Effects of Social Media on mental health and social behaviors among teenagers

By: Sudiksa Dineshkumar

Social Media has been an exponential trend for the past decade, taking over almost all our daily lives. This new media branch has provided many benefits, from entertainment jobs, but it has also offered various consequences. These consequences are severe on adolescent brains, specifically ages 14-18. Monica Anderson, director of Internet and Technology research at the PEW research center, stated that almost 59% of teens on social media have experienced bullying or harassment. These numbers continue to grow at an alarming rate as cell phones and online presence for younger generations become more prevalent and accessible. According to statistics, around 2014, about 20% of US adults have experienced harassment online compared to the 40% in recent studies. While also being harassed online, many teens, specifically female teens, have said that they constantly feel pressure to fit in with not just societal standards but unrealistic trends and beauty standards stemming from social media. Recent statistics from Boys and Girls Clubs of America, an informative website created to empower younger generations, state that 8 in 10 young girls compare their looks to those presented in social media, and 50% have stated that it has damaged their self-esteem. These are just a few of the many threats social media has caused. When discussing mental health, social media itself has been known to increase levels of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. According to Onehope, almost 60% of teens who were asked said that they had signs of depression, 66% had signs of high anxiety, and nearly 75% reported having feelings of loneliness. Ultimately, social media is here to stay, but we as a society must be informed about its effects and consequences on mental health. By being better informed and understanding potential solutions, we can hopefully reduce these numbers in the future, but not heeding the possible solutions, one can experience loneliness, anxiety, and depression. 

Hi, my name is Sudiksa Dineshkumar, and I am a researcher here at Guides To Perfection. For the past several weeks, I have researched the specific topic of social media's impact on teenagers and found several neurological, social, and functional effects. To combat these effects, I have seen some recommendations and methods created by esteemed doctors in the field to help your child or a child struggling with this issue. Some solutions range from simple daily changes to one’s lifestyle to medication or counseling, depending upon the severity of the problem.

• App Time tracker (screen time): Although social media provides endless entertainment to its users, it can also consume their time. An app tracker or screen time for Apple users is a great tool to minimize the time spent on social media. Screen time is an algorithm that helps lock users out of their apps at a set time. It can only be unblocked with a password or when the time begins again. Using this, one can forcefully minimize their time on social media and get the most out of their day.

• Turn off notifications    An alternate strategy to minimize social media usage is to turn notifications off. “Do not disturb” on an iPhone or simply keeping notifications off throughout the day can help reduce distractions and constant stimulation. Although turning off notifications isn’t a long-lasting or very effective strategy, it is a strategy that can be used once the problem has been minimized. 

• Setting phone to grayscale   Next, a parent could also set their child’s phone to grayscale. Much of the appeal to social media and many more apps is the color. By turning grayscale, a setting that decreases the phone’s color saturation and can be found in the settings section, onto phones, kids aren’t as likely to be entertained or even look at screens.

• Private accounts While minimizing time on social media is vital for development, social media is also dangerous, where hackers actively attack accounts intending to ask for money and pedophilic activity, causing many kids to be groomed or harassed online. Private accounts are the best option to control who is following your children on social media. Private accounts help filter and decide who can view your posts while also being able to enjoy the entertainment. This rising issue requires immediate attention as social media has taken our lives by storm. As discussed previously, its increased use has affected people’s mental, physical, and social well-being. However, small and simple changes to one’s everyday lifestyle can help minimize social media's influence on your life while allowing you to enjoy its entertainment. I hope this article has provided sufficient knowledge and solutions to guide you through social media. It seems complicated, but you can do it, I pinky promise.