As many growing teenagers know, the expectations shared by social media can be very overwhelming. This has become a new phenomenon with our generation, specifically. As we grow, we are already facing challenges such as college, careers, our futures. We are then faced with a new challenge: social media.
Whether it deals with self-acceptance or even the fear of missing out, we all have opinions on how social media is affecting our mental health. Consider a 14-year-old female just starting high school. How does she use social media? She says she uses it daily and that she has about 3 accounts on various platforms. She is representative of the average teenager (including me) who spends a great deal time on social media daily which can increase its effects. Does she think her use of the internet affects her in any way? She said that it can have a bad effect on how she feels about herself.
Many young women (and young men, too!) are already having a hard time with self-esteem during their teenage years. Seeing people online who are Photoshopped or even just casting out a fake life to their viewers can make others feel less-than. Many experience “fomo” or the fear of missing out. What most don’t understand is that many people post only the best or most exciting parts of their lives to the public. This may result in unrealistic views of what is “normal” or necessary for happiness.
Whether it’s fear of not enough friends, likes, or stories, the negativity weighs on our mental health. Social media is going nowhere any time soon, so we need to manage our social media time, our social media purpose, and our social media outlook before our mental health suffers.