Hi everyone! Welcome or welcome back to The Teen Safe Zone, where it's safe for teens to be themselves! In today's post, I, a 14-year-old, will be sharing a research essay I did in school about the effects that social media has on Gen Z. Research links will be sourced below!
"Have you ever wondered how the continuous rise of social media is affecting the youth that grow up with it? Do you ever think about the changes social media has made to a generation who practically grew up with social media? It is reported that 9/10 Gen Z adults have at least dealt with one emotional symptom because of stress or depression (apa.org). Do you think this can be connected to the use of social media by young people? In my opinion, I think that social media can be more damaging to a youth’s mental health than helpful. Just think about it; constant peer pressure and unrealistic standards can easily lead to poor body image, loneliness, and can heighten mental health risks in teenagers. With that being said, I think that social media can be harmful to teenagers' mental health, so teenagers should spend less time on them.
Many of us may use social media on a day-to-day basis, but we never actually take the time to realize the damage that it could be doing to us, or worse, the youth. We don’t actually think about the seriousness of social media until it’s too late. How much damage could a seemingly harmless social media app possibly do? Well, let's take a look. According to Mayoclinic.org, "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 a heightened risk for mental health problems. Another 2019 study of more than 12,000 13- to 16-year-olds in England found that using social media more than three times a day predicted poor mental health and well-being in teens." Mayo Clinic also states, "Other studies also have observed links between high levels of social media use and depression or anxiety symptoms. A 2016 study of more than 450 teens found that greater social media use, nighttime social media use and emotional investment in social media — such as feeling upset when prevented from logging on — were each linked with worse sleep quality and higher levels of anxiety and depression." From the data collected within these surveys, it appears that social media is doing more damage to teenagers' mental health than they are actually helping. Teenagers seem to have more mental health problems after being on social media than before. If this isn’t enough evidence for you, let’s move on to the next topic: loneliness.
Did you know that using social media frequently, at any age, can heightened risks of social anxiety and loneliness? I know that might sound strange, but think about it: We have access to pretty much anything in the world at just a tap of a button. We can connect to friends and family members, or even see what strangers are doing in their life. After a while, we sometimes get attached to the “routine” of checking in on people through the use of social media, and not through face-to-face connections. According to phycom.net, “Demographically it seems young adults with heavy use of social media platforms–two hours a day have twice the chance of experiencing social anxiety, according to a 2017 study. The study’s researchers also found that participants who are online most frequently–defined as 50 or more visits a week–have three times the odds of perceived social isolation as those who went online less than nine times a week.” If this survey was performed on young adults, just imagine how teenagers are experiencing social anxiety through the use of social media. One important skill while young is to learn how to socialize with others. Past generations have all had the opportunities to connect with each other and make friends face-to-face. However, with Gen Z, it’s the complete opposite. Most of Gen Z will never know how to interact and make friends in “reality”. We’re all so used to making friends through a tap of a button on social media. Don’t you agree that this could be a red flag to using social media often as a teenager?
Lastly, social media can lower self-esteem and cause low body image in teenagers. Growing up also revolves around gaining confidence; gaining confidence in yourself, how you look, your life decisions, etc. However, with social media, it can be so difficult to find out who you are, to gain confidence, to accept who you are, etc. because you only see the “better” side of people. It’s so easy for teens to compare their normal lifestyle with the highlights of someone else’s. Cyberbullying is very common on social media, I’m pretty sure everyone knows that. But do you know how serious it is? According to guardchild.com, “88% of teens have seen someone be mean or cruel to another person through a social media network, while 15% of teens report that they were the target of online cruelty.” Just imagine being in a teen’s place; everything in life is just starting unfold for you, and you are trying to figure out your place in life, but then you are being bullied on social media about every little thing in your life or you are constantly seeing “perfect” lives of others rubbed in your face all the time. How would that make you feel? How are teenagers supposed to gain confidence, when social media takes all the confidence they’ve built for themselves? Childmind.org interviewed a 16-year-old, and here’s how she sees social media, “Look,” says Sasha, a 16-year-old junior in high school, scrolling slowly through her Instagram feed. “See: pretty coffee, pretty girl, cute cat, beach trip. It’s all like that. Everyone looks like they’re having the best day ever, all the time.” I’m pretty sure Sasha’s not the only teen who thinks like that about social media. Just imagine how many other teens are affected by social media on a daily basis. So far we’ve covered that social media causes mental health issues, loneliness, and now low self-esteem. What else is social media bound to ruin to lives that haven’t even started yet?
Many people will argue that “This isn’t a serious issue.” However, I believe that it is a serious issue when an entire generation is being affected in one way or another by social media. Gen Z is the future, but how can a generation become the future when they’ve had negative social media experiences while growing up and no one did anything to stop it? Mental health issues, loneliness, and low self-esteem are all effects social media has on teenagers, so therefore I think that teenagers should start spending less time on social media and enjoy life for what it really is."
I hope you all enjoyed my essay, and let us know your thoughts and opinions on this topic down in the comment section! All sources used in today's essay will be linked below! See you all next Sunday! - Lexi
SOURCES:
this essay is very well written and I personally feel that you had great sources to back up your claim!
"How are teenagers supposed to gain confidence, when social media takes all the confidence they’ve built for themselves?" - Is my favorite quote!
yesss! I've been waiting for this post!