olds describe how they would parent the upcoming generation. In the poll, 45% said they would not give a student a phone before they reached high school, and right under 60% support the idea of parents limiting smartphone usage before high school age.
It’s no secret that one of the most important decisions for modern parents is if and when to give their kids their first smartphone and the decisions about social media that come along with it. Social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat have very serious downsides that many parents (and apparently, teens) look at with fear and trepidation.
Parents should (and do) have the final say about their teen’s social media use. But it’s also fertile ground for parents to enter into conversations with said teens about patience, self-control, and integrity. While it might be easy to lament and wish for “simpler” days before smartphones and social media, Solomon in Ecclesiastes might argue this isn’t actually a healthy perspective.
In his wisdom, Solomon knew that the past has forever passed, the future is forever coming, and the present is as fleeting as breath on our lips. The tension for the modern parent is twofold. They have to help students navigate a world where presence on social media feels like a borderline social requirement. But they also have to maintain a sober estimation of the vacuum of time that social media can become for young hearts and minds—the way these platforms can diminish their tomorrow.
For a full “translation” of everything in this issue, check out our Monday Roundtable podcast on Spotify or Apple. In the meantime, here are three questions to spark conversation with your teens:
Continue the conversation:- What are some differences you see between the ways adults and teens use their smartphones?
- What do you think is the right age for someone to get a smartphone?
- What do you think is a healthy amount of time to spend on social media each day?
Parenting together,
The Axis Team
PS: This week we posted our podcast interview with Laurence Koo on same-sex attraction, celibacy, and the gospel. Check it out here!