how society influences who you are today essay

How Does Culture Affect the Self Identity Personal Essay

Introduction, culture influence on personality identity, chinese – indonesians’ culture in relation to personal identity, how am i shaped and influenced by culture.

Culture or the way of life is attributed to the personality of an individual and makes them who they really are. Self awareness emphasizes the significance of an individual to exist and is attributed to social views and practices. It defines individual characteristics and contributes to the diversity of people in the world and this makes life interesting.

Culture and personal identity relate closely and are dependent on each other. Construction of identities is within individual in relation to a particular historical background and organization. This paper shall explore the personality trait explained above and explain the contribution that culture has made.

The vibrant Indonesian culture is ethnic and is also being influenced by countries such as China and India which neighbor it. Cultural identity is marked by the influence from the family, regional, and religious aspects. For instance, am a mixture of Chinese and Indonesian, born in Indonesia and have lived there my entire life.

My family background is relatively humble although my parents provide for my basic needs. However, Luxuries are not always present when needed. With hard work, the family is better than before since the parents have worked extra hard to make ends meet. Nevertheless, the initial financial constrains that my family experienced contributed to my personality.

I have come to be known as a girl of low profile since my cultural background has dictated so. I have learnt to save money and use it on important things only. In addition, I’ve learnt to share with others and not to become self-engrossed, an image that I always portray not only to my parents and friends but also to the society at large. This has made me and the whole family relate well with others.

Chinese- Indonesians are an ethnic minority whose culture is heterogeneous. They have been categorized into totok and peranakan. Since peranakan have their birthplace as Indonesia, they are identified with the ethnic regions of Indonesia and they disregard their Chinese origin.

In contrast, the totok has a lesser Indonesian orientation instead, are more of Chinese since them or their parents have been born in china (Aimee 77).

Another distinction is in the commercial activities undertaken by the groups. Totok group are geared on achieving business success and accumulate wealth. Thus, this is reflected in their self-reliance, investment approach, and prowess which are aspects that have greatly influenced my identity.

As a totok I practice a significant cultural value known as the guanxi . It is a concept which points out that for one to succeed, he or she should relate with people who matter and one must harmonize with the environment instead of altering it.

“For instance, through his personal and financial connections with government officials, particularly Suharto, whom he befriended long before he became Indonesia’s president, Liem Sioe Liong amassed a multibillion dollar importer that encompassed the manufacturing of cement and steel, automobile distribution …” (Aimee 78).

The example emphasizes the aggressiveness of the totok which in turn has taught me to avoid being self-centered but instead count on others in every activity I undertake in life.

On the other hand, the peranakan base their engagements on merit hence are not very successful in the Indonesian commercialism. Therefore, being a totok means that the culture has dictated my hardworking nature and most significantly, my networking and social nature. This has in turn affected my personality of being considerate of others and avoiding being self-centered.

Religious aspects, social environment, and distinct originality have had a strong effect on my identity. Being a Chinese- Indonesian I have learnt proper use of money and resources in order to become successful in life contribute to my identity of being low profile.

The family is a very important institution based on the cultural values if Chinese-Indonesians. Family ties are maintained and preserved by practice of norms such as marriage which ensures solidarity among members (Aimee 74).

It is the role of the parents to teach their children proper manners in life and this has been properly implemented by both of my parents in a strict way which has enabled me to follow the rules and regulations set in various areas quite easily. The family union is relevant to set a good example to the children and ensure happiness in marriage. Marriage is one cultural value that is highly regarded by Chinese-Indonesians.

Indonesian culture is very categorical on religious morals which are elements that are reflected in the entire society and more specifically by my trait of putting others ahead of me and sharing my resources with them. I believe that Sex before marriage is a vice that is forbidden by my culture which helps maintain an environment where children can grow well, become educated, and attain a high degree of moral standards.

Being a Muslim country it is also under the influence of other religions such as Buddhism as well as Hinduism which may as well have played a part on my personal identity. Its cultural, richness is depicted in the country’s art and theatre work such as dances and music.

The economic background, family relations and ethnic distinctions have contributed significantly to the personality trait of being a low profile person who is considerate of others. Moreover, belonging to a Chinese-Indonesian ethnicity means that I have interacted with several cultures.

A multicultural interaction may have similar or contradicting effects on personal identity which is reflected in my personality making it hard to evaluate specifically whether I am of totok o r peranakan origin.

Nevertheless the role played by my immediate family has guided me as I interact with the social environment around me. The culture has enabled me be identified in the society as a low profile woman. This does not only help to deliberately avoid undue prominence but also to exercise personal freedom and acceptance.

Aimee, Dawis. The Chinese of Indonesia and their Search For Identity: The Relationship Between Collective Memory and the Media . New York: Cambria Press. 2009. Print.

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Essay on How Does Society Influence You

Students are often asked to write an essay on How Does Society Influence You in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on How Does Society Influence You

Introduction.

Society is like a big group of people living together. It has rules, traditions, and ways of doing things. These things can influence us in many ways. This essay will talk about how society can change the way we think and behave.

Setting Norms

Society sets norms, which are like guidelines for how we should behave. These norms can affect what we think is right or wrong. For example, if society says it’s good to help others, we might feel bad if we don’t do it.

Influencing Choices

Society can also influence our choices. For instance, we might choose a job that society thinks is good, even if we don’t like it. We do this because we want to fit in and be accepted by others.

Shaping Beliefs

Our beliefs can also be shaped by society. If everyone around us believes in something, we might start to believe in it too. This can happen even if we didn’t believe in it before.

In conclusion, society can influence us in many ways. It can change our behavior, our choices, and our beliefs. But remember, it’s also important to think for ourselves and make our own decisions.

250 Words Essay on How Does Society Influence You

Society is like a big group of people. We all live in a society, and it shapes our thoughts, feelings, and actions. It’s like a big mirror that shows us who we are and how we should behave.

Rules and Norms

Society sets rules and norms. These are like invisible guidelines that help us know what’s right and wrong. For example, we say “thank you” when someone helps us because society teaches us that it’s polite.

Values and Beliefs

Society also shapes our values and beliefs. It tells us what’s important in life, like being honest, kind, and hardworking. We learn these things from our parents, teachers, and friends who are all part of our society.

Behavior and Attitude

Our behavior and attitude are also influenced by society. If everyone around us is kind and helpful, we are likely to act the same way. But if people are rude or mean, we might start behaving like them too.

In conclusion, society has a big impact on us. It’s like a teacher that helps us learn how to live and behave. We should always remember that we also have the power to change society for the better by being good and kind people.

500 Words Essay on How Does Society Influence You

The power of society.

Society is like a big group of people living together, sharing beliefs, ideas, and rules. It is everywhere around us, from our families at home to our friends at school, and even the people we see on TV. Society affects the way we think, act, and feel in many ways.

Setting the Rules

One of the first ways society influences us is by setting rules. These rules tell us what is right and wrong, and what we should and shouldn’t do. For example, society tells us that stealing is wrong, and helping others is right. These rules help keep everyone safe and happy. It’s like when your teacher sets rules in the classroom to make sure everyone can learn and have fun.

Shaping Our Beliefs

Society also shapes our beliefs. From a young age, we learn from the people around us about what is important. This might be things like being kind, working hard, or taking care of the environment. These beliefs guide our actions and decisions as we grow up. It’s like how your parents might teach you to always say please and thank you, because they believe it’s important to be polite.

Influencing Our Behaviours

Society also influences our behaviours. We often act in ways that are accepted and praised by society. For example, if society values hard work, we might try to work hard to be successful. Or, if society values being thin, we might try to eat healthy and exercise to fit in. This is like when you try to do well in school because you know it’s important to your parents and teachers.

Creating Our Identity

Lastly, society helps create our identity. This means it helps us figure out who we are and where we fit in. For example, if you grow up in a society that values sports, you might identify as an athlete. Or, if you grow up in a society that values art, you might identify as an artist. This is like when you join a sports team or art club at school because you enjoy it and feel like you belong.

In conclusion, society has a big impact on us. It sets the rules we follow, shapes our beliefs, influences our behaviours, and helps create our identity. Even though society has a lot of power, it’s also important to remember that we have the power to influence society too. We can help make it better by being kind, respectful, and open-minded. So, while society shapes us, we also shape society.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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How where you’re born influences the person you become

Professor of Psychology, Bowdoin College

Professor of Psychology, Washington State University

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Samuel Putnam receives funding from National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.

Masha A. Gartstein receives funding from Washington State University.

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As early as the fifth century, the Greek historian Thucydides contrasted the self-control and stoicism of Spartans with the more indulgent and free-thinking citizens of Athens.

Today, unique behaviors and characteristics seem ingrained in certain cultures.

Italians wildly gesticulate when they talk. Dutch children are notably easygoing and less fussy . Russians rarely smile in public .

As developmental psychologists, we’re fascinated by these differences, how they take shape and how they get passed along from one generation to the next.

Our 2018 book, “ Toddlers, Parents and Culture ,” explored the way a society’s values influences the choices parents make – and how this, in turn, influences who their kids become.

The enduring influence of cultural values

Although genetics certainly matter, the way you behave isn’t hardwired.

Over the past two decades, researchers have shown how culture can shape your personality.

In 2005, psychologist Robert McCrae and his colleagues were able to document pronounced differences in the personalities of people living in different parts of the world. For example, adults from European cultures tended to be more outgoing and open to new experiences than those from Asian cultures. Within Europe, they found that people from Northern Europe were more conscientious than their peers in Southern Europe.

Recently, we were able to trace some of these differences to early childhood .

Parenting – perhaps not surprisingly – played a role.

To conduct the research for our book, we worked with colleagues from 14 different countries. Our goal was to explore the way broad societal values influenced how parents raise their children. We then studied how these different parenting styles shaped the behavior and personality of kids.

We did this primarily by administering questionnaires to parents around the world, asking them to describe their daily routines, hopes for their kids and methods of discipline. We then asked them to detail the behaviors of their children.

