Snow: Social Media and Coming of Age
by Nathanael Snow, Ph.D.
Sir Walter Scott in the first of his “Waverly” novels describes the early adolescence of young Edward Waverly. Edward is too “indolent and impatient,” to enjoy fishing. He is lacking what he needs to move forward in his life. “Society and example, which, more than any other motives, master and sway the natural bent of our passions” were not available to him. Adam Smith would note that we only really learn sympathy as distinct from affection by engaging with our peers away from adult supervision.
Scott writes that “when, upon any particular occasion, Edward mingled with accomplished and well-educated young men of his own rank and expectations, he felt an inferiority in their company, not so much from deficiency of information, as from the want of the skill to command and to arrange that which he possessed.” Is there a better description of the awkwardness of the adolescent?
“The idea of having committed the slightest solecism in politeness, whether real or imaginary, was agony to him.” Please don’t embarrass me! the young person evokes with every eye roll and sigh of ennui. For “even guilt itself does not impose upon some minds so keen a sense of shame and remorse, as a modest, sensitive, and inexperienced youth feels from the consciousness of having neglected etiquette or excited ridicule.” Every young person after engaging in public comes back believing that they are “unfitted for society, merely because he had not yet acquired the habit of living in it with ease and comfort, and of reciprocally giving and receiving pleasure.”
Indeed, coming into society is among the most difficult challenges every person faces. That challenge may be exacerbated if the entry into society is not entry into a cloud of witnesses that includes close relations and neighbors that have an interest in a lad’s or lassie’s success but if it is the “cloud” of everyone in the world connected through social media. We have observed that every would-be influencer faces (through the forward-facing camera on their phones) legions of critics flush with disapprobation.
How can we help young people to negotiate the entry into society?
First, we can recognize that this entry is difficult. Ancient initiation rites manifested this challenge explicitly but were almost certainly gamed to ensure the success of those ready for acceptance. Providing ample opportunities for the child before adolescence to face and deal with challenges and difficulties, disappointments and injuries, while under affectionate care, will better prepare them for the gauntlet.
Second, we can postpone entry until a young person is well prepared. Jonathan Haidt is leading the charge in advocating for keeping phones out of the hands of children. His preferred age for having a phone is 16 years old. By then most young people will have entered the immediate society around them and will not be introduced to the entire world all at once.
Third, we can encourage the reading of novels like “Waverly,” to show young people that they are not the first to face these challenges, and though there will be many pitfalls and failures, the end of their story is in part in their own hands.
Nathanael Snow, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of economics at Ball State University teaching intermediate macroeconomics course.
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