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Alexa Peraza

Emily Litle

ENG1021

2 April 2023

Mental Health and Leading Factors to Teens on Social Media

Social Media is gaining subscribers every day, and youth are actively using one or more

social media platforms. For a technology that is supposed to bring people closer together, it can

have the opposite effect and affect the way we carry ourselves and our social media platforms.

We should be aware that what we post and say on social media can impact others and ourselves

in positive and negative ways. Social media has a greater impact on teenagers and young adults

because they are the most involved. Excessive use of social media can lead to anxiety,

depression, and loneliness. Social media is something that is involved in our daily life, and it is

something we need to fix if it is affecting our mental health. While there are many positive

impacts of social media on young people, there are also negative repercussions of the use of

various social media platforms.

Mental health is crucial and integrates a component of health. Mental health includes an

individual's psychological, emotional, and social well-being. Proper mental health results in

proper mental functioning- in being productive in activities, having healthy and fulfilling

relationships with other people, and having the ability to cope and adapt to adversity.

Adolescence is a stage for young people to have a healthy start in life, but having a healthy

lifestyle starts with the right state of mind. Mental health is more important now than ever

before. When we focus on it, every aspect of life can be better off. The importance of good

mental health ripples into everything we do, think, or say. Addressing mental health at an early
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age can lead to good, successful treatment and a healthy lifestyle. Making yourself feel better

and helping those around you as well.

The sources I used in this paper will include several facts and explanations that describe

how teens' mental health is being destroyed due to the excessive time spent on social media.

Explaining the importance of mental health and the leading effects it has on children is crucial.

Overall I will use the sources to prove that teens should not use social media at a time of mental

development growth.

“Is Social Media Threatening Teens' Mental Health and Well-being?” Health Matters,

https://healthmatters.nyp.org/is-social-media-threatening-teens-mental-health-and-well-

being/. Accessed 1 April 2023.

Throughout the article, there are several examples of how teens experience several

mental health issues connected to social media. These mental effects can be long-term and take a

toll on a teenager's mental state. Research has found that the more time spent on social media,

the more likely a teen will experience mental health symptoms. These issues include anxiety,

isolation, and hopelessness. High levels of social media over 4 years have been linked and have

been associated with increased depression in middle and high school youth. Many teens tend to

rely heavily on and sit back with social media to relieve the feeling of anxiety, problems, and

depression. While doing so they are reducing their connections with people and missing the

opportunity to have face-to-face conversations. Teens prone to concerns about their self-image

will tend to compare themselves to what's on social media. Worrying too much about likes,

followers, and comments is the major problem teens face in today's generation. Having this type

of mindset can lead to an increase in depression and isolation. And like many cases, if bullying is

involved suicide can be a big factor. The “culture of comparison.”

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According to a Pew research study, teens who spend more than 3 to 6 hours a day are at

risk. In doing so teens lack spending time on extracurricular activities, school, and

developmental growth. Being on social media takes away from being part of the community,

personal growth, and building connections. Teens who suffer from ADHD are more likely to fall

into a hole of more social media and fewer real-world interactions. Gaming plays a big role,

living a fake fantasy can create a fake image of the real world making teens feel like they are

disconnected from everyone.

I believe this article is useful for my paper because it provides evidence of how mental

health and social media are connected. The article provides clear examples of how social media

can be negative in many ways which can lead to long-term effects.

Gordon, Sherri. “What Are the Effects of Cyberbullying on Children?” Verywell Family,

22 July 2022, https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-are-the-effects-of-cyberbullying-

460558. Accessed 1 April 2023.

“What Are the Effects of Cyberbullying on Children” provides knowledge to argue why

social media has a negative link to mental health. Social media is a source provided for everyone

around the world. Cyberbullying is a very common, unnoticed thing that happens on the internet.

Cyberbullying can be particularly damaging and can occur any time, day or night, and can

sometimes be anonymous. Studies found that online pictures and posts were more damaging than

harassment received through text messaging or phone calls. This is a significant stressor in a

young life; 32% of teens that are targeted experience symptoms of stress. This makes them feel

embarrassed, hurt, and fear for their safety. Cyberbullying creates a bubble of emotions

surrounding the mind. Making it hard to consider the world around the same as others as well as

losing interest in many of the activities teens would find fun and interesting.
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Verywell Family is an outstanding resource because it is very easy to read. This website

gives clear headings on what the paragraph will be about. This website gives me a clear

understanding of cyberbullying and mental health. I will use the intelligence gained from this

article to argue that social media can be toxic platforms that can not only ruin a teen's mental

health but also their physical and behavioral actions.

Gordon, Sherri. “How FOMO Impacts Teens and Young Adults.” Verywell Family, 6

January 2022, https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-fomo-impacts-teens-and-young-

adults-4174625. Accessed 1 April 2023.

When it comes to social media and teens' mental health these things should not be taken

lightly. In today’s society missing out on something bothers some teens so much there is even a

special word for that sick feeling they get in the pits of their stomachs: FOMO. This causes teens

to believe that because they are missing out they have a low social rank. This is not only

common in teens, but studies have shown that groups ages 18 to 33 have admitted to

experiencing FOMO regularly. Many teens are more concerned with the life they live inside the

phone rather than living the life outside of it. This causes many teens to lose- a self identity

which leads to struggling with low self-esteem. Social media platforms have so much fame

because of FOMO. Advent to social media has boosted it. It is very easy for a teen to get caught

up in comparing their lives to everyone else on social media. This leads to fear, depression, and

wanting to live a fake life. 60% of teens feel worried because their friend is having fun without

them. 51% feel anxious because they don't know where their friend is without looking at social

media.

This article not only explains the downfalls FOMO can have on mental health but also

explains and gives tips on how teens can prevent the feeling of missing out. A well-balanced life
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comes from knowing your true self rather than trying to be what social media portrays. This

article will be helpful in my argument because it can give other examples of how social media

disrupts mental health barriers. Further, it shows how everything on social media is linked to

negative life-leading factors.