Adyia Gibson

17 April 2024

Dr. Whitener

English 102-021

Research Paper

Does social media worsen the mental well-being of teenagers?

Social media is a term that is used for internet sites and apps that can be used to share

content that was created. During the early 2000’s social media became popular with platforms

like Myspace and LinkedIn which paved the way for other new apps to be created. Social media

lets anyone respond to content that anyone posts. This can include pictures, text, reactions, or

comments. Online sharing within social media apps helps people to stay in touch with friends

and family. Friendships play a role how teens feel supported and in forming their identities. The

influence of social media has been used to shape politics, business, education, and careers. Over

the last decade social media has left a negative impact on adolescents. Most teens between the

ages of 12-15 use social media over three hours a day and they might face having mental health

issues like depression and anxiety.

Social media is a big part of a lot of teenager’s lives. Although social media does not

affect all the teenagers the same, but it does affect a huge amount. In 2022 a survey of 13-to-17-

year-old about 1,300 responses found that 35% of teens has at least one of the five social media

apps like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. Most social media apps where

design to hold the user’s attention for a long span of time. The risk of using too much social

media can be unhealthy, which can cause risk like unsatisfaction with life. Social media can be
linked to depression which is a mental illness that can start at fourteen because of social media.

Most governments and psychologists are concerned that children are spending too much time on

social media instead of going outside and they are worried that children are missing out on social

experiences.

The average age of when most children are allowed to have a social media account is

twelve years old. Research has found that the more time that someone spends on social media

they will most likely have mental health problems like anxiety, isolation, and hopelessness. A

recent study has showed that over the span of four years the high levels of social media was

associated with increased depression among high schoolers and middle schoolers. Due too little

to no interaction during the pandemic it increased the need for peer interaction and higher

sensitivity to social exclusion. The pandemic included lockdowns, online learning, and social

distancing mandates have ruin their daily routine. One social media platform called Tik Tok

attracts at least one billion users worldwide and most of the users are 10 to 29 years old. Data

from the World Health Organization show that in 2021 at least one in seven kids from 10 to 19

struggled with metal health challenges. Another problem with this app is that can create more

Isolation and loneliness among young people. The reason being that most kids want to find

validation from Tik Toks audience, and they might think that it is normal and necessary for their

development. Most kids that have anxiety or depression tend to spend more time online and

reduce real interaction with other people. One of the reasons of higher rates of mental health

issues in adolescents are cyberbullying, social exclusion, and drama.

The reason why social media can be an issue to teens because they have access to

inappropriate and harmful content. Another concern for teenagers would be an eating disorder. A
study showed tat between 2016 and 2021 published in PLOS Global Public Health suggested that

an exposure to physical ideals may trigger a sense of self and eating disorder. This issue a

problem among girls. Also, there are adults on social media that targets adolescents to exploit

teens sexually or financially. The adult would extort them through a threat or distribution of

intimate images. Using social media excessively can harm teens by disrupting important healthy

behaviors. Some researchers may argue that the exposure to social media can overstimulate the

brains reward center, then the stimulation starts to become excessive, it can trigger pathways like

addiction. These problems have been linked to sleep problems, attention problems, and the

feeling of exclusion among adolescents. Social media influences the brain development which is

shaped by many factors like the amount of time that is spent on social media and the type of

content that they are watching. The amount time that spent on social media platforms disrupts

sleeping habits and doing other things like going outside.

Although technology has a lot of advantages there are some risks especially for teenagers.

Apart of growing up is learning how to make friends which requires some risk-taking. This is

required to make friends and to maintain friendships. When a problem arises then both sides

needs to know how to communicate to fix it but, when friendships are only online through a text

the friendship is getting stripped of so many things. Like an intimate conversation and hearing or

seeing how your words are affecting someone else in that moment. Because if the conversation is

happening over text, it is not happening in real time and sometimes you cannot really tell how

the other person is feeling over text. Social media has cause teenagers to lose the idea of a

meaningful relationship that can be built by face to face. Also, using emojis are different from

reading someone body language and facial expressions. Without those factors in a friendship, it

is kind of harder to build a meaningful relationship. During the ages of 10 to 19 children are
going through a sensitive period of brain development. During this time most children want to do

risky things and their behavior is different.

One thing that has made social media a negative thing especially for children is

cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is when someone uses technology to harass, threaten, and

embarrass someone. The bullies can make hurtful comments and post humiliating pictures of

someone that they may not like. Social media allows anyone to share their comments

anonymously and the comments can either be positive or negative. Most cyberbullies do not feel

any remorse or empathy when making a hurtful comment because they are hiding behind a

computer and sometimes cyberbullies do not seem to feel like they did anything wrong. The

victims of cyberbullying are more than likely to use drugs and alcohol and skip school. They are

also more than likely to let their grades drop, have low self-esteem problems and mental health

problems. In some cases, cyberbullying has led to suicide.

Social media is good for teens if used correctly. Most teens do not used social media

during school or if they do extra-curricular activities like sports or clubs at school. Teenagers use

social media to express their selves and they use it as a form of communication. Some may use it

to communicate to a friend that does not go to their school or someone they do not see on a day-

to-day basis. Leaving a positive digital footprint is also a goal for teenagers so they can post their

achievements and goals. They can also showcase their talents and they can develop better

communication skills.

In conclusion social media is one the main caused of mental health problems for

teenagers. Social media has made a negative impact on children, especially after the pandemic.

The social media platform is very harmful for the mind because of the creators and the many
people on social media. Social media has caused a lot of mental health problems for teenagers

and young adults. The top major platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, and

Facebook all can have a negative influence on teenagers because of the influencers. Most kids

are exposed to social media by the age of twelve. Teenagers now days have depression and

anxiety which can led to low self-esteem and most researchers think that depression and anxiety

is linked to the use of social media. Teenagers feel like they must live up to societies

expectations and keep up with the popular trends. It was discovered in a study that teenagers

spend at least more than three hours a day on social media. The use of technology has affected

everyone.
 Works Cited

Annie. (2023, August 10). Social media and Teen Mental Health. The Annie E. Casey
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Columbia. (2022, April 22). Is social media threatening teens’ mental health and well-

being? Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/social-media-threatening-teens-mental-health-and-

well-being

Ehmke, R. (2023a, August 10). How using social media affects teenagers. Child Mind Institute.
https://childmind.org/article/how-using-social-media-affects-teenagers/

Katella, K. (2024, January 8). How social media affects your teen’s mental health: A parent’s
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Mayo Staff. (2024, January 18). How to help your teen navigate social media. Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-
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