Service 1

Sawyer Service

Mrs. Jackie Burr, Instructor

English 2010, Section 4

3 May 2021

Interview Reflection

When thinking about an individual who is an expert on social media, primarily an expert

on the negative effects of social media, I had a difficult time coming up with an individual that I

would be able to contact and talk to. The only people who came to mind that fit the credentials

for a “social media expert” were those who were interviewed in the documentary “The Social

Dilemma”, but unfortunately I thought it would be improbable to assume I’d be able to get in

touch with the co-founder and president of the Center for Humane Technology, Tristan Harris, or

the ex-product manager of Google, Justin Rosenstein. I decided to narrow my topic down

specifically to the negative effects social media has on youth and their lives.

Even with altering my topic slightly, the challenge of finding a qualified individual to

answer my research questions remained difficult. I conversed with my parents and extended

family about the expectations for my upcoming report and my search for an individual qualified

to discuss my chosen topic. My mom eventually came up with someone who would know a little

bit about the subject and might be able to help answer some of my questions.

Keeley Bierwolf is the daughter of one of my mom’s clients who works as the program

coordinator for the Amplified Mentoring Program for Volunteers of America, Utah. She is a

social worker that works with youth between the ages of 12 and 17 in Salt Lake City; working

with those who are facing risks in their everyday lives, Bierwolf teaches them life skills and

ways to develop better coping mechanisms to deal with life issues. Knowing that social media
 Service 2

has a huge effect on teens' lives, I was optimistic that Bierwolf would be well equipped and

knowledgeable about the subject considering she works with adolescents on a daily basis. I

emailed Bierwolf, asking if she knew anything about the damaging effects social media has on

youth and if she would have the time to answer a few questions; she responded with,

Hello! I’m not sure I would be an expert on that specific subject, but I do know about it and

adolescents and suicide. I’m happy to try and answer any questions you have.

I imagined getting Bierwolf’s perspective on the matter would be very interesting and helpful

when writing my report, so I emailed her the ten questions I constructed for the interview.

Responding to six of my ten questions, Bierwolf discussed some of the things she’s seen

while working with adolescents and how that has influenced her stance on social media. I learned

more about some of the everyday challenges teens face on account to the impractical pressures

and unrealistic expectations social media is responsible for creating. Bierwolf made some really

compelling points in her answers, one of which being that our brains have no way of

distinguishing the fake images we see on social media from real life. By seeing all of these fake

social media posts, our brains are taking that and turning them into these false and unrealistic

expectations, creating a lot of problems for teenagers. This illogical sense of reality makes room

for more damaging physical and psychological concerns like cyberbullying, cyber harassment,

unrealistic beauty standards, low self esteem, negative body image, eating disorders, and an

increase in depression and anxiety. Bierwolf said in one of her answers that she worked with one

girl who had to move schools because the things that were said about her on social media were

so horrendous; I think a big portion of conflict in high schools and middle schools could be

resolved if this age group didn’t have access to social media. Bierwolf explained that youth

should not have social media before the age of 16 because it is too dangerous. It’s hard to fathom
 Service 3

not having social media growing up because the first social media platform I downloaded was

when I was 10-years-old, however, I agree we should wait until we are about 16-years-old to

download social media.

Interview Questions

What is your position at Volunteers of America Utah and what sort of work do you do?

I am the program coordinator for the Amplified Mentoring Program. I am a social worker that

works with youth between the ages of 12 and 17 in Salt Lake. I work with youth that are facing

risks and I teach them life skills in small group settings. I also have a group of you that manage

and help them.

What kind of negative effects does social media have on adolescents?

Social media it’s that hard for youth to understand the difference between reality and what they

see on social media. Bullying is a huge issue on social media. The difference with bullying on

social media is it’s easier because you can do it anonymously. Studies have found that the

perpetrators who bully online are usually different perpetrators than those who do it personally.

Studies have also shown that kids are more likely to fall to peer pressure and join in on the

bullying because they aren’t able to see the repercussions in real time.

I’ve also seen negative impacts by people posting other kids' pictures onto social media. Some of

the time these are pictures you have been sent through sexting, and then they end up on social

media.

What kind of impacts do you think social media has on the suicidal thoughts of

adolescents?

I think youth suicide is complicated. I think that social media can have a negative impact on

youth if they are having negative thoughts. But I don’t think it’s a “one” issue problem. Studies

have shown that social media can increase the risk of suicide. But it is still unknown if this is the

causation rather than correlation. I think if - youth is having suicidal thoughts prior to social

media, I don’t think social media should be introduced. Social media is not a great support
 Service 5

towards healthy coping and mental health. The problem is that a lot of times, parents are unaware

of their child’s inner thoughts before allowing them to have social media.

How does social media affect a teens mental health like depression, anxiety, and stress?

I do think however that social media does have a negative impact on mental health. I think it can

cause an increase in anxiety and depression purely based on seeing images of their peers and

other unrealistic expectations and pressures. Although the images on social media are fake, our

brains have not been built to be able to distinguish reality versus fake images that we are seeing.

Because of us it can cause anxiety and depression.

Have you worked with anyone who has been directly affected by some of the dangers that

come with social media use, i.e. cyberbullying, cyber harassment, unrealistic beauty

standards, low self esteem, negative body image, depression, anxiety, or eating disorders?

I have worked with teen girls who have been negatively affected by social media. I have seen

social media accounts made about these girls by their peers. The things I've seen said on these

social media accounts have been horrendous and have made these girls have to move schools.

Because social media isn’t monitored by anybody, people are free to say and post whatever they

want. This unfortunately can hurt people.

Should there be a certain age that parents give their children cell phones, if so, what age

and why?

I think that you should have time for the brain to develop before they are given social media or

Internet access. I think it is all right for youth to have phones for texting and calling on the air

around seventh grade. But I have even seen this cause some negative impacts.

For social media use youth should never have it before the age of 16. And I think even at 16 it

can be harmful.
 Service 6

There are other dangers of social media aside from image and mental health. It is an easy way for

perpetrators to access young people. If their account isn’t monitored by an adult you can be at

risk for being victimized. I have seen clients approached by perpetrators. This can escalate and

get dangerous very quickly.