2018 – Teen Observer Archive

Students shared on Wednesday their views on social media and its effects on mental health and self esteem at American University in Washington, D.C., with many saying they see the negative effects but refuse to give up their phone.

It is very unlikely to find a millennial who isn’t glued to their cell phone, scanning their screen. Social media is used by many millennials in order to stay updated, develop a voice, or create content, and research shows that it can have both positive effects and negative ramifications.

However, many students feel that the advanced network causes their self esteem to take a hit, even though it can help them stay connected to friends and family who may be far away.

Many students studying or working at American University this summer expressed their thoughts on how social media affects their confidence.

Justine Coleman, 20, is like many others interviewed who said they compare themselves to others on social media platforms.

“Sometimes it can get a little in your head,” said Coleman, a journalism and mass communications student at George Washington University. “People just put out the happiest versions of themselves.”

biology student checks phone — Maryam Yamadi, 22, a biology graduate student at American University, checks her phone while studying on Thursday, June 21. Photo by Jordan Anderson.

According to the National Psychologist, around 81 percent of the U.S. population has at least one social media account.

Using social media is a part of many peoples’ daily routines.

Hannah Kim, 19, a film and media arts major, said that she uses it “really often, almost maybe every hour of the day. Just to check.”

Kim added that “a lot of the younger kids now are growing up a bit too fast and they’re taking inspiration from social media.”

As teenagers develop and undergo changes, they may feel insecure as they observe their friends or celebrities on social media.

“That’s all they’ve grown up with,” Coleman said.

Social media has advanced with Generation Z as they age which affects their mindset. It’s difficult for the younger generation to separate reality from idealism.

“They have grown up with social media, so it’s always been embedded in the culture,” Amanda Luthy, 21, a film and media arts major commented.

However, many of the students overcome the feeling of being pressured.

“There’s a whole team of people behind them producing this content,” Luthy stated on the topic of social media influencers. “It’s not always genuinely that person them self.”

Many students also express how common it is to have a social media cleanse. “Taking some time out is a good way to cope with it,” Coleman said.

By: Krista Powell

Functioning as his own role model, Robert Leigh Pruitt II is constantly in the dark about how he will help someone answer their questions about the future, but he takes immense pride in participating in the journey from A to C.

Pruitt, who insists on going by “Pru,” is a leadership facilitator, helping people answer their own questions about who they are and who they want to be. His job is all about the questions more than the answers, helping people recognize where they are —A— and where they want to be — C. However, his focus primarily lays on the journey in between.

“We understand where you want to get to, we’re just not locked into how we get there,” Pru said.

Pru was born in Queens, New York, and raised in Washington, D.C., as an only child. His father was the 103rd Bishop of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, and his mother is a retired educator.

He attended the University of Pittsburgh, and at first studied English Literature and Existential Philosophy, but he ultimately received an advanced degree in metaphysical science —dealing with the existence of things and energy.

When he was in high school, he had no idea of what his future career would contain. However, he was always very expressive and participated in drama club, debate team and chorus.

Surprisingly, the debate team wasn’t his style.

“I didn’t care for how we were trained,” Pru said. “It seemed a little too stoic and cookie cutter.”

When asked for advice to give to high schoolers dealing with parents who have a clear vision of what they want their child’s future to be, he went into great detail of how one needs to invite their parent to share their thought process.

He gave an example of a young girl he met who told him of how her parents wanted her to go to business school, but all she wanted to do was open a dance studio. He then asked her what she would have to do in order to accomplish that; and the first thing that came to her mind was knowing how to manage and properly set up a small business, exactly what her parents want her to be able to do.

Pru also spoke on how he views himself as his own role model. He believes that any mentor would spark internal comparison which would ultimately lead to internal doubt and conflict. He said he knows his own backstory and what he personally has gone through. Whether or not you know a person’s backstory, you still naturally have a tendency to unfairly compare yourself to others,

“I know when I’m up, and I know when I’m down. When I look at other people there’s been a tendency to compare, without knowing their backstory or if I do know their backstory then sometimes there’s still a comparison, like how come we have a similar backstory and they are succeeding, they’re growing…That comparison doesn’t work” said Pru.

One of Pru’s greatest internal struggles is discipline. Being an entrepreneur who creates opportunities and answers, he reminds himself to focus on working with what he has at the moment and not his hopes and fears for the future.

“I make no distinction between work and play,” Pru said as his life’s motto.

This motto enables him to live in the journey between A and C, and his upbeat, outgoing attitude continuously reaffirms his motto.

Tag: 2018

‘Human-Beings Not Human-Doings’