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The Digital World of Teenage Girls: Balancing Risks and Rewards
Explore the digital world’s impact on teenage girls, its opportunities and challenges. Learn how parents and educators can support online safety, student wellbeing, and digital literacy.
February 12, 2025
We’re in the modern world, and that means the digital landscape is as real as 3D reality for the average teenage girl. The online space serves as a gateway to self-expression, connection, and learning. But for every connective opportunity the online realm presents, we also need to consider the possible challenges it evokes, too. We’re big believers that parents and educators have a dual responsibility here – to protect our teenage girls from getting swept up with online dangers, while giving them the skills to harness the internet’s positive potential.
What are the silver linings?
Let’s start with the connection and community piece. At its core, the internet is a tool for connection, and when used in a conscious way, can nurture teenage girls during tough times. For those who feel isolated in their real-world lives, social media platforms can provide a sense of belonging and a space to connect with folk who get it too.
Self expression and creativity is also at play here – the world is your stage when you’re logged in! Whether our girls are tuned into art, writing, music, or advocacy, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube allow them to express themselves creatively and build confidence in their abilities.
The internet is also a powerful tool for education and impact. Teenage girls can access resources to support their academic interests, explore career paths, and learn about topics ranging from mental health to global social issues. We love this, because online platforms and courses often empower users with knowledge that usually isn’t touched on in a traditional school setting.
What are the challenges of social media?
But we can’t celebrate the online world without acknowledging the challenges it leads us to face, too.
Enter, cyberbullying. It’s the online demon that we’re most familiar with, yet it remains a pervasive issue, with teenage girls often the primary target. Hurtful comments, exclusion, or even direct harassment can have long-lasting effects on a young woman’s mental well-being, and sometimes it can be so sly we don’t even catch it in the moment.
A Sunshine Coast University study even found that 98 per cent of teenage girls had been bullied online – and this was usually about the way they looked.
We all know the next one by heart: the toxic standards and comparison that platforms driven by likes, follows, and curated perfection can lead to. In a particularly tender chapter of their lives, teenage girls are especially prone to comparing themselves to unrealistic standards. This "highlight reel" culture can contribute to feelings of inadequacy, low self-worth, and body image issues.
To add to the mix, the online world is also peppered with harmful content and privacy risks. It’s a big, wide world web, and this in itself makes it tricky to shield teenage girls from every bit of dodgy content, explicit imagery or violent messages. The worst part is that often this harmful content is hidden in plain sight, with topics like extreme dieting or exercising playing a dangerous subliminal role in shaping teen’s minds.
Trends we’re seeing
We’re lucky enough to work with young people everyday, so we are privy to some of the worrying digital trends we’re seeing play out for this generation. Let’s dig into it.
Fear of missing out
A recent study has shown that girls aged between 11 and 21 are feeling less safe than ever online – but they’re propelled by FOMO (fear of missing out) to stay online. The Girlguiding study asked 2000 young girls and teenagers about their internet use, and alarmingly, they feel glued to TikTok, Snapchat and WhatsApp despite feeling very real safety issues. There’s a deep, underlying fear of missing out on social trends, exciting news and cultural hot-topics, and we find this super disturbing.
Information literacy on TikTok
Something we’ve experienced personally during our workshops is the way our teenage girls are viewing the information they consume on TikTok.
Rosie from our facilitation team says there’s a ‘massive domination of TikTok as the most used app’.
“I think one pro to this is that there is some really cool, progressive and educational content on TikTok. Sometimes I feel like the girls have really advanced literacy around various societal issues because of this. Sometimes I’m blown away by how much more advanced their knowledge is than mine was as a teen,” she said.
While it’s a brilliant positive, we can’t forget to address the elephant in the room – TikTok is an open-source creative content app, which means that not every piece of information on there checks out.
“We’re also seeing a real trend of [the girls] taking everything they see on TikTok as truth – and they don’t always have the ability to think critically about it’.
The rise of AI and the confusion it brings
Another trend we’ve noticed is the confusion AI has brought to the table. Unrealistic standards are a bit of a commonplace theme within the digital world, but adding AI to the mix has blurred the lines in ways that even adults don’t have all the resources to deal with, like the increase in AI girlfriends.
Rosie said this increases the pressure around perfection and body image.
“As always, we hear stories of unrealistic things we see on social media – but lately there’s lots of conversations around girls not knowing what has been AI generated or edited,” she said.
Strategies for Parents and Educators
It’s a loaded topic, for sure. But the good news is that parents and educators can play a vital role in dismantling some of the confusion. We’re here to help you smooth out the rough surfaces so our teenage girls can thrive in the digital world.
1. Create a line of open communication
Create a safe environment where teenage girls feel comfortable discussing their online experiences. Regularly ask open-ended questions such as, "What are you loving on social media right now?" or "Have you come across anything online that didn’t feel right?" Leading with curiosity and building trust ensures our girls will seek guidance when needed.
2. Give them digital literacy tools
Teach teenage girls to critically evaluate the content they encounter online. Help them understand how algorithms work, recognise misinformation, and question the authenticity of what they see.
3. Find positive digital role models together
Introduce teenage girls to influencers, activists, and creators who inspire and empower rather than perpetuate unrealistic standards. Diverse and authentic role models can help counteract the negative effects of comparison culture.
4. Be there for them, mentally
Stay aware of any signs of distress that might be linked to their online experience. Look out for things like a change in mood, withdrawal, or sleep disturbances.
5. Get your girls involved with Tomorrow Woman
Here at Tomorrow Woman, we deliver workshops specifically designed to support teenage girls, equipping them with the tools to unpack the expectations placed on them, find their voice, and develop agency over how they show up in the world with confidence.
Our sessions create space for meaningful conversations about the challenges they face, including how they engage with the world around them. If social media comes up, we explore it through a lens of self-awareness and empowerment. Take a look at one of our education programs here.
The digital world can feel like the wild west where undeniable risks and harmful messages lurk at any given corner. But the truth is, it also holds immense potential for teenage girls to grow, connect, and thrive. The key lies in fostering a balanced approach, together.
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Tomorrow Woman is a social enterprise in partnership with Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Architects. Our offices are located in Sydney and Melbourne – and we travel everywhere across Australia.
Acknowledgement of Country
We respectfully acknowledge the first custodians of the land on which we live and work, the Wurrundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. We pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging and to all First Nations People. Sovereignty was never ceded and treaties were never signed.
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