Ali Lilly

English 1010
11/11/2020
Bogle
Social Media Impact on Teens
The surge of social media has changed the way the world work. From the way people

dress to the way people act in day to day life. Business has changed, advertising has changed,

and the way people interact with others has changed. The world has evolved to be compatible

with social media. With the uprising of social media there has been an uprising in consequences

both good and bad. Most notably the impact has hit teens like an unseen tsunami. Social media is

proven to have an impact on teens both good and bad, and there are ways to avoid the dangers

with parental help.

The most opinionated aspect of social media is the negative impact that it can have on an

individual’s mental health. Anxiety and depression being the most talked about consequence is

only the tip of the iceberg. There is a wide variety of negative impacts that range from anxiety to

sleep deprivation. In the article How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers written by Rachel

Ehmke we read the many dangers that social media has on youth. In a survey conducted by the

Royal Society of Public Health asked 14-24 year olds how social media platforms impacted their

health…the results found that Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram increased depression,

anxiety, body image issues, and loneliness. (Ehmke 2020) These are the issues most discussed,

but there are some hidden dangers not talked about. Ehmke writes about these hidden dangers

that go unnoticed and not discussed. Hidden dangers include indirect communication,

cyberbullying, and stalking (and being ignored). Teens have started to learn to do the majority of

their communication through a screen rather than communicating with another human being.

(Ehmke 2020) Cyberbullying has become much easier to achieve because the ideal of not having

to say something to a person’s face allows for an easier time tearing someone down. Stalking has

become a problem that is majorly unseen. From the constant posting to snapchat maps to tagging
Ali Lilly
English 1010
11/11/2020
Bogle
your location the possibility that anyone could know your exact location at any time is severely

high. It is surprisingly easy to feel lonely in the middle of overwhelming amount of hyper

connection.

It can appear that the negative overwhelms and covers up the good when it comes to

social media. Surprisingly there are some good benefits of social media from self-exploration to

forming connections and even socializing in record breaking times. “Teens who struggle with

social skills, social anxiety, or who don’t have easy access to face-to-face socializing with other

teens might benefit from connecting with other teens through social media.” (Hurley 2020)

When a person can connect in ways they couldn’t before due to poor social skills there is a void

that gets filled with in them. Social media helps connect people in ways they couldn’t connect

before. At the tap of a finger you can make a friend that lives on the other side of the world.

Connecting is what makes humans feel conscience and alive in a busy, loud world. Hurley goes

onto to write about teens who are in marginalized groups such as members of the LGBTQ

community and teens who struggle with mental health are able to find support and form

friendships all through the use of social media. (Hurley 2020) Social media almost promotes

self-identity and exploration. Not only teens, but adults and kids can find themselves through

social media. Using an outlet such as social media is an amazing way to let out feelings and can

help find your place in the world.

Evidently there are many upsides and downsides to social media, but with every good or

bad thing there is a way to promote it or protect from it. There is a very large concern when it

comes the dangers of social media. Parents and teachers are concerned and it seems that most

people have formed an opinion on the subject. Whether you are a parent teacher or even a
Ali Lilly
English 1010
11/11/2020
Bogle
concerned friend there are plenty of thing you can do to help. Dr. Jakobson of North Shore

University Health System gives these tips of educating, communicating, time monitoring, and

having a healthy attitude. Educating one’s self is beneficial for parents so they can have an

understanding about how/what social media is being used by their teen. (North Shore 2018) This

will help parents to fully understand the risks that are truly involved in their teen’s life.

Communicating is an important aspect that is often over looked. Parents should have

conversations with their teens often. They should explain to their teens that there are dangers and

they should explain how to keep themselves safe. (North Shore 2018) Time monitoring helps

enforce the limitation of excessively using social media. Having an overall healthy attitude

outlook and attitude about social media is a key component. To minimize the potential risk of

self-comparison and envy parents and teens should discuss feelings of the distorted views of

friends’ lives that are presented on social media. (North Shore 2018) Teens should feel confident

after viewing social media. Encouraging the idea that things on social media are modified or that

people only show the good parts in their lives rather than the bad parts. Having a healthy attitude

will greatly change how a person enjoys and partakes in the social media world.

In conclusion social media is proven to have an impact on teens both good and bad, and

there are ways to avoid the dangers with parental help. It has been apparent that social media has

made its presence in this world. Social media has climbed to the highest peak, but it can make a

person feel as though they are in the deepest part of the ocean. Social media when used as a tool

rather than a toy can help promote positivity and prevent dangers. Self-expression, sleep

deprivation, forging connections, and anxiety and depression are all are all aspects of social
Ali Lilly
English 1010
11/11/2020
Bogle
media. Social media is something that should be balanced in an individual’s life especially a

teenagers.

Works Cited

“How Social Media Effects Teenagers' Mental Health.” NorthShore, 28 Sept. 2018,
8:22am, www.northshore.org/healthy-you/how-social-media-effects-teenagers-mental-
health/.

Ehmke, Rachel. “How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers.” Child Mind Institute, 16
June 2020, childmind.org/article/how-using-social-media-affects-teenagers/.
Article by: Katie Hurley. “Social Media and Teens: How Does Social Media Affect Mental
Health?” Psycom.net - Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1986, 7 Mar. 2019,
www.psycom.net/social-media-teen-mental-health.