Social medias negative toll on teens mental health

 

Social media’s negative toll on teen mental health

By Bella Pereira

JRN-100 Journalism Staff Reporter

According to recent research teenagers today are facing social media challenges that affect their ability to sleep, self-esteem, and body image.

In an era where social media platforms are the basis for teen interaction, concerns of how it has impacted their mental health has risen.

 According to the American Psychology Association (APA), teenagers today are facing challenges to their mental health due to social media.

“The research is mixed. For some social media can promote a sense of community and help promote creativity and connection. For others it can lower self-esteem, negatively impact body image, and affect sleep and concentration,” said Lillian Reuman a psychology professor at Stonehill College.

Social media platforms have proven to be important in building a sense of community by linking young adults and adolescents from different locations, with shared interests, or those in unique situations.

Reuman said that those with illnesses, such as cancer, can find that social media helps them find teens that are experiencing similar or the same unique obstacles and allows them to not feel as isolated and alone.

Rather than feeling lonely and friendless, she said being online allows individuals who feel that way to engage in meaningful conversations and gain friends and support.

The issue begins when young adults and teenagers are relying on social media for social interaction rather than in person interaction.

“I would say I use social media to communicate with others more than in person interaction because it’s easier and faster to communicate on the phone rather than going to talk to them in person,” said Delaney Burns, a student at Plymouth State University.

Social skills are an important ability, as it allows individuals to be able to express themselves clearly, convey emotions, and understand how to sympathize with others and their emotions.

According to an article by the American Psychology Association, teens use of technology is usually originally for social reasons, but teenagers can end up accidentally finding themselves exploring harmful content increasing the effect on their mental health.

With all the technological advancements in social media now more than ever there’s been an increase in body image issues.

Teenagers whether it be male, or female are experiencing an increase in insecurities around their body type, facial features, skin, and height to name a few. This is due to the culture of filters, photoshop, and unrealistic beauty standards.

Influencers on social media platforms are setting beauty standards that many teens feel obligated to achieve.

However, what many teens don’t understand is the image they’re seeing is most of the time not real, influencers commonly achieve the beauty standard they’re setting by photoshopping.

Platforms are constantly promoting filters or lenses. TikTok immediately requests you use a filter known as the “beauty filter” when the camera is opened. This filter smooths your face and removes any impurities.

There have also been new TikTok trends known as “get ready with Me’s” which are short minute long videos where influencers will bring you along on their makeup routine, which although may seem innocent on the surface, many teens find themselves comparing their image to those making these videos that set a standard.

“There’s been several times where I have found myself watching a get ready with me on TikTok and getting upset about how I look and comparing myself to them,” said Delaney Burns, from Plymouth State University.

TikTok is a newer platform and is currently the most used app among teenagers. Reuman said due to the fast speed entertainment people find themselves scrolling for hours leading to an impact on their brain activity.

“There have been studies that show that when people frequently check their phones or are constantly on them it impacts their overall brain activity,” said Lillian Reuman a psychology professor at Stonehill College.

Reuman said social media platforms and technology use overall may also affect sleep quality and quantity. Many teenagers find themselves unable to shut their phones down and go to bed.

“When I go to bed, I set my alarms then go on TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat. I always lose track of time and end up staying up for hours just scrolling, watching videos, and liking things,” said Delaney Burns, a student at Plymouth State University.

Since the generation growing up now have grown up with technology it has become a daily routine in their lives. Teens find themselves being absorbed by following, followers, how many likes they receive, how many views they receive, and how many comments they get.

“Quantitation is another factor in the decrease in teenagers' self-esteem. I believe social media should not show numbers because that leads to comparison,” said Lillian Reuman a psychology professor at Stonehill College.

Reuman said that some platforms have gotten a hold of this issue. One example was Instagrams new hide likes feature allowing users to hide their like count.

Being able to see all the data for every account you have and every post you make has a large impact on your self-esteem said Reuman. Teens have gained an obsession with looking at the data, they also are constantly seeking external validation from likes, follows, and views.

“One time I posted on Instagram a picture of me on vacation, and it got barely any likes because of the time I posted it so I deleted it because I felt embarrassed and thought that people would judge me for having hardly any likes,” said Delaney Burns, a student at Plymouth State University.

Burns said she’s noticed a decrease in self-esteem and a large increase in insecurities. Many teenagers are facing the same problems due to social media and technology as it develops.

Social media is not going anywhere. Over time it is only going to improve and advance, increasing its use among the population. According to an article by the American Psychology Association all we can do is prepare for its eternal stay, establish guidelines, and teach youth how to use it safely.