Who’s that Girl? Image and Social Media [infographic]

Adapted from a Girl Scout Research Institute report which explores the effects of social media on girls. (Findings come from a nationwide online study with 1,026 girls ages 14–17 that fielded in June 2010. Respondents were required to have a social networking profile to participate. The study was conducted in conjunction with TRU. For more information, please visit www.girlscouts.org/research.)

Social media sites have revolutionized the teenage experience. Long gone are the days of house lines, long phone calls and meeting at a secret spot. Handy smart phones handle all of the old fashioned communication in quick and easy steps. My little brother, 14, spends his afternoons Facebook chatting with his friends, keeping their internet interactions all in one place. They can browse profiles, chat about friends, and sadly gossip. The social media trend has changed what it means to be a teenager.

Today’s infographic visits the social media trend, highlighting it’s effect female image. According to the survey, seven out of ten females have had negative experiences on social networking sights, such as being bullied or reading gossip and 46% of females think that social networking creates jealousy among friends. Girls need to protect their emotions while on the internet and keep their guard up.

The upsides to social media are noted as well, siting that using these platforms helps girls feel more connected to their friends, increased the quality of their relationships and allows them to get involved in causes that they feel passionately about.

Do you feel that the pros outweigh the cons? Will you let your teenagers use social networking sites, or protect them from what is available through the internet? Let us know! [Via]