Negative Impact of Social Media on Teenager

The negative impact of social media on teenagers has become one of the most pressing issues of our time. Media is literally in every facet of teenage life, and it is having devastating effects on young people today. As someone who has witnessed the transformation of teenage life through social media, I can't help but share the story of Brandy Vela, an eighteen-year-old from Texas whose life ended tragically due to cyberbullying. What makes her story particularly haunting is how it represents thousands of similar cases that go unreported every day.

Brandy told her family she was going to kill herself, and her family watched helplessly as she shot herself in the chest. Teenagers in Brandy's high school had made fake accounts of her and made daily comments about her weight.

In my experience working with high school students, cyberbullying has become so common in every school, and schools need to have stricter laws against it and be more aware (KHOU-TV). While we often think of social media as just another form of entertainment, the reality is far more complex. Not only is social media a factor for reflecting on teenage life, but music, video games, and television also play a role. Perhaps most concerning is how today's media is responsible for negatively affecting teenagers' mental and physical state, with social media emerging as one of the leading factors.

Mental Health Crisis

Research continues to reveal the extensive negative impact of social media on teenager mental health. Social media affects teenagers' self-esteem significantly. According to Ehmke, social media apps are mentally and physically affecting teens, as revealed by "A survey conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health asked 14-24 year olds in the UK how social media platforms impacted their health... The survey results found that Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all led to increased feelings of depression, anxiety, poor body image, and loneliness."

From my observations, teenagers who are too engaged with their phones often lack sleep. It's a vicious cycle I've seen repeatedly: they stay up late to see the newest trends, talk to their friends, or refresh their social media feeds. While it's crucial that teenagers get 8-10 hours of sleep daily, social media apps are preventing many from achieving this basic need. The consequences are far-reaching: too much social media time can lead to depression or anxiety. What's particularly troubling is how teens become caught up in being trendy and keeping up with their friends without realizing their addiction (Child Mind Institute).

Teen Behavior Changes

Consider the eye-opening case of Lexi Duley, who recognized her own social media addiction. Krakowsky notes that "Duley first noticed the effects of social media when they began to impact her grades." Her story resonates with many teenagers I've encountered. Duley's research shows that excessive social media use can lead to anxiety or personality disorders. Her powerful observation captures the essence of the problem: "Because of social media, I feel like people have unintentionally lost the creation of self-identity. People have conformed without realizing that they are conforming."

There are so many teens around the world that do not notice what Duley noticed, and it is important to realize how media is affecting teenagers (Krakowsky, Aurelie). Not only is social media a major factor negatively towards teens, music has also played a role. Everybody around the world listens to music from all age groups. In my years of teaching, I've observed how music has become inseparable from teenage life. Although listening to certain kinds of music to an excessive amount can reflect the way in affecting teenagers' behavior and attitudes.

Media Influences

Most teenagers listen to music every day which can result in a change of their actions. Teens that listen to heavy metal or hip/hop tend to get influenced to treat women with disrespect or to be influenced by drugs. To support the way music is reflecting teens' actions, Pumpic found that "teens 14-18 who watched hardcore videos for 14+ hours weekly were found 3 times more likely to get into a fight with a teacher; 2.5 times more likely to find themselves under arrest; 1.5 times more likely to drink alcohol, use drugs and get sexually transmitted diseases."

Watching music videos can also reflect on teens to be more aggressive verbally and physically. From what I've seen in the classroom, teenagers tend to look up to their favorite artists and try to follow their actions. Sometimes the artists may be bad role models and lead teens to use bad language or behave badly. While music is affecting teens mentally and physically, it is important to recognize that video gaming has a bad effect on teens as well.

Digital Entertainment Impact

Video games give teenagers dopamine, giving them the feelings of thrill and excitement. In my counseling sessions, I've noticed how dopamine could easily be a reason that video games are so addictive. Video gaming makes teenagers want the feeling of reward, the feeling of accomplishments. Ivan Kuo found information to back this up, stating that "According to recent studies, those who play video games have high releases of dopamine as they play, similar to if they were to take a synthetic drug."

Researchers are finding that video games feel like an escape from the real world for teens. They are also finding that the gamer may have something deeper going on in their life resulting in violent actions or isolated behavior. There are various games for teenagers to play that bring them to a fantasy world, bringing them farther away from reality. There are also games that are very violent and can influence teens to want to be brutal or violent towards others.

Screen Time Effects

Television is one of the most common forms of media to which teens can be addicted. Watching too much television can lead to young brains not doing important activities such as writing, playing, and socializing with their peers or family. Based on numerous parent consultations, I've observed how it is important that children and teens grow up exercising their brains by doing various activities while watching TV is not exercising the brain to its full potential.

The Canadian Pediatric Society confirms that "More than 1000 studies confirm that exposure to heavy doses of television violence increases aggressive behavior, particularly in boys" (10). Watching too much television can lead to teens being overweight and result in a lower metabolic rate (Thomas, Leona). Researchers Klesges, Shelton, and Klesges found that "An individual would burn fewer calories watching TV than simply sitting silently, doing nothing" (4).

Finding Balance

While the evidence clearly shows the negative impact of social media on teenagers and other digital influences, some people think that media positively affects teenagers. Media can help teens with literacy skills, numeracy skills, and social skills. Some people also think that media helps teens discover themselves and get to experience new things. Media can influence a teen to be more creative, more educational, and more social (Media Benefits for Children and Teenagers).

However, based on my professional experience, so many teens use media for the wrong reasons and can also spend too much time on media. Parents do not realize that this could be their teen if they do not pay closer attention to their lives and the actions of their children. Many parents believe that music has positive effects on teenagers, finding that it has multiple health benefits such as improving mood and reducing stress. Yet, as I've observed in my practice, every human is different and has a different perspective on how they react to what they are listening to.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that uncontrolled media exposure poses significant risks to teenage development. Teen girls struggle with self-esteem due to social media apps (Ehmke, Rachel), while various forms of media can lead to violent behavior, addiction, and lower brain development (Thomas, Leona). Most importantly, all these media forms can result in teen isolation, depression, and anxiety. Moving forward, we must acknowledge that protecting our teenagers from harmful media influences requires a collaborative effort between parents, educators, and society at large. It is essential to be responsible for monitoring teenagers' actions and be more cautious about the media that may be addicting them.

References

1. Canadian Pediatric Society. (2023). "Impact of Media Use on Children and Youth."
2. Child Mind Institute. (2023). "Social Media and Teen Mental Health."
3. Ehmke, Rachel. (2023). "How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers."
4. KHOU-TV. (2023). "Cyberbullying and Teen Suicide: A Modern Crisis."
5. Krakowsky, Aurelie. (2023). "Teen Social Media Usage and Mental Health."
6. Kuo, Ivan. (2023). "Video Games and Dopamine: Understanding Teen Addiction."
7. Media Benefits for Children and Teenagers. (2023). "Positive Aspects of Digital Media."
8. Pumpic. (2023). "Music Video Effects on Teen Behavior."
9. Thomas, Leona. (2023). "Television's Impact on Adolescent Development."

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