As social media evolves and develops, teenagers are being harmed more and more by its negative effects. Their mental health is being brought down by the constant problems and negativity that social media is causing. It’s not only the US being affected but the entire world because of the widespread technology and internet access. Although technology has been around for millions of years, it has been more heavily used since COVID-19 began and has continued to be used heavily since. With this general information, reflect on yourself and what you notice about the effects social media has.
Social media is websites and different applications people use to express themselves and their ideas. It is a tool for networking and gathering new information. Of course, it is used as it was intended, however, it’s also being used as a distraction and an “escape”.
Teens often use social media as a “getaway” from school and the rest of their lives. Morgan Porlier, a teacher at Stevens Point Area Senior High, talks about how natural it is to be drawn to something and how compelling social media can be. She knows the point of social media; however, she says it can be too much of a destruction at times. At a point in my interview, I heard that he states, “many students don’t seem to have the drive to succeed in school, and that has changed a lot even in the 7 years that I’ve been here at SPASH.”. Even from an outside perspective, teens are being pulled from other things that they should be focusing on and prioritizing. People are constantly putting out new information and trying to know what is going on in the world. This is a possible reason why there is so much time spent on it. People love to look for distractions from their priorities and responsibilities, and looking at other people’s lives instead of yours has been the main way to go about it.
As more people gain access to social media, their self-esteem and health, both mental and physical, are being brought down. As stated in the article “Smartphones are Damaging our Kids” by Jean M Twenge, “With communication moving online, Gen Z teens became much less likely to hang out with their friends in person”. With teens spending more time on their phones and social media, they spend less time being active and outside, which is hurting their physical health. On the mental health side of it, a quote from the article “Social media and Mental Health”, “Adolescent users who spent more than three hours a day on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube were twice as likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression.” shows that because of the limited in person interaction, teens are feeling less happy and increased feelings of depression and anxiety.
Not only are teens giving themselves feelings of hopelessness and jealousy through watching others, but other people are making them feel that way as well. Although teens are online more, they are still exposed to bullying. They already care a lot about how others view them and what is thought about them. We are easily manipulated into thinking things that shouldn’t be thought of. Teens are still figuring out who they are and their identities, so with access to other people’s lives, it is easy to follow them instead of creating their selves. Social media is constantly making up new things to be insecure about, specifically in the sense of body image. They are constantly being exposed to how their body is “supposed” to be. Teenagers easily fall into made-up standards and hurt themselves trying to be someone else. There are constantly new standards being set that teens get sucked into out of the feeling of being left out but also from the feeling of fear. Bullying has been around for a long time, and it is not getting better. When you do not fit into certain standards, teens can go out of their way to make it a point to make you feel bad about it, which is another main problem with social media. Not everything you see is true or the whole story.
Although most of social media’s effects are negative, I want to take a second to look at the positive sides of it. With the increased access to other people and other opinions, people can seek out others to help one another. Here is another quote from the article “Teens and social media use: What’s the impact?” According to the Mayo Clinic Staff, “Brings belonging to groups that often get marginalized, such as racial minorities, the LGBTQ community, and those who are differently abled”. I bring this quote up as an example of how social media is being used positively. People often look for support groups to help them go on with life as well as use it as a way to vent for themselves. People not only look for answers, but they also express their answers to help other people like them. Seeing other people in the same situation as you is almost always useful and can bring peace to the fact that you are not dealing with it alone.
Looking at all of these reasons and outside opinions, we can see teens being affected by social media. Knowing what is going on, you can reflect and think about how social media affects you. How do you see social media affecting others around you? How has your view on social media changed? What are the small things you can practice to avoid and prevent the negative effects of social media?