The Effects of Social Media on Teen Relationships

In today’s globalizing world, social media can be said to be the new communication

tool worldwide. It can be said that almost everyone in the world has at least one account on

social media platforms, and teenagers make up the biggest part of these social media users

around the world. For many years, it has been discussed that social media has numerous

different impacts on teenagers’ lives and relationships, both positive and negative. However,

it is an undeniable fact that teen relationships are greatly affected by social media in terms of

two main aspects.

Firstly, it is sure that since many teenagers spend most of their time on social media,

they mostly tend to estrange themselves from social life. Instead of spending time with their

schoolmates or childhood friends, they may prefer spending these times on social media,

posting tweets and photos, or following celebrities and influencers. Therefore, even if they

can socialize in the virtual world thanks to chatting on the Internet when it comes to their

normal real lives, it cannot be denied that their relationships with their real friends are

adversely affected by the huge internet and social media usage. Moreover, as time passes,

teenagers have a tendency to be addicted to social media, which may lead them to care about

just their virtual friends and virtual lives. Consequently, although they spend their time with

their real friends, they may feel better while they are doing something else in their virtual

lives, causing them to get away from their real lives.

Secondly, it has been widely known that social media has several negative impacts on

teenagers’ psychology in terms of losing self-esteem. In other words, it is claimed that

teenagers using social media are prone to compare their lives and themselves to others

according to the shared photos on Instagram or tweets on Twitter. It is inevitable that this

comparison may lead them to lose their self-esteem at some point. The feeling of being
inadequate and extreme envy towards other people may result in further severe conditions

such as depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. Thus, as soon as their psychologies

deteriorate, they may become introverted individuals; thereby, they may withdraw themselves

from not only their friends but also their families. Likewise, since these negative feelings may

also lead to aggression in teenagers, they may start to make trouble wherever they are, but

mostly in their houses, which has a tough impact on the relationships between the family

members and the teenager.

All in all, while social media actively used by millions worldwide may have many

benefits regarding different aspects, it cannot be denied that it affects teen relationships in a

quite negative way. Although it is considered unimportant at first, it should not be forgotten

that social media can cause significant problems related to teen relationships unless it is taken

under control. All things considered, the obvious conclusion to be drawn is that it is all about

the usage and controlling the power of social media.