We also relied on the work of Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede, who, in the 1970s, asked IBM employees around the world about factors that led to work satisfaction .

We were able to compare his findings to ours, and we were surprised to see that his results correlated with our own. The cultural values that were revealed through work preferences in the 1970s could be seen in parenting practices and child temperament 40 years later.

This is important: It shows cultural values are relatively enduring, and seem to have an effect on how kids develop over time.

To think about yourself, or to think of others?

Perhaps the most well-known of these broad cultural values are individualism and collectivism.

In some societies, such as the U.S. and Netherlands, people are largely driven by pursuits that benefit themselves . They’re expected to seek personal recognition and boost their own social or financial status.

In more collectivist societies, such as South Korea and Chile, high value is placed on the well-being of the larger group – typically their family, but also their workplace or country.

We found that the way parents discipline their children is strongly influenced by these social values, and likely serves to perpetuate these values from one generation to the next.

For example, compared to parents in individualist cultures, collectivist parents are much more likely, when reprimanding their kids, to direct them to “think about” their misbehavior, and how it might negatively impact those around them.

This seems to promote group harmony and prepare a child to thrive in a collectivist society. At the same time, if you’re constantly being told to think about how your actions impact others, you might also be more likely to feel anxiety, guilt and shame.

Indeed, we’ve found that kids in collectivist cultures tend to express higher levels of sadness, fear and discomfort than children growing up in individualist societies.

Free to pursue happiness?

A second set of values we studied was indulgence versus restraint .

Some cultures, such as the U.S., Mexico and Chile, tend to permit and promote self-gratification. Others – like South Korea, Belgium and Russia – encourage restraint in the face of temptation.

These values seem to be connected to a specific set of parenting goals.

In particular, parents in indulgent societies tend to emphasize the importance of developing self-esteem and independence. For example, they expect children to entertain themselves and fall asleep on their own. When one of their kids misbehaves, they’ll often suggest ways he or she can make amends and try to repair the damage.

The message kids may get from this kind of treatment is that they’re the ones in control of their happiness, and that they should be able to fix their own mistakes. At the same time, when kids are expected to pursue gratification, they may be more likely to impulsively seek immediate rewards – whether it’s eating candy before dinner or grabbing a toy off a shelf at a store – before getting permission.

Meanwhile, in societies that prioritize restraint, parents were more likely to shout or swear when disciplining their children.

This might make them more obedient. But it might also cause children to be less optimistic and less likely to enjoy themselves.

Is individualism the future?

Parents seem to be motivated to best prepare their kids for the world they’re likely to inhabit, and what works in one culture might not necessarily work well in another.

But as our world becomes more interconnected, this diversity of parenting approaches may dwindle. In fact, most countries have become more individualistic over the last 50 years – a shift that’s most pronounced in countries that have experienced the most economic development.

Nonetheless, there’s still a huge difference in parenting styles and childhood development across cultures – a testament to the enduring influence of societal values.

This article has been updated to indicate that Thucydides was a historian, not a philosopher.

• Development
• Individualism
• Collectivism
• Personality
• Indulgences
• Global perspectives

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Cultural Identity Essay

27 August, 2020

12 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

No matter where you study, composing essays of any type and complexity is a critical component in any studying program. Most likely, you have already been assigned the task to write a cultural identity essay, which is an essay that has to do a lot with your personality and cultural background. In essence, writing a cultural identity essay is fundamental for providing the reader with an understanding of who you are and which outlook you have. This may include the topics of religion, traditions, ethnicity, race, and so on. So, what shall you do to compose a winning cultural identity essay?

Cultural Identity Paper: Definitions, Goals & Topics 

Before starting off with a cultural identity essay, it is fundamental to uncover what is particular about this type of paper. First and foremost, it will be rather logical to begin with giving a general and straightforward definition of a cultural identity essay. In essence, cultural identity essay implies outlining the role of the culture in defining your outlook, shaping your personality, points of view regarding a multitude of matters, and forming your qualities and beliefs. Given a simpler definition, a cultural identity essay requires you to write about how culture has influenced your personality and yourself in general. So in this kind of essay you as a narrator need to give an understanding of who you are, which strengths you have, and what your solid life position is.

Yet, the goal of a cultural identity essay is not strictly limited to describing who you are and merely outlining your biography. Instead, this type of essay pursues specific objectives, achieving which is a perfect indicator of how high-quality your essay is. Initially, the primary goal implies outlining your cultural focus and why it makes you peculiar. For instance, if you are a french adolescent living in Canada, you may describe what is so special about it: traditions of the community, beliefs, opinions, approaches. Basically, you may talk about the principles of the society as well as its beliefs that made you become the person you are today.

So far, cultural identity is a rather broad topic, so you will likely have a multitude of fascinating ideas for your paper. For instance, some of the most attention-grabbing topics for a personal cultural identity essay are:

• Memorable traditions of your community
• A cultural event that has influenced your personality 
• Influential people in your community
• Locations and places that tell a lot about your culture and identity

Cultural Identity Essay Structure

As you might have already guessed, composing an essay on cultural identity might turn out to be fascinating but somewhat challenging. Even though the spectrum of topics is rather broad, the question of how to create the most appropriate and appealing structure remains open.

Like any other kind of an academic essay, a cultural identity essay must compose of three parts: introduction, body, and concluding remarks. Let’s take a more detailed look at each of the components:

Introduction 

Starting to write an essay is most likely one of the most time-consuming and mind-challenging procedures. Therefore, you can postpone writing your introduction and approach it right after you finish body paragraphs. Nevertheless, you should think of a suitable topic as well as come up with an explicit thesis. At the beginning of the introduction section, give some hints regarding the matter you are going to discuss. You have to mention your thesis statement after you have briefly guided the reader through the topic. You can also think of indicating some vital information about yourself, which is, of course, relevant to the topic you selected.

Your main body should reveal your ideas and arguments. Most likely, it will consist of 3-5 paragraphs that are more or less equal in size. What you have to keep in mind to compose a sound ‘my cultural identity essay’ is the argumentation. In particular, always remember to reveal an argument and back it up with evidence in each body paragraph. And, of course, try to stick to the topic and make sure that you answer the overall question that you stated in your topic. Besides, always keep your thesis statement in mind: make sure that none of its components is left without your attention and argumentation.

Conclusion 

Finally, after you are all finished with body paragraphs and introduction, briefly summarize all the points in your final remarks section. Paraphrase what you have already revealed in the main body, and make sure you logically lead the reader to the overall argument. Indicate your cultural identity once again and draw a bottom line regarding how your culture has influenced your personality.

Best Tips For Writing Cultural Identity Essay

Writing a ‘cultural identity essay about myself’ might be somewhat challenging at first. However, you will no longer struggle if you take a couple of plain tips into consideration. Following the tips below will give you some sound and reasonable cultural identity essay ideas as well as make the writing process much more pleasant:

• Start off by creating an outline. The reason why most students struggle with creating a cultural identity essay lies behind a weak structure. The best way to organize your ideas and let them flow logically is to come up with a helpful outline. Having a reference to build on is incredibly useful, and it allows your essay to look polished.
• Remember to write about yourself. The task of a cultural identity essay implies not focusing on your culture per se, but to talk about how it shaped your personality. So, switch your focus to describing who you are and what your attitudes and positions are. 
• Think of the most fundamental cultural aspects. Needless to say, you first need to come up with a couple of ideas to be based upon in your paper. So, brainstorm all the possible ideas and try to decide which of them deserve the most attention. In essence, try to determine which of the aspects affected your personality the most.
• Edit and proofread before submitting your paper. Of course, the content and the coherence of your essay’s structure play a crucial role. But the grammatical correctness matters a lot too. Even if you are a native speaker, you may still make accidental errors in the text. To avoid the situation when unintentional mistakes spoil the impression from your essay, always double check your cultural identity essay. 

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Why Identity Matters and How It Shapes Us

Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

Dr. Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and a professor at Yeshiva University’s clinical psychology doctoral program.

Verywell / Zoe Hansen

Defining Identity

• What Makes Up a Person's Identity?

Identity Development Across the Lifespan

The importance of identity, tips for reflecting on your identity.

Your identity is a set of physical, mental, emotional, social, and interpersonal characteristics that are unique to you.

It encapsulates your core personal values and your beliefs about the world, says Asfia Qaadir , DO, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at PrairieCare.

In this article, we explore the concept of identity, its importance, factors that contribute to its development , and some strategies that can help you reflect upon your identity.

Your identity gives you your sense of self. It is a set of traits that distinguishes you from other people, because while you might have some things in common with others, no one else has the exact same combination of traits as you.

Your identity also gives you a sense of continuity, i.e. the feeling that you are the same person you were two years ago and you will be the same person two days from now.

Asfia Qaadir, DO, Psychiatrist

Your identity plays an important role in how you treat others and how you carry yourself in the world.

What Makes Up a Person's Identity?

These are some of the factors that can contribute to your identity:

• Physical appearance
• Physical sensations
• Emotional traits
• Life experiences
• Genetics 
• Health conditions
• Nationality
• Race  
• Social community 
• Peer group 
• Political environment
• Spirituality
• Sexuality 
• Personality
• Beliefs 
• Finances 

We all have layers and dimensions that contribute to who we are and how we express our identity.

All of these factors interact together and influence you in unique and complex ways, shaping who you are. Identity formation is a subjective and deeply personal experience.

Identity development is a lifelong process that begins in childhood, starts to solidify in adolescence, and continues through adulthood.

Childhood is when we first start to develop a self-concept and form an identity.

As children, we are highly dependent on our families for our physical and emotional needs. Our early interactions with family members play a critical role in the formation of our identities.

During this stage, we learn about our families and communities, and what values are important to them, says Dr. Qaadir. 

The information and values we absorb in childhood are like little seeds that are planted years before we can really intentionally reflect upon them as adults, says Dr. Qaadir.

Traumatic or abusive experiences during childhood can disrupt identity formation and have lasting effects on the psyche.

