Olivia Klanderman

Glena Madden

English 1101

November 23, 2020

Mental health vs. the media

Humans love interaction, whether that's with someone in person or over the screen.

Social media helps us connect with others, but it also can put a strain on our mental health. Being

socially connected to others can ease stress, anxiety, depression, boost self-worth, provide

comfort and joy, prevent loneliness, and many more great aspects of life. On the other hand,

lacking social connections can put you at serious risk for your mental and emotional health to

diminish. Social media can be a positive or a negative to certain people. The daily usage of social

media by teens has proven to have a profound effect on students health and self esteem.

In today’s world, many rely on social media everyday. Whether that is to post a new

photo to Instagram or to Snapchat your friends. Even though social media can be fun, it has a

negative impact on teens' mental health. Online, you can make yourself appear however you

want, whether it's what you want to look like or how you want to seem. Since many teens are

exposed to the media, they can see these people being something they aren’t. Even if you know

that these images you’re viewing on social media are manipulated, they can still make you feel

insecure about how you look or what’s going on in your own life. It can make you compare

yourself to that image. Social media can make you think very negatively about yourself. It’s a

sad reality we live in. Social media can make many teens insecure about themselves, when they

shouldn’t be. Many teens get so caught up in social media, that they only care if someone likes
their photo or comments. It’s a very toxic environment to have to live in everyday. Many feel

pressured to live up to an expectation because of social media.

You might be thinking, “Why don’t teens just delete social media if it’s so toxic?” Well

many teens also have the fear of getting left out. They don’t want to feel left out while all their

other friends have social media, so they download every app they can. To many people in the

world, the idea that you’re missing out on certain things can impact your self-esteem, set off your

anxiety, and fuel even more hours on social media. The fear of missing out can pressure you into

picking up your phone every few minutes to check for updates, or compulsively respond to each

and every alert. Even if that means checking your phone while driving, missing out on sleep at

night, or prioritizing social media interaction over real world relationships many would still

check their phones.

Another downside of using social media, is that you can receive mean or hateful

comments. Major influencers get hundreds of comments everyday. Most being supportive and

positive, but some hateful and rude comments. An article states “59% of U.S. teens have been

bullied or harassed online, and a similar share says it's a major problem for people their

age.”(Anderson) This is a very depressing statistic. It’s sad that most teens in their lifetime, while

using social media, will get cyber bullied. Cyber bullies can sit behind a screen and write

impolite comments without thinking. These bullies can seriously bring someone’s mental health

down or even cause them to become suicidal. They believe there are no consequences to their

actions, but there definitely are. You never know what’s going on in someone else’s life, so

leaving hurtful comments about a photo they took can really mess with their emotions and

decrease their mental health.

 On the other side of this argument, many believe that social media can be a positive.

Social media can be a way to meet new people or connect with your friends. You can

communicate with your friends and family you never see. If your friend lives slightly further

away, you can keep in contact with them using social media. You can also see what your friends

are doing. It’s a fun way to stay connected. Another positive of social media is that if you're a

business you can use social media to promote your business. This can help your business get

exposure and more customers. Social media has a wide variety of different people and cultures,

so you would definitely get a diverse group of customers. Social media is a great way to help

your business grow. Another positive is that you can express yourself through social media. You

can be very creative online and most likely people will like it. You can also meet friends through

this. You can share your opinions online and meet people who agree with you. If you're not the

most social person in the world, social media is for you. Many people find it easier to talk to

others online than in person. Social media can be a positive influence to many.

The message that should be shared more with social media is that even if you have a

platform, you should use it for spreading a positive message and kindness through everything

you do. Many can be toxic online, which can affect others. Social media can cause a strain on

teens self esteem and self confidence. We should limit how much it affects us. It's sad to see that

many are obsessed with their phones nowadays when you could be learning so much more

through social communication with other people. We should be grateful for being able to see

others. With the situation everyone is in right now, many teens don’t have the option to interact

with others. Many have online school and can’t go out because of what we are all living through

currently. We shouldn’t take conversing with others for granted. Not talking with others can also

drain your mental health.

 In conclusion, social media has two sides. It can be very beneficial for meeting new

people and advertising your businesses. On the other side social media can be very draining and

changes your views on certain subjects. Social media is sort of a risk factor to many, because it

can be very positive or very negative depending on your situation. Many believe it’s harmful and

many believe it's helpful. I believe that social media causes more problems than benefits. Teens

become obsessed with their phones and have less social interactions with others because of social

media. The usage of social media by teens is found to have a largely negative effect on students

health and self esteem.

Sources:
Robinson, Lawrence, and Melinda Smith, M.A. "Social Media and Mental Health."
Social Media and Mental Health, Sept. 2020, www.helpguide.org/articles/
mental-health/

social-media-and-mental-health.htm#:~:text=However%2C%20multiple%20studies%20hav
e
%20found,about%20your%20life%20or%20appearance. Accessed 24 Nov. 2020.
Anderson, Monica. "A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of
Cyberbullying." A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of
Cyberbullying, 27 Sept. 2018, www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/09/27/
a-majority-of-teens-have-experienced-some-form-of-cyberbullying/. Accessed
24 Nov. 2020.