Illustration by Eliza Anderson, 2022.
People of all ages spend a lot of time on social media that provide platforms to stay in touch with family and friends. Other people use social media to communicate, advertise, and find jobs. In particular, the youngsters find social media platforms highly useful in establishing connections. However, social media outlets have negative impacts, especially on children’s mental health. The negative impacts on children have not been backed empirically due to inadequate research. Some studies show that children benefit through online interactions, while others demonstrate increased anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. The fragile and unstable minds of adolescents are prone to addiction, including the obsession with social media. Addiction is compounded by the desire for teenagers to assert themselves, their lack of experience, psychological trauma, and unfavorable environment.
The process of analyzing social media usage is incredibly complex because it is constantly changing and evolving. Children’s life experiences are not backed by enough data that can enable researchers to make decisive judgments. Some people find it hard to understand the appeal of certain social media platforms if they have not grown up with them (Abi-Jaoude et al., 2020). For the most part, teenagers consider scrolling, liking, following and taking selfies primary ways of sharing and interacting with friends. Since they lack experience, youngsters fear missing out on jokes, links, and invitations leading to stress and depression (BetterUP, 2022). By not participating in online activities, people get affected physically and emotionally.
Photo-sharing platform Snapchat is one of the most popular social networks among teenagers. Photos posted on this platform will be deleted as soon as they are viewed by the recipient. Users can also post photos saved within 24 hours via Snapchat Stories (Abi-Jaoude et al., 2020). Instagram users can share “stories” 24 hours a day, but they can also upload photos and videos that remain on their profile (Abi-Jaoude et al., 2020). Anyone can see the photos and videos you post on Instagram, as long as you have not set your account to Private. Instagram is often used as a form of photo blogging, showing videos of travel and everyday life, and sharing interests in art, cooking, and other pursuits.
Illustration by L. A. Johnson, 2016.
Nonetheless, social media is beneficial in making children feel connected and having stronger relations with friends. According to a publication in Pediatrics, regular use of social media benefits children and teens by improving communication, social interaction and technical skills. The social dimension of human development is innate, and social media provides children with a quick and easy way to communicate. Social media can be a source of support and friendship among marginalized teens including those with health issues and LGBTQ+. Teens can find support and connection through social media when they interact with small groups of other supportive teens.
Illustration by Relationadvisors5, 2022.
There are many negative attributes of social media, especially being attached to the phone. Nearly half of teens admit to being addicted to their smartphones, according to a new study by Digital Wellbeing 2020 (Abi-Jaoude et al., 2020). Most respondents also believe that their connection to technology affects their eating, sleeping, playing sports, and studying habits. Secondly, children get exposed to inappropriate content, including violence, racism, hate or pornography. Teenagers stumble upon pornography by accident that initially causes a mixture of curiosity, shock, confusion and disgust.
Additionally youngsters may experience cyberbullying and failure to act promptly has serious consequences. Psychological research has linked cyberbullying to a risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts (Jolliff, 2020). Social networks at night can interfere with children’s sleep. Children aged 5 to 16 should sleep between 9 and 11 hours every night (Abi-Jaoude et al., 2020). Sleep deprivation can negatively affect school performance and increase the risk of depression and anxiety.