Adolescence

Adolescence is a critical period of identity formation.

As teenagers, we start to intentionally develop a sense of self based on how the values we’re learning show up in our relationships with ourselves, our friends, family members, and in different scenarios that challenge us, Dr. Qaadir explains.

Adolescence is a time of discovering ourselves, learning to express ourselves, figuring out where we fit in socially (and where we don’t), developing relationships, and pursuing interests, says Dr. Qaadir.

This is the period where we start to become independent and form life goals. It can also be a period of storm and stress , as we experience mood disruptions, challenge authority figures, and take risks as we try to work out who we are.

As adults, we begin building our public or professional identities and deepen our personal relationships, says Dr. Qaadir.

These stages are not set in stone, rather they are fluid, and we get the rest of our lives to continue experiencing life and evolving our identities, says Dr. Qaadir.

Having a strong sense of identity is important because it:

• Creates self-awareness: A strong sense of identity can give you a deep sense of awareness of who you are as a person. It can help you understand your likes, dislikes, actions, motivations, and relationships.
• Provides direction and motivation: Having a strong sense of identity can give you a clear understanding of your values and interests, which can help provide clarity, direction, and motivation when it comes to setting goals and working toward them.
• Enables healthy relationships: When you know and accept yourself, you can form meaningful connections with people who appreciate and respect you for who you are. A strong sense of identity also helps you communicate effectively, establish healthy boundaries, and engage in authentic and fulfilling interactions.
• Keeps you grounded: Our identities give us roots when things around us feel chaotic or uncertain, says Dr. Qaadir. “Our roots keep us grounded and help us remember what truly matters at the end of the day.”
• Improves decision-making: Understanding yourself well can help you make choices that are consistent with your values, beliefs, and long-term goals. This clarity reduces confusion, indecision, and the tendency to conform to others' expectations, which may lead to poor decision-making .
• Fosters community participation: Identity is often shaped by cultural, social, political, spiritual, and historical contexts. Having a strong sense of identity allows you to understand, appreciate, and take pride in your cultural heritage. This can empower you to participate actively in society, express your unique perspective, and contribute to positive societal change.

On the other hand, a weak sense of identity can make it more difficult to ground yourself emotionally in times of stress and more confusing when you’re trying to navigate major life decisions, says Dr. Qaadir.

Dr. Qaadir suggests some strategies that can help you reflect on your identity:

• Art: Art is an incredible medium that can help you process and reflect on your identity. It can help you express yourself in creative and unique ways.
• Reading: Reading peoples’ stories through narrative is an excellent way to broaden your horizons, determine how you feel about the world around you, and reflect on your place in it.
• Journaling: Journaling can also be very useful for self-reflection . It can help you understand your feelings and motivations better.
• Conversation: Conversations with people can expose you to diverse perspectives, and help you form and represent your own.
• Nature: Being in nature can give you a chance to reflect undisturbed. Spending time in nature often has a way of putting things in perspective.
• Relationships: You can especially strengthen your sense of identity through the relationships around you. It is valuable to surround yourself with people who reflect your core values but may be different from you in other aspects of identity such as personality styles, cultural backgrounds, passions, professions, or spiritual paths because that provides perspective and learning from others.

American Psychological Association. Identity .

Pfeifer JH, Berkman ET. The development of self and identity in adolescence: neural evidence and implications for a value-based choice perspective on motivated behavior . Child Dev Perspect . 2018;12(3):158-164. doi:10.1111/cdep.12279

Hasanah U, Susanti H, Panjaitan RU. Family experience in facilitating adolescents during self-identity development . BMC Nurs . 2019;18(Suppl 1):35. doi:10.1186/s12912-019-0358-7

Dereboy Ç, Şahin Demirkapı E, et al. The relationship between childhood traumas, identity development, difficulties in emotion regulation and psychopathology . Turk Psikiyatri Derg . 2018;29(4):269-278.

Branje S, de Moor EL, Spitzer J, Becht AI. Dynamics of identity development in adolescence: a decade in review . J Res Adolesc . 2021;31(4):908-927. doi:10.1111/jora.12678

Stirrups R.  The storm and stress in the adolescent brain .  The Lancet Neurology . 2018;17(5):404. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(18)30112-1

Fitzgerald A. Professional identity: A concept analysis . Nurs Forum . 2020;55(3):447-472. doi:10.1111/nuf.12450

National Institute of Standards and Technology. Identity .

By Sanjana Gupta Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

The Power of Social Influence: How It Shapes Our Lives and Decisions (+ 5 Success Stories)

Table of Contents

I. introduction.

Picture this: you’re walking through a busy shopping mall when suddenly, a group of people around you starts clapping and cheering. Without even realizing it, you find yourself joining in, swept up by the contagious energy of the crowd. This seemingly innocuous example demonstrates the pervasive and powerful nature of social influence in our everyday lives. From the clothes we wear to the opinions we hold, it shapes our decisions and behaviors in countless ways.

In this increasingly interconnected world, social influence extends far beyond face-to-face interactions, reaching us through the screens of our smartphones and computers. Understanding the mechanisms behind social influence is crucial for navigating the complex web of influences that impact our lives, both online and offline.

In this article, we will delve into the fascinating world of social influence. We’ll explore the psychology that drives it, the factors that impact its strength, and the ways in which it manifests in the digital age. Furthermore, we’ll offer tips and strategies for developing critical thinking and self-awareness to better navigate the powerful currents of social influence.

II. The Psychology of Social Influence

A. Terminology

Social influence definition.

It’s all about the sway that the thoughts, actions, and feelings of others have on us. It’s that invisible force that nudges us to follow the crowd, pick up on trends, or give in to peer pressure. In a nutshell, it is how the people around us shape our decisions and behavior, whether we realize it or not.

Social Influence Meaning

Peeling back the layers of social influence, we find that it’s more than just a matter of following the leader. It encompasses a wide range of phenomena, from the subtle art of persuasion to the outright coercion of obedience. Its essence lies in our innate desire for social harmony, approval, and connection, which drives us to adapt our behavior, choices, and beliefs to fit in with those around us.

Social Influence Model

One way to make sense of social influence is through the lens of the social impact theory, a model that breaks it down into three key factors: strength, immediacy, and number. In a nutshell, this model suggests that the more powerful, close, and numerous the sources of influence, the more likely we are to be swayed by them. By understanding this dynamic interplay, we can better predict how social influence will unfold in various situations and empower ourselves to navigate its complexities with greater ease.

B. Social Influence Psychology

To better understand the psychology of social influence, let’s delve deeper into the three main types that govern our behavior:

Conformity occurs when we adjust our behavior or opinions to align with the norms or expectations of a group. This can happen consciously or unconsciously and is often driven by our innate desire for social acceptance and harmony. For example, you might adopt a specific fashion style to fit in with your friends or change your opinion on a controversial topic to avoid conflict within your social circle.

Compliance is the act of going along with a request or demand from others, even if we don’t necessarily agree with it. This is typically motivated by a desire to avoid negative consequences, such as rejection or punishment. An example of compliance could be agreeing to work overtime because your boss asked you to, even though you would rather not.

Obedience refers to the act of obeying an authority figure, even if it goes against our values or beliefs. This type of social influence is particularly powerful because we are often taught from a young age to respect and obey those in positions of authority. A classic example of obedience is following a law that we personally disagree with because of the potential consequences of disobedience.

C. Social Influence Theory

Several psychological theories help explain our susceptibility to social influence:

Social Identity Theory

We derive a sense of self and belonging from the groups we identify with, such as our family, friends, or professional peers. This identification drives us to adopt the values, attitudes, and behaviors of these groups, leading to conforming behaviors. The stronger our attachment to a group, the more likely we are to conform to its norms.

Normative Social Influence

It stems from our desire to be liked and accepted by others. In order to gain approval and avoid social disapproval or exclusion, we may conform to the expectations of those around us. This type of influence can be especially powerful in situations where we are uncertain about the appropriate behavior or where the group’s opinion is unanimous.

Informational Social Influence

It occurs when we look to others for guidance in situations where we lack knowledge or are uncertain about the correct course of action. We may conform to the behavior of others because we believe they possess more information or expertise than we do. This type of influence can lead to the spread of both accurate and inaccurate information within social networks.

D. Social Influence Examples

The psychology of social influence has been extensively studied, with numerous experiments and real-life examples shedding light on its power and mechanisms:

Asch Line Experiment

In this groundbreaking study conducted by Solomon Asch, participants were asked to judge the length of lines in a group setting. When other group members (who were actually confederates) unanimously chose the incorrect answer, the majority of participants conformed to the group’s opinion, even though the correct answer was clearly evident.

Milgram’s Obedience Experiment

Psychologist Stanley Milgram’s controversial study examined the extent to which people would obey an authority figure instructing them to administer increasingly painful electric shocks to another person. Despite the apparent distress of the “victim” (who was actually an actor), many participants continued to follow orders, demonstrating the powerful influence of authority on obedience.

Stanford Prison Experiment

In this infamous study led by Philip Zimbardo, college students were randomly assigned to play the roles of prisoners and guards in a simulated prison environment. The “guards” quickly began to exhibit abusive behavior, while the “prisoners” became passive and submissive. The experiment was terminated early due to the extreme psychological effects on the participants, illustrating the profound impact of social roles and expectations on behavior and conformity.

Bystander Effect

The bystander effect is a social phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when there are other people present. This can be attributed to a diffusion of responsibility, where each person assumes someone else will take action, as well as a reliance on the inaction of others as a cue for appropriate behavior. The tragic case of Kitty Genovese, who was assaulted and murdered while numerous witnesses failed to intervene or call for help, brought attention to this phenomenon and led to further research on the topic.

Social influence is shaping our behavior and decisions, often in ways that we may not be consciously aware of.

III. Factors That Impact Social Influence

It is not a one-size-fits-all phenomenon. Its strength and impact can be influenced by various factors, including group dynamics, personal factors, and the presence of authority figures or perceived expertise. Understanding these factors can help us recognize and mitigate the effects of social influence in our own lives.

