Red text is the revisions made.

Jennifer Sterling

Miss Micaela Cuellar

ENC2135-0031

Negative Impacts of Social Media on Adolescents

Social media, in its essence, is meant for networking, community input, and collaborative

sharing. With the first social media site achieving monthly users in 2004, social media is a fairly

new contender in the world of socialization as collaborative sharing in its grand capacity had

never been seen before. Myspace, the catalyst for a collaborative sharing and socialization

platform, was the first social media site to reach millions of monthly users with constant traffic

from users across the world. However, the most popular age groups to use the site were between

the ages of 23-35 as they represented 42% of users. Today, the social media giant Tik Tok is

dominated by the age range of 10-19 at 25%, per Statista’s statics. Statisa is a website that carries

insights and data directly from industries and countries. As users are getting younger, this poses

the question of safety, security, and lasting effects of social media on users that are still

physically and mentally developing.

How is the Age Range of Users a Problem?

As users are getting younger, older generations are less familiar with the functionalities

of several social platforms as they are not using the platforms as much. The less they know about

how the platform works, the less the know about the potential danger its possess. Tobbi’s

journal, The Effects of Social Media on Children, focuses on the reasons why social media has

negative impacts on children – it investigates how the adults around them are at times in the root

of the problem. Furthermore, the journal construes the increase in children using social media as
not so tech savvy adults unknowingly participating in the unrestricted use of social media,

“Some of these risks occur because of access to unsupervised and unregulated content coupled

with children’s lack of awareness of privacy issues and their vulnerability to outside influences”

(The Effects of Social Media on Children). In the “It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of

Networked Teens,” by researcher Laurence, its stated how the lack of privacy is nurtured by

these social platforms. Automatic public pages, and stories available to be viewed by everyone

until changed, are some of the few ways privacy protection is not prioritized when considering

the safety of minors. It is normalized to overshare and this is because of the lack of internet

safety knowledge among younger generations. The result of this lack of knowledge is rooted in

the lack of awareness from parents and adults in which the depth of usage by minors, specifically

adolescence, its not understood. From second Instagram accounts to “private stories” on snapchat

and Instagram, there are loopholes to unrestricted social media usage.

So, what’s all the fuss on unrestricted Social media usage?

The overuse of social media exposes teens to several negative agents such as anxiety,

depression, and cyberbullying. “Adolescent Social Media Use and Mental Health from

Adolescent and Parent Perspectives”, a research paper on how teens and their parents view the

overuse of social media, states that when a child constructs a reality on their social media

platforms that are not relative to their real-life experiences, this causes false senses of reality and

in turn can do more psychological damage, per the co-construction theory.

Mental health is affected by unrestricted social media usage because often times, teens

will tend to get less sleep than recommended. The emotional investment teens put into regulating

their social media presences, results in poor sleep quality, anxious attachments to instant

gratification and comparison to others’ constructed life. “…research in the area of social media
behavior has described FoMO as a factor that may explain some motivations for higher activity

on social media.” (Melendi). (quote shortened) Higher activity on social media is accredited to

the fear of missing out and always wanting to feel connected or up to date with other people’s

lives. With this being the focus of most teenagers, they fail to participate in their life as the

journal “Depressed Adolescents' Positive and Negative Use of Social Media” elaborates on.

Mentioned in the journal is how teens with present mental health disorders gravitate towards

using social media because of the pattern usage. Patterns such as stress posting and oversharing

when emotions get difficult to understand are often practiced by the teens.

What Are Teens Exposed to Online?

From cyberbullying to oversharing, anything is accessible to teens with fully unrestrictive

technological access. Some apps are specifically designed to hide inappropriate images, texts,

and videos from parents or guardians. This includes, Snapchat and Instagram features such as

“disappearing messages.” So, what is a direct result of these features? Online predators.

The internet has seemingly never ending access to communication methods from

international messaging, to being able to hide your identity from others to message back and

fourth. Niches that take advantage of the latter includes online predators that coerce teens and

children into their grooming tactics. The Child Crime Prevention & Safety center released this

quote saying, “According to the F.B.I., over 50 percent of the victims of online sexual

exploitation are between the ages of 12 and 15. An estimated 89 percent of sexual advances

directed at children occur in Internet chatrooms or through instant messaging.” (Kraut).(quote

shortened) The oversharing of information through social media platforms has increased a

predators’ accessibility to sensitive information about children. Including but not limited to

addresses, parent information, and explicit photos or videos. The sharing of personal data has
been normalized through numerous attempts at being “open” or “vulnerable.” Through

omnipresent cameras on 24/7 at an attempt to become sensationalized, to specific “vlog” videos

displaying personal day to day activities. We are a few reverse image searchers from finding

someone’s work place, school, home and office. Because of this easily accessible information,

grooming a child online is a dangerous reality and possibility for those that are not safe. It’s

important to know the signs of a child under distress due to online grooming, “However, there

may be signs that a child is being groomed by an online predator, including spending an

increasing amount of time online, becoming secretive about their online conduct, switching

screens or closing tabs or windows whenever a parent is close, using sexual language they would

not be expected to know and becoming emotionally volatile” (Kraut). The direct psychological

result of a child who has been groomed virtually or physically includes but is not limited to,

feeling deserving of the abuse, irritability, stress, substance abuse, or anxiety. Often, abusers tend

to desensitize teens or children to the sexual or mental abuse. Teens that are not equip with the

knowledge of internet privacy cannot recognize the attempts to exploitation.

