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Kevin Higgins

Professor Williams

English 1201.B61

15 July 2020

What effect does social media have on teenager’s mental health?

Technology has changed into something some people could ever imagine. News devices

like smart tv’s, smart watches, and cars that drive themselves. Although these inventions have

changed our daily lives no other piece of technology has affected us more like smartphones.

Smartphones has caught the attention of the youth especially with social media. Social media is

the ability to talk to anyone from around the world and is a platform where you can post your

life. The aspect of social media seems nice and harm free but recent studies have shown that

social media can be really affect teenager’s mental health. Teenagers have been shown to

become addicted to social media and as result social media has affected their mental health in a

negative way.

Before social media teenagers were known for hanging out with friends, going to malls,

movies, and amusement parks. Although this still happens today you start to notice something as

you look around, teenagers have their heads buried into their phones. Recent studies have shown

that teenagers mental health has worsened because of the over usage of social media. Teenagers

have experienced suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression because of social media. have

Research has shown that teenagers have become addicted to their phones because of social media

and is also tied to a higher risk of self-harm (E.J Mundell) (“More Evidence Links Social Media

Use to Poorer Mental Health in Teens”). Additionally, studies have shown that hours of staring

at a screen decreases happiness, life satisfaction, and self-esteem and is affecting teenager’s
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mental health with social media being the main cause (E.J Mundell) (“More Evidence Links

Social Media to Poorer Mental Health in Teens”). Studies show that teenagers who use social

media may experience FOMO (Fear of missing out), using social media as a security blanket

when sad, and using social media to mask underlying problems (Help Guide) (“Social Media and

Mental Health”). Although some parents limit their child’s use social media there are some teens

who have the freedom of being on social media for hours which can have a negative effect on

their mental health thinking that they need to seem perfect and likable to the world or need social

media to feel emotion.

Secondly, teenagers who have an over dependence on social media are more likely to

stay inside and not communicate with other people from the outside. Additionally, the usage of

social media can affect a teenager’s performance at work or school. Another negative of social

media is teenager compare themselves to other people whether its looks or wealth which can

really have effect on their self-image this especially affects teenage females more than males.

Using social media apps such as Snapchat increase isolation instead of decreasing the feeling of

feeling lonely and the only way to combat this is to limit the use of social media (Help Guide)

(“Social Media and Mental Health”). Studies from two different sources have different takes on

teenagers and social media.

For instance, in “Social Media Use Linked to Anxiety, Depression Among Teens, New

Study Finds” author E.J Mundell says ("Encouragingly, youth are increasingly recognizing the

negative impact of social media on their lives and starting to take steps to mitigate it”). This

claim is different from what authors Tonya Mosley and Serena McMahon claimed in the article

(“Social Media Use Linked to Anxiety, Depression Among Teens, New Study Finds”)

“Adolescents today spend a lot more of their time interacting with others through social media
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and therefore exposed to a reality that is biased” (Tonya and Serena). These two articles have a

disagreement that teenagers are getting better with handling social media and bettering their

mental health.

Furthermore, social media addiction has had an enormous effect on teenager’s

mental health. If a teenager only makes friends online and never in person then it will harm their

social skills with people as they get older when at work or casual events (Rachel Ehmke) (“How

Using Social Media Affects Teenagers”). Cyberbullying also plays a big role in the harm of a

teenager’s mental health. Teenagers are more exposed to the world through social media and

people being mean to teenagers is sadly apart of that. This type of bullying has shown to make

kids feel depressed or even attempt self-harm to themselves over a comment or a fake rumor and

plays a serious role in self-harming even though the victim has possibly never met the bully in

person.

The articles have shown that social media has become very harmful to teenagers and has

affected their mental health in more negative ways than positive. The authors suggest the only

way to fix this issue are for schools and parents to teach teenagers about the harm social media

can cause and how to limit daily use of social media.

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Bibliography

Ehmke, Rachael. “How using social media affects teenagers”. Childmind.Org. Child Mind

Institute. https://childmind.org/article/how-using-social-media-affects-teenagers/

Accessed 15 July 2020. (Article)

Faucher, Kane X. "The ruthless pursuit of online 'likes' gives you nothing." Gale Opposing

Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

https://link-gale-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/EGBSIQ910732949/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=f0571af5. Originally published as "The ruthless pursuit of

online 'likes' gives you nothing," The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2019. Accessed 15 July

2020. (Article)

Monsley, Tonya and McMahon, Serena. Social Media Use Linked to Anxiety, Depression

Among Teens, New Study Finds. Wbur, 9 January 2019.

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/01/09/social-media-anxiety-depression-teens

Accessed 15 July 2020 (Article)

Mundell, E.J. “More Evidence Links Social Media Use to Poorer Mental Health in Teens.”

U.S.News,10 February 2020, https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-

02-10/more-evidence-links-social-media-use-to-poorer-mental-health-in-teens. Accessed

15 July 2020. (Article)

“Social Media and Mental Health.” Help Guide, https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-

health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm Accessed 15 July 2020. (Article)

Zito, Salena. "Social Media Does Not Reflect the Real America." Gale Opposing Viewpoints

Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-gale-

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com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/EGEVZE488199519/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=2e2bd9b1. Accessed 15 July 2020. Originally published

as "The perils of trading social interaction for social media," Washington Examiner, 18

Aug. 2019. (Article)