On the Radar: Top Social Media Apps Among Teens, Evangelical Social Media Use and the Superman Challenge, Best TV Shows to Binge Watch

What? According to Pew Research Center’s “Teens, Social Media and Technology 2024” report, 90% of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 use YouTube. In comparison, 63% use TikTok, 61% use Instagram, and 55% use Snapchat.

So What? In spite of the wide backlash against and concerns about each of these platforms—including sextortion scams, child grooming cases, algorithms that promote misogynistic and self-harm content, and studies showing both the addictive nature and negative impact of social media—these numbers are consistent with reports from previous years.

Now What? If you haven’t had a conversation with your tween or teen about the dangers of social media, it’s a good time to start. Make sure they understand the impact social media can have on their mental health, relationships and self-esteem. And set boundaries to limit how much time they spend on the apps. For older teens, those conversations can go deeper: What or who do you identify with on social media? How do you think your engagement on social media helps you … and perhaps hurts you? What is the fruit of the time spent engaged on social media? Those sorts of questions help model self-assessment for our teens as they prepare to move into young adulthood.

What? According to a survey by Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research, 96% of evangelical Christians who are online use social media at least once a month, even though 54% believe it is more harmful than helpful to the Christian faith.

So What? Social media can be helpful in evangelism, building Christian communities and providing Christian resources to those who wouldn’t have access otherwise. However, social media is a bit of a double-edged sword since it is also potentially “loaded with harmful/dangerous/worldly content,” can be harmful in general (such as with mental health concerns) and may negatively influence someone’s faith through unbiblical values and worldviews.

Now What? More than half of all American adults believe that social media has a negative impact on children, and 62% support a ban for children under age 15. But clearly, the majority of these adults aren’t setting a good example by cutting back their screen time. In fact, only 4% of evangelical adults said they haven’t touched social media in the past month. So perhaps the first line of defense in protecting our kids against the dangers of social media should be to consider our own habits and practice what we preach.

Seventeen Students Injured in ‘Superman Challenge’

What? The trending “Superman challenge” on TikTok involves a group of people throwing a person into the air, making them appear to be flying like the superhero.

So What? Unfortunately, 17 students between the ages of 10 to 17 were admitted to a hospital in Skopje, North Macedonia, after attempting to imitate what they’d seen on TikTok. Their injuries included broken bones, concussions and bruises as a result of falling or getting dropped, reports Indy100. TikTok has since added a warning to searches for “Superman” stating that the phrase “may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines.”

Now What? You know, you’d think that after the first kid got hurt, the rest would catch on and say, “Hmmm, maybe not.” Unfortunately, the lure of social media popularity often overrules common sense. So be sure to have ongoing conversations with your tweens and teens about popular and sometimes dangerous online trends. It might be reminiscent of the old “if all your friends walked off a cliff, would you?” argument. But sometimes cliches exist for a reason.