Social media greatly harms teenagers. Most teens in today’s world use an online social outlet of some kind. Social media has more cons than pros, but in The Washington Post’s “Five Ways Social Media Can Be Good for Teens,” Caroline Knorr discusses why social media is good for young people. Knorr argues that social media offers teens many positives. The positives noted in the article range from strengthening friendships to administering support for teenagers. Social media causes teens to compare themselves to others which leads to a decline in happiness and confidence. Rates of depression also positively correlated to someone’s social media use. From spending hours scrolling online, teens lose valuable time to be productive and learn new skills. Many teenagers also use their phones to procrastinate on homework or projects. With endless scrolling opportunities, teens are getting less and less sleep, which negatively affects their health and performance. The feeling of online friends can cause teens to become anti-social and isolated from people in their real life. Although the article “Five Ways Social Media Can Be Good for Teens,” was written by Caroline Knorr for The Washington Post discusses why social media is positive for teens, it is actually very harmful because it causes teens to compare themselves, decreases productivity, and causes depression.
Knorr argues that “[d]igital technology allows kids to share their work with a wider audience.” While this statement holds true in many regards, more often than not, teens are so afraid of judgment from people online that they don’t feel comfortable expressing themselves online. The comparison aspect of social media has drastically affected teens and greatly influenced their self-esteem. Many have lost their sense of self-worth and criticize themselves for even the smallest “imperfections.” An article, “Is Social Media Threatening Teens’ Mental Health and Well-being” by Columbia University Irving Medical Center, states that when teens scroll through social media, they tend to think, “I’m never going to be as good as these people.” With every newfound insecurity social media brings, less creativity is brought onto the platforms. Since many teens feel they will never be enough, very few actually use social media to express themselves artistically. If teens feel discouraged due to comparison, they will not reap any creative benefits from social media.
According to “Five Ways Social Media Can Be Good for Teens” by The Washington Post, “[k]ids realize they have a voice they didn’t have before and are doing everything from crowdfunding social justice projects to anonymously tweeting positive thoughts.” Knorr argues that social media promotes teens to be better individuals by helping teens realize that they have a voice. Social media can promote crowdfunding and other charity projects. However, teens can do more than repost a picture for a cause they believe in. Teens could also be going out and doing things to make a difference. According to the Pew Research Center, almost 50% of teenagers say they are “online ‘almost constantly.” Imagine the difference these teens could make if they spent more of their time doing actual work to support the causes they cared about. Instead of reposting a picture as Knorr mentions, teens can have real impacts in their communities and volunteer locally. A study by the Common Sense Census that was included in an article by Social Buddy showed that “teens (ages 13-18) spent about 9 hours daily on entertainment media, including social media and entertainment media.” With how teens allocate their time, they won’t have much time for grassroots work in their communities. For teens, dedicating time to volunteer locally will help them make significant changes in their communities.
In Knorr’s article “Five Ways Social Media Can Be Good for Teens,” she argues that teens are “feeling less isolated and have become more socially adept.” due to social media. Knorr highlights that teens are now feeling more included because they can communicate via social media apps. While teens use social media to communicate with others, the suicide rate that correlates with social media use proves that most social platforms aren’t positive platforms. The article “Does Social Media Cause Depression” by the Child Mind Institute states that “half a million eighth through 12th graders found that the number exhibiting high levels of depressive symptoms increased by 33 percent between 2010 and 2015.” The increase in depressive symptoms correlates with the years social media became more prominent. According to the Pew Research Center, social media users have increased by 65 percent. It’s no coincidence that the increasing rate of social media users correlates to the increasing depressive symptoms. The Child Mind Institute also quotes that from 2010-2015, “the suicide rate for girls in that age group increased by 65 percent”. These statistics show that despite the 24-hr conversations social media can facilitate, an overwhelming number of teens have gotten depressed from the usage of these apps. Even though social media offers teens access to hotlines, it is still contributing heavily to the mental health decline shown in teens. The fact that suicide rates increased drastically among youth during the period where social media began taking off shows that the usage of these apps could potentially be deadly.
While Knorr stated valid points on how social media can be good for teens, it’s clear that social media is dangerous for teens because it encourages comparison, impacts productivity, and is linked to depression. Constant scrolling through social media manifests in teenagers’ growing insecurity and their feeling of not being enough. School and other things are also put on the backburner due to social media. Teens spend hours a day mindlessly scrolling on different platforms when they could be doing other things. Many studies have also found that depression is heavily connected to social media use. Suicide rates have risen as more and more teens gain access to social media. By learning about how social media can affect teens, we can all be more mindful of how we spend our time and how we are affected by our mindless scrolling.
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.
CIMA Law Group Blog 