Youth Culture: Value Has a Number

By Matt Sasso, Pastor of Student Ministries 

While many teenagers still have a Facebook account, statistics show that many are using it less and for only specific purposes. It is no surprise that many teenagers are going elsewhere to connect on social media and at this point, one the most popular places for students to go is Instagram. I’m sure you’re aware of Instagram if your teenager is on it, but if not, here’s is how the app works.

You get an account and start following other users.

Other users follow you.

You post pictures to your account.

You and your followers comment or “like” each other’s pictures.

Repeat numerous times a day.

It’s a pretty simple process, but for many students, looking at the number of likes of their followers can cause them to compare their post with their friends’. While the idea of comparing your post to others’ seems trivial, this desire in teenagers’ lives today has sparked a new trend.

If you are one of those people who only look at the photo, you might be missing how teenagers are specifically asking for comments AND number of likes. This is done through the simple method of hashtags. What might seem like just another picture, below it, in the comment section, you will find #morelikesplease #like #followme #needmorefollowers #comment. This method is one way that students can add to the number of people following them and generate more likes for their pictures. So what does that mean?

When it comes to their social standing there’s a number attached to them – a ranking of sort. While popularity may at one time have been obscure and unquantifiable, it now has real time data. Today teenagers find their identity in the number of people that offer approval of what they post. While even adults are guilty of seeking this kind of approval, teenagers today base their value off a number and its consequences are definitely affecting them.

Before we seek to get rid of everything, there is one simple thing that you can do to help your teenager. As parents, it is important for you to know your teen and to know the insecurities they face. Like you, they have insecurities and what is important is to dig deeper into the impact this can have on your teen. We must never forget the importance of reminding them what the Bible says about their identity and where their value comes from. Culture has no problem attempting to answer that question for them, which is why God made sure that in Scripture we got the right understanding about who we are. We are made in His image. With intention. With care. With value. And with worth. Resting in that will guide your student in the right direction and allow them to live with more freedom and less insecurity than ever imagined possible.