Status Update

I love radio, and I'm a big fan of podcasts. One of my favorite radio programs/podcasts is This American Life. Each week the show has a single topic that it approaches from a variety of perspectives. Topics have included automobiles, the financial meltdown, poultry, and summer camp.

Last week's topic was about social status or how we know where we stand. The introduction and first act highlighted teenage girls and the complicated world of Instagram: how fraught social media is and how much anxiety and affirmation it produces.

Listen the first part of the podcast online (or read the transcript if you can't). I'd like to hear what you think. You are all older than the girls on the show, but can you relate to their experiences? Now that you are in the last stages of high school, how do you know where you stand socially? What role do Twitter and Facebook play? My thirteen-year-old son just downloaded an app called Brighten, which is apparently a way to give compliments to your friends. Is social media a net good or ill? Alternately, do you feel your status is unaffected by social media? Feel free to comment on the segment from "This American Life" too.