A New Generation- How Social Media Affects Today’s Youth

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A New Generation- How Social Media Affects Today’s Youth  

Today, nearly everyone has or uses some form of social media. Whether it's Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, etc these social media platforms have taken the world by storm, and continue to make themselves a part of people’s everyday lives. 

Social media is a way for people to share content and connect with other people. You can post pictures, videos, and messages for people to see. You can meet other people online too who might have common interests or enjoy your content. Social media is extremely popular among younger individuals. Over 90% of teenagers in the United States use some form of social media. Social media plays a large role in its users' lives. It influences their lifestyle, appearance, personality, and their decisions. 

With this heavy influence of social media on the youth comes a darker tale. While social media has numerous positive effects on us, such as connecting with friends and sharing content, it also has a lot of negatives. People will see what is posted on social media and compare it to their lives. That comparison will often be in a negative fashion. According to the Mayo Clinic, “A 2019 study of more than 6,500 12- to 15-year-olds in the U.S. found that those who spent more than three hours a day using social media might be at heightened risk for mental health problems”. Social media is the cause of numerous negative impacts on teens such as depression, poor body image, and a phenomenon known as the “fear of missing out”. 

Look around you. Most people in public are staring at some form of screen. Chances are if they are younger, they’re on social media. People have a tendency to post only the best snippets of their lives on social media. This can include, parties, vacations, friends, hobbies, and much more. People only post what they want you to see. Nine times out of ten that’s the best highlight of their lives. This leads teens to compare what they see on social media to the negatives of their lives. Comparing yourself to others can lead to unhappiness and even depression. 

Numerous studies have been done on social media use and its impact on its users. For example, according to the Journal of media psychology, a study was done on Facebook and its impact on its users. The study showed that "frequent use of social media platforms such as Facebook is associated with adverse psychosocial outcomes, such as mental health problems, depressed mood, social isolation, low well-being, and decreased life satisfaction." Comparing yourself to others is a main source of depression. 

Social media doesn’t just affect your mental health it also affects your body image too. Influencers will post these picture-perfect physiques and act like it's the ideal body type. Body types such as girls with flat stomachs and curves, and guys with bulging muscles and abs. However what one doesn’t see in these pictures is that they have perfect lighting and posing, and it likely took them hours to get the perfect angle. These pictures are simply an unrealistic standard for people to judge by. 

Normal people scroll on their social media platform of choice, see these pictures, and wonder why their body does not look like that. This results in a negative body image and makes them feel less than they actually are. No one rolls out of bed in the morning and magically looks like a supermodel. The people in these pictures go to great lengths to look the way that they do. This often gets forgotten as many people compare themselves to such unrealistic standards. Teens are even more susceptible to this, more specifically teen girls. They see a picture of a supermodel on Instagram with a perfect body and long for that. 

According to makeusof.com, social media is responsible for a phenomenon known as the “fear of missing out” or FOMO for short. Essentially it is being afraid of missing out on something fun others are doing that you might not be. For example, a teen might be making sure their friends aren’t doing something cool without them. This might mean, going to a party without them, hanging with friends without them, going somewhere without them, etc. Seeing pictures of their friends doing something fun without them can be pretty disheartening. It can leave them feeling left out or less significant because they weren’t invited or couldn't go. 

With the vast usage of social media, there is a very good chance a teen is going to see someone who is having more fun than they are right now. This can make them feel like their life is boring or that they don’t have any friends. But people only post the fun or interesting parts of their lives, posts that will gain attention. They wouldn't post the bad things in their life or the boring parts etc. Because that wouldn’t gain the attention of the likes that they desire. 99% of people on social media live a normal life just like you and me. But the fact that all they post are the good times can cause anxiety about missing out on those good times. Hence the FOMO phenomenon. 

With all that said, what exactly can be done? Social media isn’t going away anytime soon so there is no point in not using it. However, as a parent, there are some things that you should do to protect your kid and ensure their mental health. The first is setting time limits for social media use. Make sure that their routine isn’t ruined by social media. This can be things such as school work, exercise, sleep, actual face-to-face interaction, etc. Make sure social media doesn’t consume their day. Actual face-to-face interaction is important. It connects people more than they ever would be behind a screen. Encourage your kid to go out with friends instead of staying on the phone or computer.  You can even have a conversation with them about social media. Ask what they use it for, and how it might affect them. Make sure that they do not feel down about what they see on social media. 

Social media has its positives, but there is also a dark side to social media. It is a platform that many people use on a daily basis and is the cause of many insecurities. These include depression, poor body image, and the fear of missing out on a good time. It is truly a shame that so many young people suffer because of social media and its negative effects on their mental health. With the expansion and improvement of technology, it's only getting worse.