A. Group Dynamics

The dynamics of a group can play a significant role in the strength of social influence:

• Group Size: Research has shown that as the number of people in a group increases, the likelihood of conforming grows. However, this effect plateaus once the group reaches a certain size, as the pressure to conform becomes diluted among the larger number of individuals.
• Group Cohesiveness: The more cohesive a group is, the stronger the pressure to conform. Cohesive groups often share similar values, beliefs, or goals, which can create a powerful sense of unity and identity. This can make it especially difficult to resist conforming to the group’s norms or expectations.
• Group Unanimity: When a group’s opinion is unanimous, the pressure to conform can be extremely strong. This is particularly true when the individual is uncertain about the correct course of action or when the group’s opinion is perceived as carrying significant weight or importance.

B. Personal Factors

Individual personality traits and cultural backgrounds can also influence our susceptibility to social influence:

• Personality Traits: Certain personality traits, such as conscientiousness, agreeableness, or a high need for social approval, may predispose individuals to be more prone to conforming behavior. Conversely, people with traits such as high self-esteem or independence may be less likely to conform.
• Cultural Background: Culture can play a significant role in shaping our susceptibility to social influence. Collectivist cultures, which prioritize group harmony and interdependence, may encourage greater conformity than individualistic cultures, which emphasize personal autonomy and self-expression.

C. Authority Figures and Expertise

The presence of authority figures or perceived expertise can amplify its power. We are more likely to conform to the opinions or demands of those we perceive as authority figures or experts in a particular field because we trust their judgment and may fear the consequences of disobeying them. This can be seen in cases like the Milgram experiment, where participants obeyed the experimenter’s orders despite their own moral reservations.

IV. Five Great Examples of Social Influence for a Better World

Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign

Dove’s Real Beauty campaign revolutionized the beauty industry by challenging traditional beauty standards and promoting body positivity. Through advertisements featuring women of diverse shapes, sizes, and ethnicities, Dove successfully used social influence to shift the public’s perception of beauty and inspire millions of women to embrace their natural appearance. The campaign’s impact on the industry has been long-lasting, leading many other brands to adopt more inclusive marketing strategies.

The Ice Bucket Challenge

The Ice Bucket Challenge was a viral social media campaign that raised awareness and funds for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research. The challenge involved people dumping a bucket of ice water over their heads and nominating others to do the same, spreading rapidly across social media platforms. The power of social influence led millions of people to participate, raising over $115 million for ALS research and significantly accelerating the development of new treatments.

Malala Yousafzai’s Global Impact

Malala Yousafzai , a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, has used social influence to promote the importance of education for girls worldwide. After surviving a Taliban assassination attempt, Malala shared her story with the world, inspiring millions to support her cause. Through her advocacy, Malala has successfully influenced global policies and increased funding for girls’ education, improving the lives of countless young women.

Movember Foundation’s Men’s Health Campaign

The Movember Foundation is a global charity that uses social influence to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health. The annual Movember campaign encourages men to grow mustaches during November and raise funds through their networks, effectively utilizing it to create a sense of community and drive positive change. Since its inception, the Movember Foundation has raised over $1 billion and funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects worldwide.

The #MeToo Movement

The #MeToo movement, founded by Tarana Burke and popularized by actress Alyssa Milano, has used the power of social influence to raise awareness about sexual harassment and assault. Through the simple act of sharing personal stories with the hashtag #MeToo, millions of survivors found solidarity and support. The movement has had a profound impact on society, leading to increased accountability for perpetrators, widespread discussions about consent and power dynamics, and significant legal reforms to protect survivors’ rights.

V. Social Influence in the Digital Age

The digital age has brought about a new era of social influence, where interactions and information dissemination take place at lightning speed across the globe. From social media platforms to online forums, the internet has amplified the power of social influence and introduced new dynamics to the way we conform, comply, and obey.

A. The Amplification of Social Influence

The internet has revolutionized the way we communicate, making it easier than ever to share ideas, opinions, and information with vast networks of people. This has given rise to new forms of social influence that are more far-reaching and pervasive than traditional face-to-face interactions:

• Rapid Information Spread: Digital platforms enable information to spread rapidly, allowing trends, beliefs, and opinions to gain traction quickly and reach large audiences. This can create a sense of urgency and importance around a particular issue or idea, making it more difficult to resist conforming.
• Peer Pressure and Social Comparison: Social media platforms create an environment where we are constantly exposed to the lives and opinions of others. This can lead to increased feelings of peer pressure and social comparison, as we strive to keep up with the ever-changing trends and standards presented online.

B. Viral Trends, Social Media Influencers, and Echo Chambers

The digital age has given rise to new forms of social influence that are unique to the online world:

• Viral Trends: The internet has the ability to turn obscure ideas or behaviors into viral trends that spread like wildfire. These trends can create intense pressure to conform, as people feel the need to participate in order to fit in or gain social approval.
• Social Media Influencers: Social media influencers are individuals who have amassed large followings on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. They hold significant sway over their followers, shaping their preferences, opinions, and behaviors. By endorsing products, promoting lifestyles, or sharing their opinions on various topics, influencers exert a powerful form of social influence on their audiences.
• Echo Chambers: Online platforms can create echo chambers, where individuals are exposed primarily to information and opinions that reinforce their existing beliefs. This can lead to a narrowing of perspectives and increased polarization, as people are less likely to encounter or engage with opposing viewpoints.

C. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Social influence in the digital age is a double-edged sword, with both positive and negative implications:

• Positive Effects: The internet can be a powerful tool for inspiring positive change and mobilizing support for important causes. For example, social media campaigns can raise awareness of environmental issues, promote body positivity, or encourage mental health discussions. In these cases, digital social influence can drive progress and create a sense of unity around shared values.
• Negative Effects: On the other hand, the digital age has also given rise to more harmful forms of social influence. These include the spread of misinformation, the rise of cancel culture, and the promotion of unrealistic beauty or lifestyle standards. Additionally, the constant exposure to online opinions and trends can erode our critical thinking skills and make it more challenging to resist conforming to societal pressures.

VI. Tips for Critical Thinking and Self-Awareness

To better navigate the complex world of social influence, both online and offline, it’s essential to develop critical thinking skills and cultivate self-awareness. Here are some strategies and tips to help you recognize and manage the impact of social influence on your life:

A. Recognizing and Resisting Negative Social Influences

Being able to identify and resist negative social influences is crucial for maintaining a sense of autonomy and authenticity. Consider these strategies:

• Develop Critical Thinking Skills: Train yourself to question what you see, hear, and read. Analyze the source of the information, consider alternative viewpoints, and don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo. This will help you to better evaluate the credibility and validity of the information and opinions you encounter.
• Seek Diverse Perspectives: Deliberately expose yourself to a variety of sources and opinions, even those that challenge your own beliefs. This can help you to develop a more well-rounded understanding of issues and become more open to new ideas.
• Foster Self-Awareness: Reflect on your own values, beliefs, and motivations, and strive to make choices that align with your authentic self. By understanding what is truly important to you, you can better resist the pull of external influences and make more informed decisions.

B. Harnessing Positive Social Influence

Social influence can also be a force for good, driving positive change and personal growth. Here are some tips for leveraging positive social influence:

• Seek Out Positive Role Models: Surround yourself with individuals who inspire you to grow, learn, and improve. By learning from their experiences and emulating their positive qualities, you can harness the power of social influence for your own personal development.
• Use Social Influence to Drive Positive Change: Recognize the power of your own influence, and use it to promote constructive ideas, behaviors, and initiatives. Whether it’s championing an important cause, raising awareness about an issue, or supporting a friend in need, you can make a difference by leveraging the power of social influence in a positive way.

C. Reflecting on Your Experiences

Regularly reflecting on your experiences with social influence can help you to develop a deeper understanding of its impact on your life and choices:

• Identify Instances of Social Influence: Take the time to examine your choices and behaviors, and consider the extent to which they have been shaped by external influences. This can help you to develop a greater awareness of your susceptibility to social influence and identify areas where you may need to strengthen your critical thinking or self-awareness.
• Learn from Your Experiences: Use your reflections as an opportunity for growth and learning. By recognizing the ways in which social influence has shaped your life, both positively and negatively, you can make more informed decisions and take steps to better navigate the complex world of social influence in the future.

VII. The Future of Social Influence

As society continues to evolve and technology advances, the dynamics of social influence are also likely to change. While it is impossible to predict the future with certainty, we can identify some emerging trends and consider their potential impact on the way we experience and navigate social influence in the years to come.

A. The Growing Role of Artificial Intelligence

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, it is likely to play a more significant role in shaping social influence:

• AI-driven Recommendations: AI algorithms are already being used by social media platforms and search engines to curate personalized content for users. As these algorithms become more sophisticated, they may wield even greater influence over the information we consume and the opinions we form.
• Virtual Influencers: The rise of virtual influencers—AI-generated or digitally designed personalities with large online followings—may also impact the dynamics of social influence. As these virtual figures gain popularity, their creators will be able to leverage their influence to shape public opinion and consumer behavior.

B. The Impact of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Advancements in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies may also reshape the landscape of social influence:

• Immersive Social Experiences: As VR and AR technologies become more widely adopted, they could provide even more immersive social experiences, amplifying the power of social influence in these virtual environments.
• Blurring the Lines Between Reality and Virtual Worlds: The integration of VR and AR into our daily lives could blur the lines between the real and the virtual, potentially leading to new forms of social influence that are more difficult to recognize and resist.

C. Changing Social Dynamics

The future of social influence will also be shaped by broader societal shifts and changing social dynamics:

• Global Connectivity: As the world becomes more interconnected through technology and globalization, we may be increasingly exposed to diverse perspectives and cultures. This could both broaden our horizons and introduce new sources of social influence into our lives.
• The Fight Against Misinformation: Growing awareness of the prevalence and impact of misinformation may lead to a greater emphasis on media literacy and critical thinking education, helping individuals better navigate and resist the negative aspects of social influence.

