Is social media ruining teens’ mental health? Social media is a place where people share photos, videos, and new ideas within a large online community. Social media can badly affect teens’ mental health because they are constantly comparing themselves to other people’s lives. Social media apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter can cause depression and anxiety amongst teens. Social media negatively affects teens because there is an overarching possibility of cyberbullying.
In 2016, a study done by researchers at Penn State University suggested that checking other people’s selfies lowered users’ self-esteem because of comparison to perfect-appearing photos. In a study involving 600 adults, about ⅓ reported that social media makes them envious of other people’s lives. When social media users post travel photos, their followers start to feel jealous of their lives and their experiences. Therefore, social media users start to feel depressed after scrolling through pictures of other people’s lives, which raises questions about whether social media should be recommended to teens. Recent studies have found links between teen suicide and social media usage. Teens start to feel hopeless when someone else is having fun in their photos while they aren’t. Many reliable sources prove that social media decreases teens’ confidence.
Online media is a dangerous source of entertainment due to cyberbullying. “Current teen suicides have been blamed on cyberbullying.” Cyberbullying is when someone constantly harasses and threatens you online. When teens are cyberbullied, they start to feel depressed, hopeless, and scared. A study in 2016 involving 1,700 people found that there is a higher risk of depression for social media users due to cyberbullying. In addition, cyberbullying causes depression because it makes people feel emotional and physical stress. Because of this, teens who are cyberbullied experience anxiety, fear, and low self-esteem. “An increase of suicide rates among U.S teens occurred as social media started.” Teens who are cyberbullied feel exposed and humiliated by others. Cyberbullies can cause harm to teens and even cause them to harm themselves. Clearly, social media is very threatening to this generation of teenagers.
Although social media can benefit teens, the risks outweigh the benefits. Some people look at social media as a fun source of entertainment and freedom. In reality, social media actually creates a dark environment for teens. Social media apps are the main causes of depression, envy, and suicide. One could easily think social media is a way to maintain social connections with friends and family. This argument fails to acknowledge that there are plenty of apps available to teens for communication. Even though there are ways to use online media wisely, most teens should be encouraged not to get involved in it due to the harmful effects it causes.
Online media sites affect teens terribly. Social media can affect teens’ health because they continually compare their lives and property to other people’s. Social media apps commonly cause depression, anxiety, and envy in teens. Someone needs to demand change in how social media is used. Teens are negatively affected by social media, and they may not know social media is causing their hardships. For future generations of teens, this issue could only worsen without support.
This blog post is part of the CIMA law group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA law group specializes in Immigration law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
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