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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the teen world of Instagram & tik tok is completely mad, shallow nonsense

50 replies

Croissantsetchampignons · 17/08/2023 20:10

Just been on holiday with friends with teens. Friends Teen DD was on her phone Dawn til dusk. She wouldn’t do anything that she didn’t regard as ‘Insta friendly’ and literally everything she did involved posing into a camera to post on social media. It was completely mad.

Aibu to think it’s totally nuts? Like mad & toxic. She’s totally self obsessed.

OP posts:
Bananas1350 · 17/08/2023 20:12

Nope. It’s insane. It’s so bad for our brains ( have done research on this ). I got rid of those types of apps and feel better for it. But I fear this is how the world is now. It’s depressing.

CalistoNoSolo · 17/08/2023 20:13

My teen DD and all of her friends are nothing like this. Are you a journo/bot/idiot? @

themidimit · 17/08/2023 20:14

So sad. I think about the joy of looking at d photos when I was young. The laughter at how we looked because everything was snapped without you knowing - so many moment capturing genuine joy. Think that's lost these days 😞

themidimit · 17/08/2023 20:14

themidimit · 17/08/2023 20:14

So sad. I think about the joy of looking at d photos when I was young. The laughter at how we looked because everything was snapped without you knowing - so many moment capturing genuine joy. Think that's lost these days 😞

Old

Original poster
Croissantsetchampignons · 17/08/2023 20:15

@CalistoNoSolo err no. I don’t have a teen DD yet- she’s 11 so it’s new to me. It’s been shocking to witness it first hand

OP posts:
SaturdayGiraffe · 17/08/2023 20:15

First season of White Lotus nails it.

BrawnWild · 17/08/2023 20:16

Of course they want to be the stars on their own show and show off.

You didnt say what age teen. My 16yo niece isnt like it, even though she is clearly "popular".

LaughingLemur · 17/08/2023 20:18

Don't worry, not all teens are like that. Mine don't even have Instagram or Tiktok.

User135644 · 17/08/2023 20:18

Bananas1350 · 17/08/2023 20:12

Nope. It’s insane. It’s so bad for our brains ( have done research on this ). I got rid of those types of apps and feel better for it. But I fear this is how the world is now. It’s depressing.

Just breeds narcissism and ADHD. There'll be a total epidemic of both.

Inmybirthdaysuit · 17/08/2023 20:18

I went on holiday with a group of adults. One of them started drinking in the morning and didn't stop until night. The adult world is so toxic and mad 🙁

Or it is just one teen. One teen who maybe misses her friends and didn't want to forced to go on holiday with her parents and their judgemental friend so distracted herself with her phone.

Longagonow96 · 17/08/2023 20:18

Croissantsetchampignons · 17/08/2023 20:10

Just been on holiday with friends with teens. Friends Teen DD was on her phone Dawn til dusk. She wouldn’t do anything that she didn’t regard as ‘Insta friendly’ and literally everything she did involved posing into a camera to post on social media. It was completely mad.

Aibu to think it’s totally nuts? Like mad & toxic. She’s totally self obsessed.

Yes, but you'll get a bunch of 'OK Boomer' whether you are or not...

liveforsummer · 17/08/2023 20:19

My dc love tik tok but it's not as you describe. They make fun videos at the stables with friends and follow the professional horse riders they look up to. They also learn all sorts of 'hacks' dd told me how to accurately tell of an avocado was perfect to eat in Aldi the other day and was correct 😆. They are nothing like the teens you describe and are far from on it all the time either.

WhiskersPete · 17/08/2023 20:19

I think it's an epidemic which will have serious repercussions in the future.

Future generations will see it as madness that we allowed children/teens so much unrestricted access to phones and social media.

liveforsummer · 17/08/2023 20:20

Just breeds narcissism and ADHD. There'll be a total epidemic of both

You think adhd is caused by social media? .

ghostyslovesheets · 17/08/2023 20:22

'Causes ADHD'? Proof?

My 3 all have both - still manage to function in the real world - including Uni, football, family dinners, conversations!

My youngest gets sent quite of stuff sent to her by companies to promote - nice leisure wear, make up and jewellery - nothing dodgy - all legit companies

User135644 · 17/08/2023 20:23

liveforsummer · 17/08/2023 20:20

Just breeds narcissism and ADHD. There'll be a total epidemic of both

You think adhd is caused by social media? .

Not solely of course, but people's attention spans are being destroyed by the likes of tik tok and a lot of kids (and adults) can't focus on anything because of the distractions on their phone.

User135644 · 17/08/2023 20:25

ghostyslovesheets · 17/08/2023 20:22

'Causes ADHD'? Proof?

My 3 all have both - still manage to function in the real world - including Uni, football, family dinners, conversations!

My youngest gets sent quite of stuff sent to her by companies to promote - nice leisure wear, make up and jewellery - nothing dodgy - all legit companies

I didn't mean to disparage anyone with the condition. Substitute ADHD for low-attention span.

ghostyslovesheets · 17/08/2023 20:25

It's also made my 3 really close - they do dances, watch silly reels etc

fullbloom87 · 17/08/2023 20:31

Yeah it's ridiculous. My teen daughters go on TikTok and watch funny stuff but they'll happily go all day without looking once at their phones thankfully.
It's a really shallow fake world we live in now.

MammaTo · 17/08/2023 20:53

I spoke to 2 young girls in work about how expensive it must be for them to go on a night out - gorgeous girls who got hair and make up done every weekend - and they said they go out, have 1-2 cocktails and get photos for insta and then go home.

It made me really grateful for the amazing nights outs and girls holidays I had with my friends before social media became a thing. I know it’s not necessarily a bad thing to not go out binge drinking but we all still laugh at some of the nights out we had. It was more the artificialness of it, taking a load of photos to make it seem like you was having a good time and looking insta worthy.

mogsrus · 17/08/2023 20:55

Agree who with OP. They look absolutely gormless I see it every day at work & for the life of me I cannot think why they wasted money on paying for a holiday, they can do that rubbish in any chair at home & be just as miserable

Ninacampbelltiled · 17/08/2023 20:55

CalistoNoSolo · 17/08/2023 20:13

My teen DD and all of her friends are nothing like this. Are you a journo/bot/idiot? @

Did you mean to be so rude?

CalistoNoSolo · 17/08/2023 20:58

Ninacampbelltiled · 17/08/2023 20:55

Did you mean to be so rude?

Show quote history

Absolutely. I'm sure OP couldn't give a shit how her judgemental post about a random teen comes across either.

YeOldeBuxomWench · 17/08/2023 21:01

Ninacampbelltiled · 17/08/2023 20:55

Did you mean to be so rude?

Show quote history

There are a lot of ageist threads on here lately from both ends of the spectrum trying to stoke division (likely from bots or journos) it's fair I think.