The Gang-Rape of the Reputation
My conclusion is that social media is not so social at all
Recent ‘studies’ I’ve seen almost exclusively relate to teenagers and usually the search for answers begins at an ever-earlier instance of puberty, sometimes 10-12 for girls. All hell breaks loose then, their hormones raging and elevated sensitivities toward peer acceptance. It’s not as easy as when I was that age, even though I was boy and it wasn’t all that great even then.
Peer pressures have changed as well. Peers used to be the kids in your class or down the street from where you lived, but now there’s the internet. It’s not a great time to be online, where judgements are made by the thousands instead of among those who know us more personally.
It's a tough time to be young anyway, a time for cliques in the hallway that will cut you dead and bullies who want your lunch money or—far more hurtful—laugh at your shortcomings, be they height, weight, skin color or hair styling. But at least in school or neighborhood, you know the…