Teenagers are often afraid of what others may think about what they post and don’t want to be judged in a negative light. … In this manner, increased social media often contributes to
increased feelings of heightened anxiety and social stress
.
Social media has the ability to both capture and scatter your attention. … Not only does this lead to poorer cognitive performance, but it
shrinks parts of the brain associated with maintaining attention
.
Browsing social media can lead to FoMO, and the feeling of being excluded can lead to negative feelings. Anxiety and depression are not the only mental health problems associated with social media use. Research on adolescents has found that
body image, for girls and boys, is harmed by social media use
.
However, multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. Social media
may promote negative experiences
such as: Inadequacy about your life or appearance.
- Pro: Raises awareness. …
- Con: Promotes fake news. …
- Pro: Can combat loneliness. …
- Con: Can increase loneliness. …
- Pro: Normalises help seeking behavior. …
- Con: Encourages anti-social behaviour.
There’s bad news for those self-proclaimed social media “addicts”: multiple studies from the last year show that too
much
time spent on your favorite platforms can make you depressed and less satisfied with life. It starts early, too; even young teens report negative effects from social media obsession.
However, social media use can also
negatively affect teens
, distracting them, disrupting their sleep, and exposing them to bullying, rumor spreading, unrealistic views of other people’s lives and peer pressure. The risks might be related to how much social media teens use.
Studies have shown that increased use of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok is leading to
depression, anxiety, and loneliness
. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only pushed more people to the platforms but has also caused people to spend unusual amounts of time cruising their feeds.
- Educational Tool. Today’s learners are confident in social networking technologies. …
- Increase student collaboration. …
- Encourage student partnership. …
- Homework Help. …
- Preparing students for future. …
- It can be an interruption. …
- Cyberbullying. …
- Posting Unsuitable Content on Social Media.
When people look online and see they’re excluded from an activity,
it can affect thoughts and feelings
, and can affect them physically. A 2018 British study tied social media use to decreased, disrupted, and delayed sleep, which is associated with depression, memory loss, and poor academic performance.
- Lacks Emotional Connection. …
- Gives People a License to be Hurtful. …
- Decreases Face-to-Face Communication Skills. …
- Conveys Inauthentic Expression of Feelings. …
- Diminishes Understanding and Thoughtfulness. …
- Causes Face-to-Face Interactions to Feel Disconnected. …
- Facilitates Laziness.
Studies have found that the top five social media platforms –
YouTube
, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter – are associated with bullying, body image issues, and even the fear of missing out, as well as being linked to depression and anxiety.
According to new research,
social media behavior can severely damage real-life relationships
, especially the relationship between a parent and a child. … The survey finds that 16% of people say their relationship with their partner was damaged by compromising posts on social media.
A 2019 study found that teens who spent more time online were more likely to have
mental health conditions
. Other studies find that social media users end up feeling more lonely, more isolated, and less self confident.
Parents of teens should be more strict with there teen social media
because it could cause teens to be depressed and become suicidal. In the article “Negative, positive effects on excessive social media use on teens studied”by Baltimore Sun, states that social media can cause depression and sickness for teens.