Boone 1

Adam Boone

Professor Reynolds

English 1201

22 October 2021

What impact does social media have on teenagers?

Teenagers spend roughly 3 hours a day on social media. This amount of time on social

media has quite an effect on younger people. Scientists have studied exactly what effect this has,

and they have come to a few conclusions.

Social media has been linked to mental illness in younger kids and teenagers. There are

two types of behavior that point towards mental illness: Internalizing and externalizing

behaviors. “Internalizing behaviors can involve social withdrawal, directing feelings inward, or

difficulty coping with anxiety or depression. Externalizing behaviors can include aggression,

acting out, disobeying, or other observable behaviors.” (Hoffman)

A study done by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health examined

kids on social media and their behaviors indicating mental illness. Use of social media for any

extended period of time was associated with both a greater risk of internalizing behavior

problems and externalizing problems. (Teen Social Media Use May Increase Risk of Mental

Health).

According to a study done published by the IZA Institute of Labor Economics, teens may

feel less satisfied after spending only an hour per day on social media. The results of the study

suggested kids had “less satisfaction in all aspects of their lives except their friendships.”
 Boone 2

(Mastroianni) A study similar to this one, conducted by the University of Michigan, found that as

adults used Facebook more, they became less happy.

Another problem with kids spending a plethora of time on social media is the risk of

cyberbullying. Cyberbullying has become a real issue. Studies have shown that cyberbullying

can lead to depression, anxiety, and mental illness. (Fazida) With the amount of time kids spend

on social media (roughly 3 hours a day), there is a high chance of them experiencing some form

of cyberbullying.

While there are all these negative impacts of social media, there are a few positive

benefits. It makes connecting with friends a whole lot easier. Not only connecting with friends,

but also allowing you to make friends. Forming relationships through social media has shown to

improve mental health in teens. (Parrack)

So, while there are aspects of social media that cause mental illness, there are aspects that

can improve mental health. Teens and other people need to limit the amount of time they spend

per day on social media in order to improve their mental health. Spending three hours per day is

just too much.

 Boone 3

Works Cited

Hoffman, Caitlin. “Teen Social Media Use May Increase Risk of Mental Health Problems.” The
Hub, 11 Sept. 2019, https://hub.jhu.edu/2019/09/11/social-media-teen-mental-health/.

Williams, Joseph P. Social Media Use May Increase Teens Risk of Mental Health Issues - US
News & World Report. 12 Sept. 2019, https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-
communities/articles/2019-09-12/social-media-use-may-increase-teens-risk-of-mental-
health-issues.

Karim, Fazida, et al. “Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic
Review.” Cureus, Cureus, 15 June 2020,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7364393/.

Mastroianni, Brian. “Just an Hour a Day on Social Media Can Affect Kids' Happiness.” CBS
News, CBS Interactive, 29 Dec. 2016, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-
children-teens-tweens-less-happy/.

Parrack, Dave, and Dave Parrack (2595 Articles Published). “7 Positive Effects of Social Media

on Society.” MUO, 3 June 2021, https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/positive-impact-social-

networking-sites-society-opinion/.