The negative impacto g technology and social media on teens

Nowadays, technology has given teenagers a "stereotype" that social media has caused
young people to change their way of being by following individuals they call "influencers."
In most cases, this leads to changes in their behavior, mentality, and physical appearance to
resemble the people they admire, and to make a good impression on others, which could
have short-term or long-term consequences. Furthermore, technology has made access to
this influence available at a very early age, as in some cases there is inadequate supervision
by parents or responsible adults, leading children and teenagers to develop negative
behaviors or conform to the stereotypes that some social media platforms can generate due
to the content they display.

Various types of stereotypes have been created over the years, such as the idealization of a
perfect body, which affects the self-esteem of adolescents, primarily impacting women.
Many of them compare themselves to models or well-known influencers. Many of them
change themselves because they criticize themselves. "Adolescents, are the ones who judge
and criticize the most based on body image (Maria Casa Lobos - 2021), they worry about
fitting in, they criticize themselves and others for being perfect or not being perfect, they
change the way they think, they change their physical appearance by subjecting themselves
to an "extreme diet," harming their physical and mental health. As Tania Gualdron stated,
"adolescents adopt dangerous behaviors to become the 'perfect woman' portrayed by the
media and society. All of this leads to negative consequences for mental health" (Tania
Gualdron, 2020), resulting in eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia that affect both
physical and mental health. This pressure to conform to stereotypes affects not only women
but also men, although not to the same extent. Men are subjected to stereotypes of the
perfect body, constantly exposed to social media images of muscular and athletic bodies.
This can lead to harmful behaviors such as an obsession with exercise and the use of
steroids for muscle growth, which can have serious consequences for physical and mental
health.

The fashion industry, advertising, and even influencers themselves play an important role in
promoting stereotypes by frequently featuring models and celebrities with perfect bodies.
This makes adolescents feel pressured to meet unrealistic expectations, leading to negative
impacts on self-esteem. Constant exposure to idealized images can make adolescents feel
insecure or dissatisfied with their appearance, leading to feelings of anxiety, depression,
and low self-esteem, which can affect their social lives and academic performance.

One way to help prevent adolescents from falling into depression or anxiety is for parents
to become aware of the problems that social media can pose for teenagers. By listening to
them and creating a comfortable environment for them to share their concerns about their
appearance without judgment, parents can provide emotional support and encourage them
from a young age to accept themselves as they are and not to take into account the negative
opinions of others. Parents should also teach their children not to judge appearances, accept
others' opinions and preferences, and actively listen to the adolescents themselves.

In today's times, technology plays a significant role, as social media platforms have
fostered the stereotypes promoted by the influencers prevalent on the web. This has led
young people to change their behavior, mentality, and even their appearance in order to fit
into society. This phenomenon has had short-term consequences, especially for those
parents who do not supervise their children when they navigate the internet. This trend can
affect both men and women in the near future because society's idealization of a "perfect
body" has negatively impacted the mental health and self-esteem of adolescents, driving
them to try everything at their disposal, such as using steroids or subjecting themselves to
extreme diets to change some perceived "imperfection" in their bodies.