Social media is everywhere. Every day, teenagers wake up and check their phones before they even get out of bed. We scroll through Instagram, TikTok, and check messages like it’s second nature. While social media can be entertaining and even helpful, its impact on teens today is more harmful than many like to admit.
One of the biggest problems with social media is how it makes people compare themselves to others. Teens are exposed to highly edited photos, unrealistic body standards, and “perfect” lifestyles that aren’t real. Even when we know pictures and videos are filtered or staged, it’s hard not to compare our lives to something so unrealistically perfect. This constant comparison can damage self-esteem and make teens feel like they’re not good enough, even when they’re doing just fine. According to Michelle Faverio and Olivia Sidoti with Pew Research, nearly 96% of teens report using the internet on a daily basis. In addition to this, Faverio and Sidoti emphasizes that roughly 6 in 10 teens are using TikTok and Instagram, and other forms of social media like YouTube and X.
While all of this comparing oneself to unrealistic standards is problematic, so too is the impact that social media has on teenagers’ mental health. Platforms are designed to keep users scrolling for as long as possible, which can lead to addiction. All social media users fall prey to this, and end up spending hours online. For teens, this means they are scrolling instead of sleeping, studying, or interacting with people face-to-face and developing essential social skills. Kim Mills, with The American Psychological Association, highlights that over 50% of teenagers report at least one symptom of clinical dependence on social media and states, “many youth use the sites to compare themselves to others, seeking likes and other metrics rather than healthy, successful relationships.”
While so much of what we hear about social media is negative, it is important to note that it is not all bad. It helps teens connect with others, express themselves, and find communities where they feel understood. Instagram and TikTok can be a creative outlet for users and offer a way to stay informed with what’s happening around them and in the world. Social media allows individuals to spread awareness about global issues and educate the public about important issues such as human rights, environmental concerns, public health, and social justice.
Overall, social media is a powerful influence on the world today and is especially important to teens. While it does provide some positives that enhance our lives, it is important to understand the negative impacts that it can have. Teenagers should be mindful about how they use social media, the amount of time they spend on it, and how it affects their self-worth. Social media should be viewed as a source of entertainment, a tool for communication, connection, and influence. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the problem isn’t social media itself but how much control it has over our lives.