Digital Marketing: Taking Advantage of Gen Z’s Savviness

Companies are aware of the sophistication of Generation Z. Gen Z is known to be highly

experienced at going through high amounts of information at a fast rate. With their

understanding of brand loyalty and fast-paced usage, many companies tend to throw

advertisements at this age-group at a high rate. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat,

Twitter, and Tik Tok have implemented and enlarged their advertisement sector allowing for

thousands of companies to directly place infographics on the apps as well as work with

influencers to market their product. However, this poses a huge risk with teens unaware of what

is true, what is a scam, and what is safe. Social media exposes teens to the vaping market as
influencers are seen using vape technology as well as advertising the use of “safe” vapes such as

Cloudy, for instance. This pen is often promoted as “… drug free, vegan, and cruelty-free”

(cloudy). Marketers know that teens, or more specifically Gen Z, are more racially, ethnically,

and politically diverse groups of individuals that carry potent pro/anti-governmental views

(Melendi). Thus, adjectives like “cruelty-free” and “vegan” are respected by teens active in the

Cruelty-Free Movement, as well as the ethical treatment of animals. Teens are malleable groups

of people as their brains continue to develop (Hamilton). As they become more aware of new

topics and indifferences, this sways their understanding of previously known and accepted

information. In turn, this can affect and sway social media markets and behaviors within an age

group.

Are Social Media Platforms Aware of Their Impact?

Research for this topic is difficult to come by as executives such as Zuckerberg downplay

the existence of negative effects of social media in general. The one piece of information I did

come by was internal leaked information by Facebook. In 2019, Facebook began their research

on Instagram’s effect on girls. The leak reveled that “staff at the company have been studying the

impact of their product on its younger users’ states of mind. Their research has repeatedly found

it is harmful for a large proportion, and particularly teenage girls” (Gayle). For the last three

years, Facebook has known about the effect their platform has on individuals’ body image due to

filtering, editing, and focus on personal photos. A slide in Facebooks internal research

presentation even goes as far as to claim, “We make body image issues worse for one in three

teen girls” (Gayle). Awareness is one step in changing habits but what has Instagram done in
response to this? In 2020, Instagram removed likes as a quantitative measure of one’s validation

which health.com claims have improved a user’s interaction with the social media sites.

Beyond this, Instagram continues to perpetuate unhealthy relationships with social media.

The Facebook leak disturbingly revealed that out of teens that have experienced suicidal;

thoughts 6% attribute it to Instagram. Because the focal point of social media is personal lives

and magnifying highlights, body image concerns and comparisons are “unavoidable”

(Gallagher). Instagram and platforms alike does a good job of stealing you from real-world

experiences that can help create and construct crucial life skills to cope with one’s stressors. If a

child does not know how to self-soothe and strictly go on their phone for a distraction, this will

be their new founded coping mechanism. Successful adult development is in danger due to the

lack of emotion progressive in individuals and teens that rely on social media for various factors.

The worst part about all of this research from Facebook coming in to light is that claims

about Instagram’s negative impact has been continuously and consistently downplayed.

Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, claimed that social media has caused more positive than

negative mental health effects. In a congressional hearing back in March 2021 Zuckerberg stated

that, “The research that we’ve seen is that using social apps to connect with other people can

have positive mental health benefits” (Maize). However in 2017, Chamath Palihapitiya, former

Facebook executive, claimed in a slamming speech that “The short-term, dopamine-driven

feedback loops that we have created are destroying how society works. No civil discourse, no

cooperation, misinformation, mistruth” (Wong). In essence, social platforms like Facebook and

Instagram are slowly rewriting what we perceive as normal and acceptable. From constant bodily

comparisons to influx in drama between people who have never met each other, these new
problems created by social platforms and technology in general can cause serious repercussions

to those unfamiliar and unskilled in the subject of safety and privacy.

How Can Social Media Help Our Kids?

The new technological age raised a generation of technologically savvy kid that can

absorb information like a sponge. Children are easily navigating from one app to the next,

helping their elders hop around platforms, and learning how to profit out of their creativity and

passions. Content discovery and online learning, for example, are one of the few ways social

media platforms like YouTube are positively impacting youth and users in general. During the

2020 pandemic and beyond, YouTube received an influx of 75% users in news and academic

related viewership. Indicating that when in person activities were put on hold, the masses flocked

online. Along these masses are teenagers that at high rates participated in mental health related

subbreddits on Reddit.com. Among these forums, they talk about depression, anxiety, and

“suicide watch.” According to the journal, “Teens’ Social Media Engagement during the

COVID-19 Pandemic: A Time Series Examination of Posting and Emotion on Reddit, more

teenagers felt comfortable expressing their emotion on these platforms in detail and would

interact with others that would help. Teens felt statistically safer and more comfortable

interacting with others in an anonymous playing field where many have similar characteristics as

them. Social media allows just this – finding a community of people with similar interests and

characteristics. Teenagers continue to find themselves as individuals and they’re still figuring out

their identity. Social media catalyzes this process in a faster pace and almost instantaneous.

