In addition to the article, Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022, I read two articles about the effects of social media on teenagers. The first article I read was College Student Recounts Her Social Media Breaking Point and How She Stopped Scrolling Mindlessly. In this article, Emma Lembke, a college student, discusses how she was fed up with social media apps controlling her life. Therefore, she started an organization called Log Off Movement which takes action against "the harmful effects of social media on her generation" (Kane, 2023). Lembke will be testifying in the Senate about the negative impact of social media in her life and how it affected her mental health.
Additionally, I read the article called This Is Your Brain On Social Media, which discusses the effects of social media on the mental health of young women and girls. According to the article, a CDC study showed that 57% of teen girls and 29% of teen boys reported feeling sad or hopeless frequently in 2021. Psychologists agree that because teens are spending so much of their lives on social media, it is having a direct impact on their mental as show by the CDC study. The article also stated that teen girls, especially, in the United States are facing a mental health crisis. The young women are comparing themselves to images online that are photoshopped or filtered, and of course, cannot live up to those fake standards.
Societal Pressure
As an adult woman, I feel the pressure from society to remain active and fit in order to be considered attractive and appealing. However, I have a fully developed adult brain, and I can deal in a healthy manner with this pressure. Often times, teen girls cannot deal with this pressure in a healthy manner and resort to unhealthy habits and risky behavior. I have recently made a conscious decision to reduce my time on social media (Facebook and Instagram) because it was making me unhappy. It seemed as though everyone was having much more fun than I was. It was a very healthy decision for me, and I feel happier now that I stay off of social media more.
Benefits of Social Media
However, I do recognize the benefits of social media. I know that young people use social media as a form of communication, so that they can meet up and gather for events. I use social media to find recipes, to shop for clothes, and to gather teaching ideas. I think that doom scrolling on social media is not beneficial for me, but using social media for a specific purpose can be useful.
References
Kane, A. (2023a, March 21). This is your brain on social media. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/16/health/social-media-effect-on-brain-gupta-wellness.
Kane, A. (2023b, March 24). College student recounts her social media breaking point and how she stopped “scrolling mindlessly.” CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/23/health/regulating-social-media-gupta-podcast-wellness/index.html.
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