The Forum

As today’s technology keeps growing and changing, social media has become a huge part of our everyday lives. Apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are everywhere, and it’s now completely normal for young teens and even young kids to have them on their phones. To young people today it feels like if you’re not on social media, you’re missing out on something. While social media does have positives, like helping us stay in touch with friends and be able to express our creativity, I believe it can be very damaging to teens and young kids. Many kids struggle with comparison issues, and social media is a perfect place for that to happen, along with other problems such mental health risks and the constant spread of negativity. This can make social media more harmful than good for a lot of young people.

One of the biggest problems we face with social media is how it affects our mental health. Many teens today struggle with anxiety and depression. A lot of that comes from problems of comparison and lack of self-worth. Think about what you see being posted online. You don’t see people posting their “off” days or a bad hair days. You see people at their best for the most part. You see their perfect pictures at just the right angles; you see their expensive vacations and their fancy clothes. But you must realize that’s not the whole story. When young people see these kinds of things day after day, it starts to become easy to think, “How come I don’t own that?” or “Why don’t I look like that?” Even if we know deep down that online personas may not be real and it can be staged, this still has a way of making you feel not good enough. According to a study by the American Psychological Association, teens who spend more time on social media are more likely to report feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.

Another serious problem with social media is cyberbullying. Unlike in-person bullying, cyberbullying doesn’t stop when you aren’t around them. It can follow you home and into your room and doesn’t just end if you are alone. People online are much more likely to say something hurtful and rude, because they know that they won’t have to be accountable for these words, and because they can hide behind the screen. Hurtful words, inappropriate messages and screenshots and not being a part of group chats are all real ways of hurting someone. When things like that happen online, it can feel like everyone is watching and can see what’s happening. In a survey from the Pew Research Center, they found that nearly 60% of U.S. teens have experienced some form of cyberbullying, including name-calling, spreading false rumors or receiving unwanted explicit images.

On top of everything, there are a lot of things on social media that young people should not be seeing, such as inappropriate and sexually explicit content. Even with age restrictions, parental controls and filters, it’s still incredibly easy for kids to come across inappropriate and harmful content whether that’s violent videos, unrealistic comparisons or inappropriate images/videos. There’s also a risk of young people being preyed upon by online predators and strangers. Most kids don’t understand that there could be people out there with bad intentions and that can make them vulnerable to those people.

Then there is the constant peer pressure. The need to post the right thing, get enough likes, and to seem cool or like you fit in online. For many young people, social media can become a place where they feel the need to perform and to alter themselves, instead of being their true authentic selves. If you don’t get enough likes, it can start to feel like you aren’t good enough or that nobody really cares. If your post doesn’t get the right attention, you can start to feel invisible and like you don’t matter. It can become a constant cycle where someone’s self-worth is directly linked to how their social media preforms. This can be a very toxic mindset, especially for young people who are still developing, trying to figure out who they are and what they want in life.

Now, of course, social media isn’t all bad, there are a lot of pros to it. It can help young people learn to express themselves, learn about many different things, and connect and make new friends with people who have similar interests. For some people who may feel alone in real life and struggle to make personal connections, online communities and friend groups can be very helpful. But where the problem lies is that most young people don’t have the mental capacity, tools or maturity to handle all the negative aspects that come with it. At the end of the day social media was originally made for older teens and adults, but it’s now being used by millions and millions of young teens and kids every day. Many of these kids are just not ready for constant exposure, peer pressure and serious consequences that can come with social media.

So, what are we supposed to do about this? Parents, teachers, older siblings and family members play a huge role in this by being able to have serious open conversations with young people about what they could and might be seeing and experiencing online. Things like setting screen time limits on phones and apps, encouraging young people to have hobbies outside of their phones, and making sure young people understand how to stay out of trouble and safe on social media can keep them out of trouble. Companies also must take more responsibility for their actions. They need to have better privacy settings, content regulation, and much stricter age verification. All of these could go a long way in helping young people navigate and experience social media.

In summary, social media is not going to disappear. But this does not mean you just completely ignore the damage it can do to young people. If we want our younger generations to be able to experience social media in a positive way, it’s up to us change how things are going. This means having some difficult conversations and some awkward moments, but it’s all worth it in the end to ensure a safe place for kids and young teens to grow and express themselves.