Mary Manzo discusses why and how girls use social media.

On her Tech Watch segment, Mary Manzo continues her series on the technology evolution and social media.  This week’s segment is about the positive impact social media has on the Gen Z girl.  Anyone born between 1995 – mid-2000s is considered a Gen Z.

The amount of social media platforms keeps increasing. Today, it is estimated that the number of users on these sites is approximately 2.6 billion.

The average Gen Z girl spends as much as  3-4 hours on social media per day. They use social media for a variety of things , with the most common platforms being Snapchat, Instagram, twitter and YouTube.

While some believe social media can be a harmful and negative for young girls, there are actually a number of benefits. Social media is the forum used by Gen Z girls to stay connected. They build their profile and create the image of how they want to be portrayed. They talk to friends, join groups and meet new people. They express themselves, share and research information, share thoughts, ideas, news about themselves and others. They post photos of them and their friends, pets, relatives, share where they are in real-time, like the mall, school, sporting events — and all this information can be viewed and shared by followers.

They can feel less isolated and informed, learn about cultural ideas from all parts of the world and bond with friends across states and oceans. They can get involved with fundraising and stay up to date on current events and see what’s happening locally and globally. They can learn new skills and, in turn, become more equipped for the workplace of the future.

Because they don’t know a world without connected devices and global-reaching social networks, this connection they have with social media is fast becoming an integral part of their lives.

To hear more, tune in below for the rest of Mary’s segment:

For Sunday’s full Women to Watch show, click here.