Social media has had a major impact on society today, especially on teenagers. The youth have often been caught up in the new trends on these platforms which results in excessive screen time, social comparison and cyberbullying.
Excessive screen time on social media is a major problem for teens. Instead of doing chores that need to be done or homework that is due the next day, students use their free time scrolling for hours on end. These teens may not even know how long they scroll for because of all of the distractions on the platforms. Some students may defend themselves by saying they are learning more about their society today, but that is most likely not the case.
Social comparison is another significant problem on social media. No matter the age, these social platform users will find anyone to compare themselves to. The problem with this is most celebrities edit their pictures to make themselves look better and it is unrealistic to look like these pictures that are posted. This ongoing comparison to others can lead to users having anxiety, depression and poor self-esteem. Some social media platforms also target women by placing ads and accounts on these apps such as beauty-related ads, workout accounts and ads for products that make people skinnier.
Moreover, cyberbullying is an additional issue on social media. This issue is usually addressed in assemblies, but not many people will truly listen or take it to heart. Although many think that cyberbullying is a minor problem, this can lead to people having depression, loss of sleep and symptoms like stomach aches and headaches. Cyberbullying is also a big issue on these social media platforms because it is usually hard to trace the user that is bullying others. Victims of this type of bullying are usually too scared to tell anyone or are threatened not to say anything. These social media users need to be educated on ways to report people and the effects of not telling anyone about these bullying problems.
Even though students say that social media can help them connect with others and see what their friends are doing, these platforms can also cause people to feel left out. This can result in users having a decline in their mental health and not being motivated to do anything. So students may not realize it, but social media can be very draining.
Students have been affected immensely by these platforms, resulting in the need of more education on the dangers of social media.