Most teens are on their phones all day, scrolling on social media, texting and watching videos. TikTok is the main app that takes up teens’ time and distracts them from doing productive things. Most teens will be on their phones, ignoring school work, friends, and family. Social media can also disrupt their sleep. It’s easy to lose track of time when watching videos and scrolling through posts. Many teens go to sleep late due to this and don’t have enough sleep to function properly in school, worsening their performance.
Social media also can affect how they feel by exposing them to bullying, rude comments, negative influences and bad ideas. They also see unrealistic views on other people’s lives, causing them to compare themselves to others and to think that they and their lives are not good enough. It also contributes to rumors and negativity spreading quickly on the internet and can cause people to get hate comments.
Social media also causes teens to be more anxious and have lower self-esteem by constantly comparing themselves to others. It also causes them to have strayed views on life and how they should live and look. Social media distracts teens from achieving goals by making them think that they are not good enough and can’t achieve what they want. By seeing people live interesting and extravagant lives, they believe that that is how they should live.
Certain teens rely on social media for attention and entertainment. Teens post photos or videos and wait for likes and attention, which can make them want to use social media more, hoping for a “viral” video. Teens can also get exposed to inappropriate, upsetting and even traumatic content. Social media can peer pressure teens into doing dangerous activities or trends and access to inappropriate information or predators.
Though social media has its downs, if used in moderation and correctly, it can be positive. Social media can inspire creativity and give good ideas and can connect you with people that have similar interests. It can also help you find new hobbies and what you like and new topics they enjoy talking about. It can encourage social engagement and learning about other people. As well as how to engage in conversations and get some people out of their shell.
To conclude, social media can be either good or bad. If used properly, it can expand the mind along with exploring different ideas and topics. Take social media in moderation and only spread positivity.