The Takeaway
 Like everything in the world, things can only be good or satisfactory in moderation.

Although social media was not created with the intention of causing severe harm to children with

the possibility of affecting adolescent health, it has brought to light many instances of negativity.

Teenagers are still learning about the world, themselves, and others. Adding to the fact that most

users of social media were born during the technological revolution, many are still navigating the

trail and tribulation of puberty. As adults, it lies within our responsibility of guiding teenagers

towards moderation and self-control. It’s important to note that there is nothing wrong with using

social media – its simply how you use, your intentions, and what you want to get out of it. Based

on my research, it’s difficult for many to navigate these boundaries as their parents and guardians

are not as skilled as they should be. It is not the parents fault that there is a learning curve, these

platforms are difficult to grasp and move around in. Nonetheless, social media does pose sensible

threats to younger individuals and there should be more conversations about these difficulties

and more accountability placed on social media giants that perpetuate it.
 Works Cited

Auxier, Brooke, et al. “Parenting Children in the Age of Screens.” Pew Research Center:

Internet, Science & Tech, Pew Research Center, 17 Dec. 2020,

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/07/28/parenting-children-in-the-age-of-

screens.

“Former Facebook Executive: Social Media Is Ripping Society Apart.” The Guardian, Guardian

News and Media, 12 Dec. 2017,

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/dec/11/facebook-former-executive-

ripping-society-apart.

korin miller By Korin Miller September 15, 2021. “Facebook Knows Instagram Makes Body

Image Issues Worse.” Health.com, https://www.health.com/mind-body/facebook-

instagram-teen-girls-self-esteem.

MacMillan, Amanda. “Why Instagram Is the Worst Social Media for Mental Health.” Time,

Time, 25 May 2017, https://time.com/4793331/instagram-social-media-mental-health/.

Melendi, Crosby. “Generational Differences on Social Media: A Deep Dive.” FLAGSHIP

SOCIAL, FLAGSHIP SOCIAL, 30 June 2020,

https://flagshipsocial.com/blog/generational-differences-on-social-media-a-deep-dive.

Watson, Sara Kiley. “A Look at Social Media Finds Some Possible Benefits for Kids.” NPR,

NPR, 19 June 2018, https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/06/19/621136346/a-

 look-at-social-media-finds-some-possible-benefits-for-kids#:~:text=Research%20being

%20presented%20Tuesday%20finds,family%20conflict%20and%20fewer%20sleep.

Dyer, Tobbi. “The Effects of Social Media on Children.” Dalhousie Journal of Interdisciplinary

Management, https://ojs.library.dal.ca/djim/article/view/7855.

Christopher T. Barry* , Chloe L. Sidoti, Shanelle M. Briggs, Shari R. Reiter, Rebecca A.

Lindsey. “Adolescent Social Media Use and Mental Health from Adolescent and Parent

Perspectives.” Elsevier Washington State University, USA,

https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com.

Radovic, Ana, et al. “Depressed Adolescents' Positive and Negative Use of Social Media.”

Journal of Adolescence, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2017,

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5485251/.

Burch, Kelly. “How Social Media Affects the Mental Health of Teenagers.” Insider, Insider, 16

Mar. 2020, https://www.insider.com/how-does-social-media-affect-

teenagers#:~:text=Social%20media%20can%20affect%20teenagers,help%20them%20find

%20supportive%20networks.

“Teens and Social Media Use: What's the Impact?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical

Education and Research, 21 Dec. 2019,

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-

social-media-use/art-20474437.
Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban. “The Rise of Social Media.” Our World in Data, 18 Sept. 2019,

https://ourworldindata.org/rise-of-social media#:~:text=Social%20media%20started%20in

%20the,media%20as%20we%20know%20it

Joanne Orlando Researcher: Technology and Learning. “How Teens Use Fake Instagram

Accounts to Relieve the Pressure of Perfection.” The Conversation, 7 Sept. 2021,

https://theconversation.com/how-teens-use-fake-instagram-accounts-to-relieve-the-

pressure-of-perfection-92105

Published by Statista Research Department, and Jan 28. “U.S. Tiktok Users by Age 2021.”

Statista, 28 Jan. 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1095186/tiktok-us-users-age/

Published by Statista Research Department, and Jun 16. “Social Networking: Age Distribution of

MySpace Users in the U.S. 2010.” Statista, 16 June 2011,

https://www.statista.com/statistics/192699/age-distribution-of-users-on-myspace-in-the-

united-states/