Social media is something that most teens are aware of and actively use on a daily basis. Platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, X, and Tik Tok currently have the generation in a chokehold.
Many people argue that social media is a distraction to teens; while they may be correct, they’re also not seeing the darker side of the effect it has on the youth.
According to studies done by Child Mind Institute, teenagers and young adults who spent a substantial amount of time on social media had shown a higher rate of depression than those who don’t use social media as much, thirteen to sixty-six percent.
“If you’re on social media for longer than, say, two to four hours a day, it can have a seriously negative effect on your mind,” said Kirstyn Barker (9). “Desocialization, not having your own opinions, and not knowing how to act,”
The repercussions of being online not only affect those who use social media, but the people around them dealing with their negative habits and behavior.
“People spend too much time on social media, and it leads to really bad personalities,” said Aaliyah Biddle (9).
While it may simply bother peers, it tends to spark more conflict with yourself, causing self-esteem to plummet to all time lows.
“It can give you extreme body dysmorphia, especially Instagram,” said Barker. “You see people and think that it’s the norm, when in reality they set unrealistic expectations,”
Platforms like Instagram can make people feel bad about themselves by showing models with “idealistic” features, which people long for. This creates a sense of jealousy in teenagers, which fuels a craving for validation and approval.
“They base everything online, on not getting enough likes, not enough attention,” said Mr Schram, Family Health teacher at Arlington High School.
Trends and unrealistic goals are not the only thing affecting teenage mental health. Some teens are put into stressful situations by online predators, which is incredibly detrimental to their well-being and safety.
“People will act like one person, get you to send pictures of yourself without clothes on and then extort you for money,” said Schram. “Then people can’t do it, and they’re committing suicide,”
The toll teenage mental health takes is immense, and something that shouldn’t be so common among a generation. While the vast majority of effects of social media are negative, there are some positive effects.
“Spreading word of events, spreading awareness of problems, promoting small businesses,” said Barker. “Without social media, there’s no way you’d be able to sell homemade keychains like people do, not without online aid,”
Social media is used nowadays to explore the latest fads, online date, and all the negative things such as cyberbullying; it wasn’t always like this.
“At the beginning there was a lot of positivity, it was a way to get connected with people you’d maybe lost track of,” said Schram. “You’ve taken this platform that is supposed to bring positivity and connectedness, and you’ve literally turned it into something that is killing teens,”
