From the Desk of a 16 year old…
I am sixteen and spend a good chunk of my day on social media.
So, let me give it to you straight. Social Media has become one of the best and worst technological advancements for teenagers in this day in age.
These social media apps provide ample amounts of opportunities for people to stay connected, especially during this ongoing pandemic in which in-person social interaction is limited. Social media allows you to feel connected to your friends and family even when you cannot physically be with them.
These traits that social media possess are what make the apps so attractive to users. While all of these aspects regarding social media are amazing and allow teenagers to feel connected, social media has multiple harmful repercussions that many people aren’t consciously aware of. Social media including the apps Instagram, Snapchat, and Tiktok are all essentially highlight reels. They only portray what the user wants the app to portray, leaving a detrimental effect on teenagers mental health.
Instagram consists of numerous posed and edited pictures only taken at certain events in individuals’ lives. Not only can the unrealistic standards portrayed on social media cause detriment to mental health, but scrolling through Instagram at home while seeing these other people “having the time of their lives” can be incredibly disheartening and result in not feeling like you are living your life to the fullest.
At times, social media has caused myself many low points as I have compared myself to the societal standards created through these apps. These low points best represent why I believe there is a set age limit for social media as well as why it should be followed. These networking sites are causing a decline in self worth, self-esteem, and mental health in general.
They are causing young kids to grow up too fast and altering their perception of society and essentially the world around them. On the other hand, it is an extremely useful way to stay in touch with friends, stay updated about the world, pick up a new hobby, learn new recipes or even utilize the trends and develop a new style.
With all of this in consideration, I will most likely not stop using social media as it is a big factor of my life as well as the people around me, but I feel that growing up without social media would have been much more beneficial.