Youngers and social media are the most popular topics these days. How does social media affect youngsters? Like any form of thing, social media has both benefits and ill effects. When it comes to the topic of social media’s effects on teens and youngsters, there are some pros and cons.
On the good side, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat platforms can work as a lifesaver for teens who feel isolated or marginalized, particularly LGBTQ teens or younger. Moreover, social media makes teenagers feel for teenagers more connected and not as lonely during the pandemic. However, the impact of social media on youth can also be the reason for damage to mental health. Furthermore, overuse of social media exposes teens to cyberbullying, body image issues, tech addiction, and more things. Let’s talk about all these things widely!
The impact of social media on teenager’s mental health
Are social media and teens a good mix or does social media use lower teen well-being? Why did many people say social media is not a good thing for youngsters? This has become one of the more debatable questions regarding social media’s effects on teens.
According to a “Common Sense Media” report on social media’s impact on teens, about half of the 1,500 young people said social media is essential to getting help and advice, feeling less alone, and getting creative ideas, as well as staying in touch with lovelies. And 43% said that when they are depressed, stressed, or anxious, using social media makes feel them better.
Furthermore, a strong bond between social media and teens can be a reason for depression. One-third of teens with depression reported social media use, as compared to 18 percent of young people who did not have depressive symptoms. Clearly, social media has both good and better sides. So, it is your responsibility to use social media effectively!
Statistics about Social Media effect on teenagers’ mental health
The Pew Research Center’s “2018 survey of U.S. teens” found that one in six teenagers have experienced at least one or two of six different insecure behaviors online:
- Name-calling (42%)
- Spreading false rumors (32%)
- Receiving unsolicited explicit images (25%)
- Tracked by someone other than a parent by having their activities and whereabouts (21%)
- Someone making physical threats (16%)
- Having explicit images of them shared without their consent (7%)
If you are a social media-addicted person, surely, you may be experiencing this abusive harassment. But among them, you can use these social media platforms to reach a wide audience, increase your creativity, and business growth, and earn money using your talents!
Tips and resources for maintaining social media and mental health
- Set limits on the time spent on social media
The most successful method for young people to ensure their use of social media has a positive vibe is by spending less time using the services. If you are a teenager and you are losing your social media usage to 30 minutes a day report less depression and loneliness after three weeks. The increase in feeling good was highest for teenagers who reported “higher levels of depression” when the day began.
- Appreciating how using social media makes you feel
Young people always compare their lives with the people they connect with on social media. It can be a damage detrimental to a healthy self-image. Exactly, the social comparison creates a negative-minded people in social media. If you are the youngest on social media expect to remind yourself that social media makes people and things look better and more attractive than you are in real life.
- Avoid negative feelings
Now, teenagers always catch the negative things in their lives. The National Center for Health Research found out that young people who feel better about themselves tend to post only positive things online and give positive feedback. Conversely, those with low self-esteem may find themselves spreading only negative things, which often puts them in a negative feedback loop. So, always getting positive things!
- Keep in mind that all things you see on social media aren’t real
To fight inadequacy or insecurity feelings caused by their social media activities, teens must be taught that what they see on social media often does not reflect reality but rather is a biased perspective of happenings in the real world. So, don’t let to measure your self-worth by what other people think, or lead us to create a false persona in an attempt to be accepted by others.
- Find more things about social media
Always find interesting, creative, or informative things on social media. And always try to use social media for valuable and effective things. Then, you can decrease invaluable things, insecure feelings, negative vibes, and all the bad things about social media.
How to use social media effectively?
As we know, social media has both good and bad sides. Using social media’s good side, you can get more benefits:
- You can publish your thoughts online easily
- Social media is a free source of information
- You can make social contacts
- It lets you to the truth to get out
- Social media is a great communication tool for you
- It is a better platform for self-development
- It can be educational
- You can grow your business through social media
- You can improve your career opportunities
- You can touch with the world daily
- It supports and encourages creativity
- It entertains your life
- You can easily earn money with social media
- It can help disarm the social stigma
- It stores unprecedented amounts of historical information
Conclusion
Fortunately, social media doesn’t have to be all negative. You can always try those that offer you the most value and enrich your life with these amazing platforms, while there are negative aspects to all social media platforms.
If you’re looking to give social media a great beginning, you have to look at the top social media platforms around and pick the ones that seem the most attractive to you. Now, it is your time to discuss “Should I join social media or not”. Even if you use social media, remember to use it for valuable things and always spread out positive things!