D. Ethical Considerations and Regulation

As our understanding of social influence deepens and technology continues to evolve, we may see greater emphasis on ethical considerations and the potential need for regulation:

• Transparency and Accountability: There may be a growing demand for transparency and accountability in the way social media platforms and AI algorithms shape our online experiences, to ensure that they do not unduly manipulate our opinions and behavior.
• Regulation and Legislation: Governments and regulatory bodies may also become more involved in addressing the potential negative consequences of social influence in the digital age, implementing policies and guidelines to protect individuals from undue manipulation and coercion.

VIII. Conclusion

Social influence is an undeniable force that shapes our behavior, decisions, and beliefs throughout our lives. From the psychological underpinnings of conformity, compliance, and obedience to its increasingly complex dynamics in the digital age, our understanding of this phenomenon continues to evolve. As we look towards the future, advancements in technology, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality, as well as shifting social dynamics and ethical considerations, will further impact the ways in which social influence manifests itself in our lives.

To navigate this ever-changing landscape, it is crucial that we cultivate critical thinking skills, self-awareness, and a willingness to seek diverse perspectives. By actively reflecting on our experiences, we can better recognize and resist negative influences while harnessing the power of positive social influence for personal growth and positive change.

Ultimately, understanding and managing social influence requires a balance between adaptability and autonomy, openness to new ideas and trust in our own judgment. As we continue to explore the complexities of social influence, we can empower ourselves to lead more authentic and fulfilling lives, driven by a genuine understanding of our values and beliefs. By doing so, we not only strengthen our individuality but also contribute to a more informed, resilient, and diverse society, where the power of social influence can be harnessed for the greater good.

KEY CONCEPTS

What is social influence.

Social influence refers to the way our behavior, decisions, and beliefs are shaped by the presence or actions of others.

What are the three main types of social influence?

Conformity, compliance, and obedience are the three main types of social influence.

How has the digital age impacted social influence?

The digital age has amplified social influence through rapid information spread, peer pressure, and social comparison.

Who are social media influencers?

Social media influencers are individuals with large online followings who shape their audience’s preferences, opinions, and behaviors.

What are echo chambers?

Echo chambers are online spaces where individuals are primarily exposed to information and opinions that reinforce their existing beliefs.

How can I develop critical thinking skills?

Question what you see, analyze the source of information, consider alternative viewpoints, and challenge the status quo.

What role will AI play in the future of social influence?

AI will play a growing role in shaping social influence through AI-driven recommendations and the rise of virtual influencers.

How will virtual reality and augmented reality impact social influence?

VR and AR technologies may create more immersive social experiences, amplifying the power of social influence in virtual environments.

How can I resist negative social influences?

Develop critical thinking skills, seek diverse perspectives, and foster self-awareness to recognize and resist negative social influences.

How can I harness positive social influence?

Seek out positive role models, use social influence to drive positive change, and regularly reflect on your experiences with social influence.

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Speaking, writing and reading are integral to everyday life, where language is the primary tool for expression and communication. Studying how people use language – what words and phrases they unconsciously choose and combine – can help us better understand ourselves and why we behave the way we do.

Linguistics scholars seek to determine what is unique and universal about the language we use, how it is acquired and the ways it changes over time. They consider language as a cultural, social and psychological phenomenon.

“Understanding why and how languages differ tells about the range of what is human,” said Dan Jurafsky , the Jackson Eli Reynolds Professor in Humanities and chair of the Department of Linguistics in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford . “Discovering what’s universal about languages can help us understand the core of our humanity.”

The stories below represent some of the ways linguists have investigated many aspects of language, including its semantics and syntax, phonetics and phonology, and its social, psychological and computational aspects.

Understanding stereotypes

Stanford linguists and psychologists study how language is interpreted by people. Even the slightest differences in language use can correspond with biased beliefs of the speakers, according to research.

One study showed that a relatively harmless sentence, such as “girls are as good as boys at math,” can subtly perpetuate sexist stereotypes. Because of the statement’s grammatical structure, it implies that being good at math is more common or natural for boys than girls, the researchers said.

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How well-meaning statements can spread stereotypes unintentionally

New Stanford research shows that sentences that frame one gender as the standard for the other can unintentionally perpetuate biases.

Algorithms reveal changes in stereotypes

New Stanford research shows that, over the past century, linguistic changes in gender and ethnic stereotypes correlated with major social movements and demographic changes in the U.S. Census data.

Exploring what an interruption is in conversation

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Cops speak less respectfully to black community members

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How other languages inform our own

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“All this research can help us discover what it means to be human,” Jurafsky said.

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1.2 Understanding Society

Learning objectives.

• Explain the debunking motif.
• Define the sociological imagination.
• Explain what is meant by the blaming-the-victim ideology.

We have just seen that sociology regards individuals as social beings influenced in many ways by their social environment and perhaps less free to behave and think than Americans ordinarily assume. If this insight suggests to you that sociology might have some other surprising things to say about the social world, you are certainly correct. Max Weber (1864–1920), a founder of sociology, wrote long ago that a major goal of sociology was to reveal and explain “inconvenient facts” (Gerth & Mills, 1946, p. 147). These facts include the profound influence of society on the individual and also, as we shall see throughout this book, the existence and extent of social inequality.

In line with Weber’s observation, as sociologists use the sociological perspective in their theory and research, they often challenge conventional understandings of how society works and of controversial social issues. This emphasis is referred to as the debunking motif , to which we now turn.

The Debunking Motif

As Peter L. Berger (1963, pp. 23–24) noted in his classic book Invitation to Sociology , “The first wisdom of sociology is this—things are not what they seem.” Social reality, he said, has “many layers of meaning,” and a goal of sociology is to help us discover these multiple meanings. He continued, “People who like to avoid shocking discoveries…should stay away from sociology.”

As Berger was emphasizing, sociology helps us see through conventional understandings of how society works. He referred to this theme of sociology as the debunking motif . By “looking for levels of reality other than those given in the official interpretations of society” (p. 38), Berger said, sociology looks beyond on-the-surface understandings of social reality and helps us recognize the value of alternative understandings. In this manner, sociology often challenges conventional understandings about social reality and social institutions.

For example, suppose two people meet at a college dance. They are interested in getting to know each other. What would be an on-the-surface understanding and description of their interaction over the next few minutes? What do they say? If they are like a typical couple who just met, they will ask questions like, What’s your name? Where are you from? What dorm do you live in? What’s your major? Now, such a description of their interaction is OK as far as it goes, but what is really going on here? Does either of the two people really care that much about the other person’s answers to these questions? Isn’t each one more concerned about how the other person is responding, both verbally and nonverbally, during this brief interaction? For example, is the other person paying attention and smiling? Isn’t this kind of understanding a more complete analysis of these few minutes of interaction than an understanding based solely on the answers to questions like, What’s your major? For the most complete understanding of this brief encounter, then, we must look beyond the rather superficial things the two people are telling each other to uncover the true meaning of what is going on.

As another example, consider the power structure in a city or state. To know who has the power to make decisions, we would probably consult a city or state charter or constitution that spells out the powers of the branches of government. This written document would indicate who makes decisions and has power, but what would it not talk about? To put it another way, who or what else has power to influence the decisions elected officials make? Big corporations? Labor unions? The media? Lobbying groups representing all sorts of interests? The city or state charter or constitution may indicate who has the power to make decisions, but this understanding would be limited unless one looks beyond these written documents to get a deeper, more complete understanding of how power really operates in the setting being studied.

Social Structure and the Sociological Imagination

One way sociology achieves a more complete understanding of social reality is through its focus on the importance of the social forces affecting our behavior, attitudes, and life chances. This focus involves an emphasis on social structure , the social patterns through which a society is organized. Social structure can be both horizontal or vertical. Horizontal social structure refers to the social relationships and the social and physical characteristics of communities to which individuals belong. Some people belong to many networks of social relationships, including groups like the PTA and the Boy or Girl Scouts, while other people have fewer such networks. Some people grew up on streets where the houses were crowded together, while other people grew up in areas where the homes were much farther apart. These are examples of the sorts of factors constituting the horizontal social structure that forms such an important part of our social environment and backgrounds.

The other dimension of social structure is vertical. Vertical social structure , more commonly called social inequality , refers to ways in which a society or group ranks people in a hierarchy, with some more “equal” than others. In the United States and most other industrial societies, such things as wealth, power, race and ethnicity, and gender help determine one’s social ranking, or position, in the vertical social structure. Some people are at the top of society, while many more are in the middle or at the bottom. People’s positions in society’s hierarchy in turn often have profound consequences for their attitudes, behaviors, and life chances, both for themselves and for their children.

In recognizing the importance of social structure, sociology stresses that individual problems are often rooted in problems stemming from the horizontal and vertical social structures of society. This key insight informed C. Wright Mills’s (1959) classic distinction between personal troubles and public issues . Personal troubles refer to a problem affecting individuals that the affected individual, as well as other members of society, typically blame on the individual’s own failings. Examples include such different problems as eating disorders, divorce, and unemployment. Public issues , whose source lies in the social structure and culture of a society, refer to social problems affecting many individuals. Thus problems in society help account for problems that individuals experience. Mills felt that many problems ordinarily considered private troubles are best understood as public issues, and he coined the term sociological imagination to refer to the ability to appreciate the structural basis for individual problems.

To illustrate Mills’s viewpoint, let’s use our sociological imaginations to understand some important contemporary social problems. We will start with unemployment, which Mills himself discussed. If only a few people were unemployed, Mills wrote, we could reasonably explain their unemployment by saying they were lazy, lacked good work habits, and so forth. If so, their unemployment would be their own personal trouble. But when millions of people are out of work, unemployment is best understood as a public issue because, as Mills (1959, p. 9) put it, “the very structure of opportunities has collapsed. Both the correct statement of the problem and the range of possible solutions require us to consider the economic and political institutions of the society, and not merely the personal situation and character of a scatter of individuals.”

