Social Media and Teens

What if you were told to stop using social media, would you stop? Teen’s usage of

Instagram should be limited because it can lead to mental health issues and addictions which

allows teens to hit the points of long-time consequences and life changing decisions.

Teens use their phones every day for social media, exemplified by platforms like

Instagram. Which has become ingrained in our daily lives, serving as interaction, discussion, and

entertainment. However, researchers have highlighted its negative effects on mental health,

including dissatisfaction, addiction, cyberbullying, and mood disturbances. With over a billion

users, including many teenagers, Instagram is increasingly viewed as a toxic environment due to

negative interactions. Compared to activities like watching TV or playing games, Instagram does

not prompt alternative engagement. The addictive nature of social media contributes to

concerns such as body image, self-esteem, and anxiety, especially among girls. Richard heads a

Congressional committee investigating mental health issues related to social media and

exploring policy solutions to protect teens online. The pressure and expectations on social

media exacerbate mental health issues, raising questions about its suitability for younger users.

Social media is the cause of negative effects and addictive nature which aggravates

mental health. These platforms, themselves have acknowledged the harms, claiming that “The

photo app could affect girls' mental health on issues such as body image and self-

esteem.”(Latest Facebook Hearing). Due to this, users, especially teens, experience anxiety,

low self-esteem, and failure because they have access to such content regularly. Consequently,

social media's addictive qualities results in teens need for approval. This has also been pointed
out by Facebook “Facebook's head of research issued a rebuttal to the WSJ revelations arguing

that the company's research showed Instagram was toxic for teenage girls.”(Latest Facebook

Hearing). Therefore, negative content, such as hate speech, cyberbullying, and unrealistic

beauty standards, grows on social media platforms.

The questions of whether social media is suitable for younger users will decrease if

restrictions are put in place to protect teens online. Richard Blumenthal, the chair of the

subcommittee on consumer protection, product safety, and data security pointed out that

"Children and teens face immense peer pressure and social expectations to broadcast their lives

online,"(Latest Facebook Hearing). Teens have free will online and because of this they come

across many things that harm them. Consequently, worries about whether social media is

appropriate for younger users have grown because of the increase in risky content,

cyberbullying, and privacy violations. Social media all do one thing in common and that is

because "The only thing they care about is hooking kids when they are most vulnerable,

keeping them on the platform and getting access to as much of their personal data as

possible”(Latest Facebook Hearing). Social has been hooking kids and because of these kids

have issues trying to take a break. Therefore, it is necessary to set limits to protect teens online

to address these issues. Platforms can protect younger users from content that could harm

their mental development and well-being by enforcing age-appropriate filters for content.

With all this, some believe that social media is not the issue. Research suggests that

social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook should not be solely held responsible

for the act of hate speech as “It is just as likely that this violence was organized not only

through Facebook and WhatsApp but also through phone calls and words exchanged across a
neighbor's fence.”(Samarajiva). The text states that the problem is from people and phones

themselves. What this argument overlooks are that social media platforms like Instagram and

Facebook play a significant role in adding on to the issue of mental health problems caused

online. Social media can only do so much, but people add to it. Social media is a big part of

screen time for teens. Therefore, teens have access to anything on social media, including

coming across hate speech, misleading information, addiction, mental health issues, and more.

“Social media companies, such as Facebook or WhatsApp, are responsible for the spread of

hate speech”(Samarajiva). Since social media lacks the help teens need, companies and

researchers continue the argument of the poor safety social media has on young adults.

Instagram usage by teenagers should be restricted because it can result in addictions

and mental health problems, which puts them at risk for making decisions that will have long-

term effects and alter their lives. Join us in making restrictions on teenage Instagram usage to

safeguard their mental health and future well-being. Together, let us push for greater

accountability and regulation in social media platforms, ensuring a safer online environment for

all!
 Works Cited

"Latest Facebook hearing will examine impacts of company's products on children;

Recent Wall Street Journal reports reveal that Instagram could affect teenage girls'

body image and self esteem." Guardian [London, England], 30 Sept. 2021, p. NA.

Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A677402533/OVIC?u=j079907013&sid=bookmark-

OVIC&xid=47cf9051. Accessed 22 Jan. 2024. Gale Document Number: GALE|

A677402533

Samarajiva, Rohan. "Banning Social Media Won't Stop Hate Speech." New York Times,

16 Mar. 2018, p. NA(L). Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A531150121/OVIC?u=j079907013&sid=bookmark-

OVIC&xid=667d68b4. Accessed 23 Jan. 2024. Gale Document Number: GALE|

A531150121