Teenagers have very important socio-emotional developmental goals —like discovering who they are and developing relationships with others—which might be influenced by social media. Teenagers are prone to pay a lot of attention to the number of likes or follows on social media because it feels especially important to be liked by peers and to feel popular and admired during this time. This need to get extrinsic rewards, specifically positive feedback from friends, might be one of the reasons why the majority of adolescents use social media constantly. Social media can be a great tool to connect with friends when used in a positive way (like learning more about what a friend likes or giving them encouragement). Another key positive aspect of social media is that it creates opportunities to develop many identities: who you are as a student, friend, sibling, or fan of your favorite band. This exploration will help you understand who you are, what and who you like.

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Go to source: https://kids.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/frym.2020.00076