The growing unemployment rate stemming from the severe economic downturn that began in 2008 provides a telling example of the point Mills was making. Millions of people lost their jobs through no fault of their own. While some individuals are undoubtedly unemployed because they are lazy or lack good work habits, a more structural explanation focusing on lack of opportunity is needed to explain why so many people were out of work as this book went to press. If so, unemployment is best understood as a public issue rather than a personal trouble.

Another contemporary problem is crime, which we explore further in Chapter 7 “Deviance, Crime, and Social Control” . If crime were only a personal trouble, then we could blame crime on the moral failings of individuals, and some explanations of crime do precisely this. But such an approach ignores the fact that crime is a public issue, because structural factors such as inequality and the physical characteristics of communities contribute to high crime rates among certain groups in American society. As an illustration, consider identical twins separated at birth. One twin grows up in a wealthy suburb or rural area, while the other twin grows up in a blighted neighborhood in a poor, urban area. Twenty years later, which twin will be more likely to have a criminal record? You probably answered the twin growing up in the poor, rundown urban neighborhood. If so, you recognize that there is something about growing up in that type of neighborhood that increases the chances of a person becoming prone to crime. That “something” is the structural factors just mentioned. Criminal behavior is a public issue, not just a personal trouble.

Although eating disorders often stem from personal problems, they also may reflect a cultural emphasis for women to have slender bodies.

Christy McKenna – grab – CC BY-SA 2.0.

A third problem is eating disorders. We usually consider a person’s eating disorder to be a personal trouble that stems from a lack of control, low self-esteem, or another personal problem. This explanation may be OK as far as it goes, but it does not help us understand why so many people have the personal problems that lead to eating disorders. Perhaps more important, this belief also neglects the larger social and cultural forces that help explain such disorders. For example, most Americans with eating disorders are women, not men. This gender difference forces us to ask what it is about being a woman in American society that makes eating disorders so much more common. To begin to answer this question, we need to look to the standard of beauty for women that emphasizes a slender body (Whitehead & Kurz, 2008). If this cultural standard did not exist, far fewer American women would suffer from eating disorders than do now. Even if every girl and woman with an eating disorder were cured, others would take their places unless we could somehow change the cultural standard of female slenderness. To the extent this explanation makes sense, eating disorders are best understood as a public issue, not just as a personal trouble.

Picking up on Mills’s insights, William Ryan (1976) pointed out that Americans typically think that social problems such as poverty and unemployment stem from personal failings of the people experiencing these problems, not from structural problems in the larger society. Using Mills’s terms, Americans tend to think of social problems as personal troubles rather than public issues. As Ryan put it, they tend to believe in blaming the victim rather than blaming the system .

To help us understand a blaming-the-victim ideology, let’s consider why poor children in urban areas often learn very little in their schools. A blaming-the-victim approach, according to Ryan, would say that the children’s parents do not care about their learning, fail to teach them good study habits, and do not encourage them to take school seriously. This type of explanation may apply to some parents, in Ryan’s opinion, but it ignores a much more important reason: the sad shape of America’s urban schools, which are decrepit structures housing old textbooks and out-of-date equipment. To improve the schooling of children in urban areas, he wrote, we must improve the schools themselves, and not just try to “improve” the parents.

As this example suggests, a blaming-the-victim approach points to solutions to social problems such as poverty and illiteracy that are very different from those suggested by a more structural approach that “blames the system.” If we blame the victim, we would spend our limited dollars to address the personal failings of individuals who suffer from poverty, illiteracy, poor health, eating disorders, and other difficulties. If instead we blame the system, we would focus our attention on the various social conditions (decrepit schools, cultural standards of female beauty, and the like) that account for these difficulties. A sociological perspective suggests that the latter approach is ultimately needed to help us deal successfully with the social problems facing us today.

Sociology and Social Reform: Public Sociology

This book’s subtitle is “understanding and changing the social world.” The last several pages were devoted to the subtitle’s first part, understanding . Our discussion of Mills’s and Ryan’s perspectives in turn points to the implications of a sociological understanding for changing the social world. This understanding suggests the need to focus on the various aspects of the social environment that help explain both social issues and private troubles, to recall Mills’s terms.

The use of sociological knowledge to achieve social reform was a key theme of sociology as it developed in the United States after emerging at the University of Chicago in the 1890s (Calhoun, 2007). The early Chicago sociologists aimed to use their research to achieve social reform and, in particular, to reduce poverty and its related effects. They worked closely with Jane Addams (1860–1935), a renowned social worker who founded Hull House (a home for the poor in Chicago) in 1899 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. Addams gained much attention for her analyses of poverty and other social problems of the time, and her book Twenty Years at Hull House remains a moving account of her work with the poor and ill in Chicago (Deegan, 1990).

About the same time, W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963), a sociologist and the first African American to obtain a PhD from Harvard University, wrote groundbreaking books and articles on race in American society and, more specifically, on the problems facing African Americans (Morris, 2007). One of these works was his 1899 book The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study , which attributed the problems facing Philadelphia blacks to racial prejudice among whites. Du Bois also helped found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). A contemporary of Du Bois was Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862–1931), a former slave who became an activist for women’s rights and worked tirelessly to improve the conditions of African Americans. She wrote several studies of lynching and joined Du Bois in helping to found the NAACP (Bay, 2009).

American sociology has never fully lost its early calling, but by the 1940s and 1950s many sociologists had developed a more scientific, professional orientation that disregarded social reform (Calhoun, 2007). In 1951, a group of sociologists who felt that sociology had abandoned the discipline’s early social reform orientation formed a new national association, the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP). SSSP’s primary aim today remains the use of sociological knowledge to achieve social justice ( http://sssp1.org ). During the 1960s, a new wave of young sociologists, influenced by the political events and social movements of that tumultuous period, took up the mantle of social reform and clashed with their older colleagues. A healthy tension has existed since then between sociologists who see social reform as a major goal of their work and those who favor sociological knowledge for its own sake.

In 2004, the president of the American Sociological Association, Michael Burawoy, called for “public sociology,” or the use of sociological insights and findings to address social issues and achieve social change (Burawoy, 2005). His call ignited much excitement and debate, as public sociology became the theme or prime topic of several national and regional sociology conferences and of special issues or sections of major sociological journals. Several sociology departments began degree programs or concentrations in public sociology, and a Google search of “public sociology” in November 2010 yielded 32,000 results. In the spirit of public sociology, the chapters that follow aim to show the relevance of sociological knowledge for social reform.

Key Takeaways

• The debunking motif involves seeing beyond taken-for-granted assumptions of social reality.
• According to C. Wright Mills, the sociological imagination involves the ability to recognize that private troubles are rooted in public issues and structural problems.
• Early U.S. sociologists emphasized the use of sociological research to achieve social reform, and today’s public sociology reflects the historical roots of sociology in this regard.

For Your Review

• Select an example of a “private trouble” and explain how and why it may reflect a structural problem in society.
• Do you think it is important to emphasize the potential use of sociological research to achieve social reform? Why or why not?

Bay, M. (2009). To tell the truth freely: The life of Ida B. Wells . New York, NY: Hill and Wang.

Berger, P. L. (1963). Invitation to sociology: A humanistic perspective . Garden City, NY: Anchor Books.

Burawoy, M. (2005). 2004 presidential address: For public sociology. American Sociological Review, 70 , 4–28.

Calhoun, C. (2007). Sociology in America: An introduction. In C. Calhoun (Ed.), Sociology in America: A history (pp. 1–38). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Deegan, M. J. (1990). Jane Addams and the men of the Chicago school, 1892–1918 . New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.

Gerth, H., & Mills, C. W. (Eds.). (1946). From Max Weber: Essays in sociology . New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Mills, C. W. (1959). The sociological imagination . London, England: Oxford University Press.

Morris, A. D. (2007). Sociology of race and W. E. B. Du Bois: The path not taken. In C. Calhoun (Ed.), Sociology in America: A history (pp. 503–534). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Ryan, W. (1976). Blaming the victim . New York, NY: Vintage Books.

Whitehead, K., & Kurz, T. (2008). Saints, sinners and standards of femininity: Discursive constructions of anorexia nervosa and obesity in women’s magazines. Journal of Gender Studies, 17, 345–358.

Sociology Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Tips for the College Interview Question "Who Has Most Influenced You?"

• Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania
• M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania
• B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT

Interview questions about influential people can come in many variations: Who is your hero? Who deserves the most credit for your success? Who is your role model? In short, the question is asking you to discuss someone you admire.

Interview Tips: Who Has Most Influenced you?

• You don't have to be creative with this question. Just be honest and thoughtful. Family members, teachers, and friends are all fine answers.
• Be careful with polarizing political figures since it can a challenge for your interviewer to be entirely unbiased.
• Don't try to impress your interviewer with historical figures like Abraham Lincoln or Mother Theresa.
• Focus on a human, not a pet.

Good Interview Answers About an Influential Person

So, who should you name as a hero or influential person? Speak from the heart here. There is no right answer other than a sincere answer. Also, realize that unlike a "hero," an influential person isn't always a positive example. You may have grown and changed as a result of someone whose mistakes or inappropriate behavior taught you what  not  to do with your life. Answers to the question can draw from lots of different options:

• A Family Member— For most of us, parents and siblings have a huge impact on our lives. Answering with a family member is fairly predictable but also perfectly appropriate. Just make sure you can articulate the specific ways in which the family member influenced you.
• A Teacher— Is there a particular teacher who got you excited about learning, a subject area, or continuing your education? Since you're interviewing in an effort to continue your education, focusing on an educator can be an excellent choice.
• A Friend— For good or bad, your close friends have a huge influence on your decisions and behavior. Do you have a close friend who has helped you succeed in high school? Or, depending on how the question is worded, do you have a friend who influenced you in a negative way?
• A Coach— Coaches often teach us leadership, responsibility and teamwork. As long as your response doesn't reveal that you value athletics more than academics, a coach can be a great choice. Try to articulate how your coach has helped you succeed in areas other than sports.
• A Community Member— Do you have a mentor in the church or some other community organization? Community members often teach us to think outside of the narrow sphere of our families.

