Cultivating social media awareness in middle school girls

Abstract

Cyberbullying, sexting and image­based troubles impact on girls' everyday experience in and out of school and have potential to interrupt individual learning and personal wellbeing (Spears, 2016). Middle school girls are more likely than any other demographic to experience online challenges, especially cyberbullying (bullyingnoway.gov.au, 2017), and are particularly prone to stress, anxiety, and depression in relation to these encounters (Alexander & Krans, 2016; Rigby & Johnson, 2016). Social media and friendship are central to these experiences (Thompson, 2018). Therefore, a robust model for understanding girls' friendship experiences with social media can inform online safety policy, wellbeing agendas, awareness-raising programs, and self-help mechanisms for this age group