Social media has always been a controversial topic. Modern social media is addicting; a true devastation to society. Fake news, fake bodies, fake stereotypes, are all factors affecting young minds. Studies have shown that these influencers can cause social isolation, or anxiety, which leads into depression, which could then lead into physical harm.
Children within the ages of 10-19 are still developing mentally, and exploring new areas of their lives. Social media could affect such functions as emotional learning, behavior, impulse control, and emotional regulation. Platforms like Instagram, and TikTok, are damaging kids’ minds, and are being used as a game, without seeing the chaos it upholds.
They don’t “just explore”
A common argument protecting social media is that it is a platform that projects self worth, self love, and encouragement towards their users. It is also said that it can help them explore many positive things if looking in the right place. Another debate is that it helps teens meet others online with many common interests, and can help them feel like they belong. Though this is factual, teens can also find things that destroy them, tearing them down even worse than before.
Suicide rates are up 37% in teens from ages 13-18 from 2000, and Depression rates are up 60% in the last decade from teens from the ages 12-19, 17% of teens have admitted to self harming at least once in their life, and there has been a 50% increase of teen females self harming. Most causes are from cyberbullying, that can take place on various social media platforms. Therefore, yes, they can find helpful solutions to their confidence struggles, yet they can also find more confidence downfalls that can snowball into life threatening problems.
The Impossible Standards
Self doubt and self worth has always been part of being a teenager, but with social media, it’s now ubiquitous. Filters, editing, and pictures of the “perfect” life, is an unrealistic stereotype. Many teens get hurtful comments from their peers, which then effects their daily lives.
83% of teens post perfect, edited pictures of themselves of this “picture perfect,” life that they have. Though these posts are just carefully constructed photos that manipulate our minds into thinking that they’re living in everyone’s ideal dream; most teens still don’t realize this, and that not everything on the internet is real. That being said, roughly 40% of teens have reported that they secretly are struggling behind their screen. This is one of the most common reasons why teens’ mental health is so bad, because family and friends struggle to find, or see their issues, behind their fake, fabricated lives.
If we don’t get better the problem will get worse
Mental health is no less important than anyone’s physical health. Struggling teens deserve our support, compassion, and care. Not our deep shame, and hatred. Just because teens aren’t grown, doesn’t mean their problems “don’t matter”. Many teens see how others perceive their struggles, and simply choose to ignore them, as if this problem doesn’t need concern. This urges them to believe that nobody will be there to listen. That will impact them, worsening the shattered mental state that they already maintain.
It is important to make other people feel like they have the support they need. We can check on our family and fiends, an make them feel loved and appreciated. Another thing we can do is take time off of the screens. Set a limit on your apps for how long you want to spend your time on your device. It’s okay to not be on social media 24/7, and to be honest, it’s for the better.
Social media being the main cause for this, is a huge setback in our motivation to fix this problem. We are not the ones who invested into social media; they have invested into us. We are the product, we are the ones being heavily influenced by their content. We need to change for the better. We need to see our statistics improve, or else they will multiply. Our generation is walking downhill, but if we’re not careful, we will start tumbling, and eventually, falling face first into a future we cannot reverse.