Bad Interview Answers

This question about an influential person, like many common interview questions , is not difficult, but you do want to think about it for a few minutes before your interview. A few answers can fall flat, so think twice before giving responses such as these:

• Myself— In truth, you probably are the person who is most responsible for your success. You may, in fact, be self-reliant with no real heroes. However, if you answer this question with yourself you will sound self-absorbed and selfish. Colleges want to admit students who help each other out and work as a community. They don't want solitary egotists.
• Gandhi or Abe Lincoln— If you have great respect for an admirable historical figure, that's wonderful. Such answers, however, can come across sounding like you're trying to make a good impression, not like you're answering the question sincerely. In your day-to-day life of classes, extracurricular activities , tests, and relationships, is Abe Lincoln really influencing your behavior? If he is, fine. If not, rethink your answer and work to speak from the heart.
• Donald Trump or Barack Obama— Here, as with the example above, is the president (or Senator, Governor, etc.) really influencing and guiding you in your day-to-day life? This question has an added danger. Your interviewer will do his or her best to be unbiased, but interviewers are human. If you name a Democrat and your interviewer is a staunch Republican, your response could create a subconscious strike against you in the interviewer's mind. Both Trump and Obama can be polarizing figures, so be aware of the inherent risks before choosing a prominent political figure for your response.
• God— At a college with a religious affiliation, God could be a fine answer. At many colleges, however, the answer is a crap shoot. The admissions officer may admire your faith. Some interviewers, however, will be skeptical of students who attribute their successes to prayer and divine guidance rather than commitment and hard work. That said, you certainly don't need to shy away from your faith in your interview, and a priest or rabbi can be an excellent choice for this interview question.
• My Dog— Fido may be a great pet who has taught you responsibility and unconditional love, but keep your answer in the world of humans. Colleges are made up of humans.

A Final Word

Whatever your answer, bring the influential person to life for your interviewer. Avoid vague generalities. As with an admissions essay on an influential person , you'll want to provide colorful, entertaining, and specific examples of how the person has influenced you. Also, keep in mind that a strong answer provides a window into your life and personality, not just the admirable qualities of the influential person. The ultimate goal of the interviewer is to get to know you better, not the person you admire.

Finally, make sure you dress appropriately and avoid common interview mistakes . College interviews are generally congenial exchanges of information, so try to relax and have a good time chatting with the college representative.

• College Interview Questions
• What Will You Contribute to Our College?
• Tell Me About Yourself
• Why Are You Interested in Our College?
• 9 Common Medical School Interview Questions and How to Answer Them
• What Do You Do for Fun?
• 10 College Interview Mistakes
• What Do You Do Best?
• What Do You See Yourself Doing 10 Years From Now?
• What Do You Want to Major In?
• What Would You Do Differently? Interview Question Tips
• Recommend a Good Book to Me
• College Interview Tips: "Tell Me About a Challenge You Overcame"
• How to Answer "What Can I Tell You About Our College?"
• Teacher Interview Questions and Suggested Answers
• High School Grades Don't Always Accurately Reflect Your Ability

Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Society — Analysis Of What Our Society Looks Like Today

Society Nowadays: Social Issues Among Young People

• Categories: Society

About this sample

Words: 953 |

Published: Feb 12, 2019

Words: 953 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Preventing Youth Violence.
• Cummings, C. M., Caporino, N. E., & Kendall, P. C. (2014). Comorbidity of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents: 20 years after. Psychological Bulletin, 140(3), 816–845.
• Drug Enforcement Administration. (2021). Drug Use and Prevention. https://www.dea.gov/drug-use-prevention
• Moffitt, T. E., Arseneault, L., Belsky, D., Dickson, N., Hancox, R. J., Harrington, H. L., Houts, R., Poulton, R., Roberts, B. W., Ross, S., Sears, M. R., Thomson, W. M., & Caspi, A. (2011). A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(7), 2693–2698.
• National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021). Principles of Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Research-Based Guide. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-adolescent-substance-use-disorder-treatment-research-based-guide/introduction
• Office of National Drug Control Policy. (2021). Youth Substance Use Prevention.
• Singer, J. B., & Singer, D. G. (2014). Violence on television and its impact on youth: A psychological perspective. In K. Dill (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of media psychology (pp. 609–628). Oxford University Press.
• Thompson, K. M., & Haninger, K. (2011). Violence in the media and its effects on adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 46(6), S26–S27.
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2019). Global Study on Homicide 2019. https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/gsh/Booklet2.pdf
• World Health Organization. (2021). Violence and injury prevention.

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11 science-backed ways your parents' behaviors shaped who you are today

• Business Insider analyzed research that has shown many ways our parents' behavior shapes our own habits.
• A mother's mental health has a significant effect on their child's behavioral and emotional problems, according to one study in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
• A 2015 study in the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics found that people perform better in school if their parents set high expectations during childhood.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Whether your parents were your best friends or you barely knew them, your relationship with Mom and Dad had an impact on who you are today.

At least that's what Sigmund Freud said when he theorized that our adult personality develops from early childhood experiences, an insight empirically tested by attachment theory and developmental psychology through the 20th century up until today. 

Countless studies and extensive clinical research have found links between your parents' behavior during childhood and how you act as an adult. If your mother was constantly juggling multiple jobs, you're likely to suffer from stress. If your parents set high expectations for you, you were more likely to perform better in school.

Here are 11 ways your parents' behavior impacted who you are.

If your parents made you do chores, you likely take on tasks independently.

If your parents constantly berated you for not making your bed, they were actually doing you a favor.

Children who grow up doing chores take on more responsibility at work instead of waiting for tasks to get assigned to them, according to Julie Lythcott-Haims, former Dean of Freshmen at Stanford University and author of "How to Raise an Adult." They also better collaborate with their coworkers and can better empathize with others.

Doing your chores as a kid can even lead to being more happy down the road, a Harvard grant study that followed people for over 75 years found.

"By making them do chores — taking out the garbage, doing their own laundry — they realize, 'I have to do the work of life in order to be part of life,'" Lythcott-Haims previously told Business Insider . "It's not just about me and what I need in this moment, but that I'm part of an ecosystem. I'm part of a family. I'm part of a workplace."

If your parents taught you social skills, you're more likely to get a college degree and a high-paying job.

A study tracking more than 700 American children over 20 years found that when parents taught their young kids social skills, like how to be helpful or cooperative with their peers, they were more likely to earn a college degree and have a full-time job by 25.

Those without social skills were more likely to drink and get arrested.

If your parents told you white lies, it may have led to you to have issues trusting others in adulthood.

Parents who lied to children to prevent them from getting hurt or needing to have difficult conversations may have done more harm than good. 

"Parents can inadvertently sabotage their relationship with their kids through telling white lies meant to protect their kids from the realities of life that may be scary," psychiatrist  Dr. Carole Lieberman  told INSIDER . "When kids find out the truth, they may feel [like they] can't trust their parents to keep them safe."

If your parents spoke negatively about their bodies, you are more likely to have low self confidence.

Even if parents encourage body positivity in their kids, making negative comments about their own appearance still leads to bad self-confidence.

Constantly hearing your parents call someone fat or make comments about other people sends signals to children about which bodies are better than others, psychotherapist  Christine Scott-Hudson  told INSIDER .

If your parents set high expectations for you, you probably did better in school.

A 2015 study in the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics found children whose parents expected them to go to college performed better on tests than parents with low expectations. The trend occurred among both wealthy and low-income families.

If your mom went to high school or college, you were more likely to do the same.

Children born to teen moms who did not finish high school were less likely to finish high school or go to college, according to a 2014 study led by University of Michigan psychologist Sandra Tang.

If your mom was constantly stressed, you were more likely to be worse at math.

The amount of time parents spend with their children when they are between 3 and 11 years old has little impact on their academic and emotional well-being as adults — but the mental state of parents (especially mothers) has a significant effect.

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family found when mothers are stressed, sleep-deprived, or anxious, it can lead to behavioral and emotional problems, as well as lower math test scores.

"Just don't worry so much about time," report author Melissa Milkie told the Washington Post on advice she would give mothers.

If you're a girl and your mom worked outside the house, you are more likely to earn more money than other women.

A study out of Harvard Business School found daughters of working moms in the US earn 23% more than girls raised by stay-at-home moms. They also complete more years of college and work in more management roles than other girls.

"It's not that it's right or wrong for women to work," the study's lead author, Harvard Business School professor Kathleen L. McGinn, previously told Business Insider . "It's that there's a set of options that seem fully available."

If your mom was loving and attentive when you were a baby, you were more likely to do better in school.

When parents foster loving environments around the time children are as young as three, those kids grow up to score better on exams, according to a 2017 paper in the US National Library of Medicine.

If your parents taught you to verbalize your feelings, you are less likely to get divorced.

Rebecca Bergen, a licensed clinical psychologist, told MyDomaine that if your parents told you to "describe how you feel" or used words to express complex feelings, you can better communicate during adult romantic relationships.

"Styles of communication are often formed by observation and direct experience of our primary role models in childhood," Bergen said.

If your parents sheltered you, you're more likely to have anxiety.

Parents who shelter their kids by using their status, wealth, or privilege may be setting their adult children up for failure, according to Peter Gray , a research professor of psychology at Boston College. These parents value outward appearances of success over teaching their kids tough life lessons, Gray wrote in Psychology Today. 

Children of these parents end up more prone to anxiety, Graham Davey, a professor of Psychology at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, wrote in a  blog on Psychology Today . 

"Given that genetic inheritance is not an overwhelming contributor to the variance in our anxiety levels, this strongly suggests that anxiety may somehow be socially 'transmitted' within the family," Davey wrote.

• Main content

Social Media

Behind the influence of influencers, influencers are very popular in today's world. here's how to adapt as a parent..

