I was recently asked if the new technologies and social media were changing the way teens divided into social groups.
Not that long ago, being cool was all about designer labels, being athletic (or not) or being a risk-taker.
The question of changing social values was an interesting one so I did a little investigation into what constitutes ‘cool’ with the teens I am teaching.
Not surprisingly, being cool still has elements of popularity that centre around the superficialities of good looks, nice clothing and personal pastimes like sports and risky endeavours.
Material goods matter, particularly the latest technology like cell phones with unlimited plans and computer tablets filled with lots of cool apps.
Of course, the ultimate cool possession for teens remains access to a car. There’s nothing like the freedom to go wherever you want to, whenever you want to, to attract friends.
There are some new categories, however, which were not around just a few years ago. On-line game players, particularly successful ones, carry a lot of ‘street-cred’ with their peers.
Risk-taking coolness has grown to include a lot of individual sports that involve physical danger, from snowboarding and mountain biking to parkour (free running which involves jumping between buildings and over obstacles).
The old standards of driving too fast and diving off rocks still remain, of course, and the use of drugs or alcohol to “enhance” any experiences still carries with it a certain badge of rebellious teen honour.
Interestingly, I came across a couple of students who, on the surface, are quite soft spoken and under-the-radar at school. But it turns out they are highly respected by their peers for their on-line wit and literary blogs. In other words, new technologies have created an alternative world for those who are shy in the face-to-face settings and it is a world where they can have an alternative personality and feel less inhibited in expressing themselves. Real intellect, without the superficialities of looks and clothing, has a way of coming through the creative expression of social networking that simply isn’t as openly available in the live social milieu where an “evil eye” can halt a conversation in its tracks.
The extension to this, of course, is that a shy or “invisible” student at school can, in fact, have a very active and far-ranging social network through their computer and in the safety of their own home. Many students commented that they have networks of friends well beyond their school and neighbourhoods. A few even admitted that some of their best friends were strictly on-line friends.
I have my personal reservations about the risks of such friendships but this, too, carries some risk-taking credibility amongst the peer group. To carry on conversations and relationships with people outside the known social circle is one way to gain access to the curious involvement of those who, at one time, could manipulate their peer group through exclusion, but now find that this same peer group has access to supportive friends that are not even known, much less capable of being manipulated. As odd as it sounds, kids who might be bullied at school often find a support network and build confidence with those they never even meet.
Teens have always sought to “belong” to some group. It is a natural instinct to form social connections. The currency for belonging might shift from time to time, but I think it’s fair to say that the range of options to feel a part of a group has increased exponentially with the advent of social networking. There are risks that parents must monitor, but there are also tremendous opportunities for young people to develop a voice who, in the day-to-day life of their school, may not have the same success.
What amazes, and perhaps scares me the most is the comfort students feel with their communication networks. Many students, “cool” or not, admit that they spend a great deal of screen time connecting and communicating with others.
Social belonging may not have changed, but the medium certainly has.
Graham Hookey is an educator and writer. Email him at ghookey@yahoo.com.