LIFE AS A TEEN WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA ISN'T EASY.THESE FAMILIES ARE NAVIGATING ADOLESCENCE OFFLINE
AppleMagazine|June 07, 2024
Kate Bulkeley’s pledge to stay off social media in high school worked at first. She watched the benefits pile up: She was getting excellent grades. She read lots of books.
LIFE AS A TEEN WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA ISN'T EASY.THESE FAMILIES ARE NAVIGATING ADOLESCENCE OFFLINE

The family had lively conversations around the dinner table and gathered for movie nights on weekends.

Then, as sophomore year got underway, the unexpected problems surfaced. She missed a student government meeting arranged on Snapchat. Her Model U.N. team communicates on social media, too, causing her scheduling problems. Even the Bible Study club at her Connecticut high school uses Instagram to communicate with members.

Gabriela Durham, a high school senior in Brooklyn, says navigating high school without social media has made her who she is today. She is a focused, organized, straight-A student with a string of college acceptances — and an accomplished dancer who recently made her Broadway debut. Not having social media has made her an “outsider,” in some ways. That used to hurt; now, she says, it feels like a badge of honor.

With the damaging consequences of social media increasingly well documented, some parents are trying to raise their children with restrictions or blanket bans. Teenagers themselves are aware that too much social media is bad for them, and some are initiating social media “cleanses” because of the toll it takes on mental health and grades.

But it is hard to be a teenager today without social media. For those trying to stay off social platforms while most of their peers are immersed, the path can be challenging, isolating and at times liberating. It can also be life-changing.

This is a tale of two families, social media and the ever-present challenge of navigating high school. It’s about what kids do when they can’t extend their Snapstreaks or shut their bedroom doors and scroll through TikTok past midnight. It’s about what families discuss when they’re not having screen-time battles. It’s also about persistent social ramifications.

The journeys of both families show the rewards and pitfalls of trying to avoid social media in a world that is saturated by it.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM APPLEMAGAZINEView all
AUSTRALIA SHOULD DELAY SOCIAL MEDIA BAN FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16, BIG TECH SAYS
AppleMagazine

AUSTRALIA SHOULD DELAY SOCIAL MEDIA BAN FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16, BIG TECH SAYS

An advocate for major social media platforms told an Australian Senate committee that laws to ban children younger than 16 from the sites should be delayed until next year at least instead of being rushed through the Parliament.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 29, 2024
APPLE AND GOOGLE FACE UK INVESTIGATION INTO MOBILE BROWSER DOMINANCE
AppleMagazine

APPLE AND GOOGLE FACE UK INVESTIGATION INTO MOBILE BROWSER DOMINANCE

Apple and Google aren’t giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.

time-read
1 min  |
November 29, 2024
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF RETIREMENT INCOME: FROM SAVING TO SPENDING
AppleMagazine

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF RETIREMENT INCOME: FROM SAVING TO SPENDING

The narrative of a miserly, Scrooge-like figure hoarding his wealth for years instead of enjoying his retirement might seem unbelievable—but unfortunately, it isn’t relegated only to fiction. It’s a cold reality for many retirees.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 29, 2024
'BUY NOW, PAY LATER' IS MORE POPULAR THAN EVER. IT CAN COST MORE THAN YOU THINK
AppleMagazine

'BUY NOW, PAY LATER' IS MORE POPULAR THAN EVER. IT CAN COST MORE THAN YOU THINK

More shoppers than ever are on track to use ‘buy now, pay later’ plans this holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 29, 2024
DIRECTV CALLS OFF ACQUISITION OF RIVAL DISH.POSSIBLY ENDING A YEARSLONG PURSUIT
AppleMagazine

DIRECTV CALLS OFF ACQUISITION OF RIVAL DISH.POSSIBLY ENDING A YEARSLONG PURSUIT

DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

time-read
1 min  |
November 29, 2024
IS 'GLICKED' THE NEW 'BARBENHEIMER'? 'WICKED' AND 'GLADIATOR II' COLLIDE IN THEATERS
AppleMagazine

IS 'GLICKED' THE NEW 'BARBENHEIMER'? 'WICKED' AND 'GLADIATOR II' COLLIDE IN THEATERS

“Barbenheimer” was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn’t stopped people from trying to make “Glicked” — or even “Babyratu” — happen.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 29, 2024
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROPOSED MEASURES DESIGNED TO CURB GOOGLE'S SEARCH MONOPOLY
AppleMagazine

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROPOSED MEASURES DESIGNED TO CURB GOOGLE'S SEARCH MONOPOLY

U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled Google maintained an illegal monopoly for the last decade.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 29, 2024
ELECTRIC CAR SALES ARE SLOWING IN THE US AND EUROPE AS BOTH FANS AND SKEPTICS SHARE CONCERNS
AppleMagazine

ELECTRIC CAR SALES ARE SLOWING IN THE US AND EUROPE AS BOTH FANS AND SKEPTICS SHARE CONCERNS

While sales of electric vehicles surge in China, adoption of more environmentally friendly vehicles is stumbling in the United States and Europe as carmakers and governments struggle to meet years-old promises about affordability and charging stations.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 29, 2024
IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR SPOTIFY WRAPPED.WHEN CAN YOU EXPECT YOUR 2024 RECAP?
AppleMagazine

IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR SPOTIFY WRAPPED.WHEN CAN YOU EXPECT YOUR 2024 RECAP?

It’s almost that time of year: Spotify is gearing up to release its annual Wrapped, personalized recaps of users’ listening habits and year in audio.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 29, 2024
RANSOMWARE ATTACK ON SOFTWARE SUPPLIER DISRUPTS OPERATIONS FOR STARBUCKS AND OTHER RETAILERS
AppleMagazine

RANSOMWARE ATTACK ON SOFTWARE SUPPLIER DISRUPTS OPERATIONS FOR STARBUCKS AND OTHER RETAILERS

A ransomware attack that hit a major software provider last week caused disruptions for a handful of companies over recent days, from Starbucks to U.K. grocery giant Morrisons.

time-read
1 min  |
November 29, 2024