Posted May 19, 2024 | Reviewed by Tyler Woods

• Influencers have become role models and mentors—often on subjects where they have no credentials.
• It's important for parents to be curious rather than dismissive about the influencers their teens follow.
• On the positive side, influencers can serve as a source of connection, validation, and belonging.

Co-authored with Cece Lipton and Krista Smith

In our modern attention economy , those who captivate us capture our most precious currency: time and focus.

We call these people influencers. Every time we stop scrolling to gaze at someone else’s content, we are helping them grow their reputation and power.

Through their followers, they influence everything from shopping behaviors, product endorsements, and the meat you choose for dinner—or perhaps your decision to go vegan. The influencer economy may be behind the song you suddenly know all the words to or the third food processor you’ve purchased this month; it may be the reason you booked next year’s vacation to Greece or decided to give Peloton another try.

But for many young people, there is another title silently bestowed on influencers: role model .

Growing up alongside social media , Gen Z has flocked to influencers as figures of pseudo-mentorship, financial guidance , and inspiration. After experiencing uniquely volatile childhoods characterized by political polarization, a global pandemic, and an epidemic of loneliness , it is perhaps no wonder teens are finding comfort in 24/7 access to their favorite influencers. These authors have spoken to many youth that seem to have found role models—not in conventional social circles, like family members or teachers—but by turning to their phones.

During COVID-19 lockdowns, influencers’ popularity accelerated. Many teens were obliged to seek education , entertainment, and social and emotional support through a screen. There were some positive outcomes from this: bound together by memes and procrastination , teens could cultivate a robust, resilient community through their phones that only people of their age group understood. No matter the chaos of the external world, teens could turn to a digital family . And they did.

Mirroring superficial social dynamics often seen in high school settings, teens quickly cultivated the “other AI ”—artificial intimacy , a phrase coined by psychotherapist Esther Perel. They identified the most “popular” figures in their digital community based on the level of engagement their posts received. These influencers offered their audiences comfort, mentorship, and a kind of escapism.

While teens have been engaged fans of public figures for decades—as anyone who once had a boy band poster can attest—those public figures generally made their influence felt in monthly magazines, not daily videos. Teens today look forward to watching an influencer’s video as they would grabbing a cozy coffee with a trusted friend.

By emulating behaviors they see online, adolescents may end up trying to align themselves with the ideals and lifestyles embodied by the influencers-turned-role-models. Indulging in the minutiae of influencers’ lives allows teens, on one hand, a means of escape from the drudgery of adolescence and, on the other hand, risks diverting too much attention on influencers’ lives, rather than their own.

Yet the influencers teens rely on for emotional support and connection typically lack any education in leadership or mental health credentials . Some even secretly struggle with their own mental health concerns. Influencers, for instance, often fail to distinguish between normal unpleasant feelings and clinically significant disorders when streaming or posting to their audience. In a typical "get ready with me" video, for example, an influencer might casually mention being " depressed " or "having OCD " because they ran out of their favorite makeup product. This kind of dialogue can trivialize the experiences of those actually living with these disorders. It also poses a danger to the many teens watching these videos who, in the search for connection, misdiagnose themselves with the same disorders.

This is not to say that social media cannot provide role models. After all, historical figures have served as mentors for countless generations. Still, it is crucial for American youth to understand that we can deeply admire someone while also acknowledging the differences between their lives and our own—and that differences between one’s life and an influencer’s carefully curated life are not deficits.

Parents can’t turn back the clock. But they can act to limit the influence of influencers on their children.

• Help teens set limits on the apps that consume most of their time. Every phone has a feature that allows you to track the amount of time spent on an app. Activate it. Chances are they will be stunned by the number of waking hours they spend on social media. (The average American teen consumes 4.8 hours a day, according to one estimate.) With this knowledge, teens can better understand and adjust their priorities (e.g., “Twenty minutes on Instagram only after I’ve finished this assignment,”) and even feel better about themselves .
• Cultivate an environment of psychological safety in which youth have permission to feel. Many teens turn to social media in search of someone who can validate their emotional experiences. Aside from their phones, it is crucial that youth have alternative spaces—around the kitchen table, on the couch with family—in which there is permission to feel and express all the emotions that come with growing up. Express curiosity in their perspective and their feelings. Ask about their favorite influencers, and prioritize active listening over lecturing.
• Communicate your unwavering support and unconditional love to your children. You can model for them that love and validation do not always come from a screen. Simply showing up physically and emotionally for your child can reinforce the irreplaceable value of in-person human connection. Reject the insidious push for perfection—a theme often encountered on social media—and both you and your child’s mental health will benefit.
• Encourage kids to keep their own counsel and remain critical thinkers. This can take many forms, but it should certainly include inviting them to consider what they really know of the influencers they follow. Who are these people? What makes them generally influential—and what makes them influential in your child’s life? Hand-in-hand with this is setting emotional boundaries . Empower your child to check in with their own perspective regularly and not just accept an influencer’s opinion for fact. Honor their opinions and feelings, and encourage them to pull back from social media when they notice themselves adopting an influencer’s emotions and values over their own.
• As parents, be curious learners. It is far too easy to dismiss the influencer economy as superficial or ephemeral, but this doesn’t make it go away. Even if you may not fully understand what your child is going through or why they would want to spend time on their phone instead of with you, it is important to understand the unique period of history in which they are growing up. Show interest in the influencers your children care about. Ask them where the attraction started; find out why they follow those influencers and not others. Though the relationship itself may seem shallow, what it represents—a form of human connection—likely is not.

However tenuous and unreal online connections may appear, the place of influencers is increasingly central to the world in which our children are growing up. Understanding not only why that is, but how kids think about it—and encouraging a bit of critical engagement among kids themselves—is a key first step in reckoning with the implications of these new role models.

Robin Stern, Ph.D . who is the Associate Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a psychotherapist in private practice, is the author of The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life.

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There’s a New Covid Variant. What Will That Mean for Spring and Summer?

Experts are closely watching KP.2, now the leading variant.

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By Dani Blum

For most of this year, the JN.1 variant of the coronavirus accounted for an overwhelming majority of Covid cases . But now, an offshoot variant called KP.2 is taking off. The variant, which made up just one percent of cases in the United States in mid-March, now makes up over a quarter.

KP.2 belongs to a subset of Covid variants that scientists have cheekily nicknamed “FLiRT,” drawn from the letters in the names of their mutations. They are descendants of JN.1, and KP.2 is “very, very close” to JN.1, said Dr. David Ho, a virologist at Columbia University. But Dr. Ho has conducted early lab tests in cells that suggest that slight differences in KP.2’s spike protein might make it better at evading our immune defenses and slightly more infectious than JN.1.

While cases currently don’t appear to be on the rise, researchers and physicians are closely watching whether the variant will drive a summer surge.

“I don’t think anybody’s expecting things to change abruptly, necessarily,” said Dr. Marc Sala, co-director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Covid-19 Center in Chicago. But KP.2 will most likely “be our new norm,’” he said. Here’s what to know.

The current spread of Covid

Experts said it would take several weeks to see whether KP.2 might lead to a rise in Covid cases, and noted that we have only a limited understanding of how the virus is spreading. Since the public health emergency ended , there is less robust data available on cases, and doctors said fewer people were using Covid tests.

But what we do know is reassuring: Despite the shift in variants, data from the C.D.C. suggests there are only “minimal ” levels of the virus circulating in wastewater nationally, and emergency department visits and hospitalizations fell between early March and late April.

“I don’t want to say that we already know everything about KP.2,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, the chief of research and development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System. “But at this time, I’m not seeing any major indications of anything ominous.”

Protection from vaccines and past infections

Experts said that even if you had JN.1, you may still get reinfected with KP.2 — particularly if it’s been several months or longer since your last bout of Covid.

KP.2 could infect even people who got the most updated vaccine, Dr. Ho said, since that shot targets XBB.1.5, a variant that is notably different from JN.1 and its descendants. An early version of a paper released in April by researchers in Japan suggested that KP.2 might be more adept than JN.1 at infecting people who received the most recent Covid vaccine. (The research has not yet been peer-reviewed or published.) A spokesperson for the C.D.C. said the agency was continuing to monitor how vaccines perform against KP.2.

Still, the shot does provide some protection, especially against severe disease, doctors said, as do previous infections. At this point, there isn’t reason to believe that KP.2 would cause more severe illness than other strains, the C.D.C. spokesperson said. But people who are 65 and older, pregnant or immunocompromised remain at higher risk of serious complications from Covid.

Those groups, in particular, may want to get the updated vaccine if they haven’t yet, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. The C.D.C. has recommended t hat people 65 and older who already received one dose of the updated vaccine get an additional shot at least four months later.

“Even though it’s the lowest level of deaths and hospitalizations we’ve seen, I’m still taking care of sick people with Covid,” he said. “And they all have one unifying theme, which is that they’re older and they didn’t get the latest shot.”

The latest on symptoms and long Covid

Doctors said that the symptoms of both KP.2 and JN.1 — which now makes up around 16 percent of cases — are most likely similar to those seen with other variants . These include sore throat, runny nose, coughing, head and body aches, fever, congestion, fatigue and in severe cases, shortness of breath. Fewer people lose their sense of taste and smell now than did at the start of the pandemic, but some people will still experience those symptoms.

Dr. Chin-Hong said that patients were often surprised that diarrhea, nausea and vomiting could be Covid symptoms as well, and that they sometimes confused those issues as signs that they had norovirus .

For many people who’ve already had Covid, a reinfection is often as mild or milder than their first case. While new cases of long Covid are less common now than they were at the start of the pandemic, repeat infections do raise the risk of developing long Covid, said Fikadu Tafesse, a virologist at Oregon Health & Science University. But researchers are still trying to determine by how much — one of many issues scientists are trying to untangle as the pandemic continues to evolve.

“That’s the nature of the virus,” Dr. Tafesse said. “It keeps mutating.”

Dani Blum is a health reporter for The Times. More about Dani Blum