Impact of Social Media on Youth

What is social media? Why is it so important to us? What effects do you think social media has on the mental health of all of us? 

The impact of social media has become an undeniable force in our lives, offering a lot of opportunities like connection, creativity, and information access. However excessive use of social media causes fear, anxiety, depression, and social isolation due to unrealistic portrayals. We need to strike a balance between harnessing the positive power of social media for healthy youth development and minimizing its potential risks.

Did you know that research by Kenyan University says that more than 60% of today’s youth are active social media users. More than 3 billion youth (aged 13–25) use social media globally, with research suggesting that more than 10% of teens may struggle with social media addiction.

Youth spend an average of 3 hours per day on these platforms, highlighting both the reach and potential harms of social media to youth development. Certainly, everything we do for so long and paying so much attention to something has a lasting impact on us, whether we notice it or not.

The Positive Impact of Social Media

Social media and technology offer us greater convenience and connectivity:

• Stay in touch with your loved ones anywhere in the world all thanks to social media. Stay connected with friends and family through instant messaging, video calls, and shared updates.
• If you want to research a project or learn a new skill, Social media platforms provide the required information and educational resources. From informative articles to educational YouTube channels, learning is just a click away.
• Managing your finances from your phone. Social media allows you to connect with banks and make payments easier.
• Social media provides a platform to raise awareness about important issues and issues you care about.
• Businesses of all sizes can take advantage of social media for marketing and promotion. Reach new customers, build brand loyalty, and increase sales.
• Social media has opened the doors to remote work opportunities. Collaborate online with coworkers and clients while fostering a flexible and productive work environment.

Also Read: How to Fight Phone Addiction

The Negative Impact of Social Media

Along with the good comes the bad. With all of its benefits, the nature of social media presents a range of potential issues.

• Constant social media use can lead to excessive screen time, neglect of real-life responsibilities, and impacts on mental health.
• As social media is becoming a medium of communication, personal contact is being affected. This can hinder social skills and emotional intelligence.
• Ironically, despite online connections, social media use can lead to feelings of loneliness and disconnection.
• Social media platforms collect large amounts of personal data, raising privacy concerns and the potential for abuse.
• Social media comparisons can increase jealousy and resentment, which can impact mental health.
• Fake news and rumors spread widely, creating confusion and distrust and potentially harming public institutions.

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Social Media’s Dark Side: How Cyberbullying Can Drive Teens to Suicide

Cyberbullying is the bullying that occurs on digital platforms such as tablets, laptops, and smartphones. Cyberbullying can happen online in social media, forums, or gaming where users can read, interact with, or exchange content. It can also happen through SMS, text messages, and applications. Sending, publishing, or disseminating hurtful, malicious, or malicious content about another person is known as cyberbullying. It may involve disclosing private or intimate information about another individual in a way that makes them feel embarrassed or degraded. Cyberbullying can often cross the line into illegal or criminal activity.

Priyanshu Yadav, a 16-year-old student from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, who was the victim of constant cyberbullying, committed suicide. Priyanshu encountered disparaging remarks and homophobic epithets for utilizing cross-dressing as a means of expressing his gay identity. The online abuse he experienced on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp is being looked at by the authorities.

Fourteen-year-old Adriana Kuch of Bayville, N.J. took her own life after a video of her being attacked in a school hallway was shared online.

The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are:

• Social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat
• Message apps and texting on smartphones or tablets
• Internet-based online chat, direct messaging, and instant messaging
• Internet message boards, chat rooms, and forums, such as Reddit
• Send emails to online gaming groups

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Is Social Media Ruining Our Youth?

The problem with excessive use of social media is that today’s youth is tomorrow’s future and we should be using the internet to equip ourselves with the necessary skills, knowledge, and professions, creating a utopia for all, but instead, we using it to destroy ourselves. The worst part is we don’t even notice it.
Here I will tell you three stressors that I believe are all caused by excessive use of social media. These factors are commonly known and faced by almost a hundred percent of all teenagers today. If we’re not careful, these possibilities can easily turn into a full-blown mental health diagnosis.

How Social Media Creates Insecurity in Youth

Insecurity is basically a lack of confidence in oneself. Now you must be asking yourself how social media causes insecurity. Well, how each and every one of us has Instagram highlights. Just like in sports highlights, a collection of your best and brightest moments. Same as social media is life’s highlight. 

Always wanting to showcase your wins, great looks, amazing trips, and delicious food, best moments is the most important reason for Instagram highlights. However, appreciating the good things in life is not a bad thing. But Instagram highlights exposes the reason for most teens’ insecurities today. And this happens because we always compare real-life struggles or secrets to other people’s social media life.

For example, You open your Instagram, look at a social media post of best friends at the beach, and start comparing yourself to why you can’t go on such holidays, why your skin isn’t clear, or why your body isn’t toned. 

You see how insecurity comes from the constant comparisons between you and the people you follow on social media. 

Also Read: Gen Z Work-Life Balance

From Real to Reel: How Social Media Distorts Our Values

Ever wonder why you spend so much time getting the perfect picture for social media? It’s all because of “likes,” “comments”, and “shares”. The more you get, the more popular you are. I’m sure more than half of us have deleted a post because it didn’t get as many “likes,” “comments”, and “shares” as it usually gets and you removed that post. 

The big problem is that we start to think we’re only valuable if people like our posts. It’s like a constant popularity contest, and it can make us feel bad.

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

Social media can make you feel anxious.  Everyone seems to be posting pictures of exciting things they’re doing, while you might be stuck at home. It’s like watching a highlight reel of other people’s lives, which can make your own life seem boring.

Social media is designed this way to keep you scrolling and looking at more posts. But always keep in mind that you’re only seeing the best parts of other people’s lives, not their everyday routines.

If you are feeling depressed because impact of social media, take a break. Focus on the things that make you happy, not on the things that others have that make you jealous. There’s a whole world to experience outside your phone! Enjoy the moment, you might be missing out on some real joy. Just because everyone is doing something amazing online doesn’t mean you have to do the same. 

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Wrap-Up

The impact of social media on youth can be both negative and positive. It’s up to you how you use your social media. You are using social media to learn new things and increase your knowledge and skills or using it just to waste your time in scrolling reels.

Finding balance is very important. Empower Youth to be smart Social Media users. Promote real-world interactions and activities that build self-esteem. Together, we can ensure that technology empowers our future generations rather than hindering their development.

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