by: Lori Mueller, YouthZone Executive Director.  I was reading an article by Common Sense Media and a recent research study they conducted. They found that 90% of teens ages 13-17 use some kind of social media. Of those teens, 1 in 4 report that using their social media makes them feel less shy and more outgoing, more confident, more popular and overall better about themselves. 52% also perceive that using social media helps improve their friendships, while only 8% of parents agree. This didn’t shock me but did make me wonder if we are going to lose our desire for face to face communication and what real impact the social media is having on our real life, long term relationships. I would love to know what you think as I continue my research on social media and our teens. You can get more information regarding media/technology and the impact it has on kids’ physical, emotional, social and intellectual development from studies done by Common Sense Media’s Program for the Study of Children and Media – www.commonsense.org/research.