There has been a lot of speculation about the effect that social media has on people, and what that means for its future use.
Whilst social media platforms are used a lot by people of all ages to connect with others as well as inform people, there are still issues that are linked with it which have caused mental health problems, body image issues, decreased self-esteem, and bullying.
This is rife amongst young people who use these social media sites on a daily basis and can be influenced by increased engagement.
Are social media companies to blame for this issue or is it to do solely with the people who use social networking sites?
Internet and Social Media Usage
In the early 2000s, social media was not as well known as it is today, in fact, there was only around 5 percent of users who were on social media platforms in the United States.
What Are The Statistics?
Fast forward to 2019 and that number has risen pretty high to 70 percent, but as we move into 2023, there is now 90 percent of people in the US that use social media.
Who Uses What?
These numbers are incredibly high, and the Pew Research Center has stated that teenagers and young people, in general, prefer Snapchat, Instagram, and Tik Tok, compared with adults who use Youtube and Facebook the most.
What is The Time Spent on These Social Media Platforms?
Taking a look at teenagers around the ages of 13 to 18, it has been said that they spend around 9 hours each day on social media, whilst younger children, getting close to 8 years old, will spend about 6 hours per day.
What Are The Pros and Cons of Social Media?
As you can see, social media use has gone up quite high over the years as we are exposed to more technology and platforms that help with better communication and connection.
Whilst this may be seen as a good thing with people feeling connected to friends and being part of this world, it still has negative effects on people through inappropriate content and hate speech, which causes self-image problems and lower self-esteem which teenage girls can feel quite strongly.
Is There a Future For Social Media in Society?
Social media is powerful, and even with the pros and cons listed down below, it is important to note that it won’t be going anywhere any time soon, especially as it is integrated into the way we live and how businesses and companies interact.
Advantages of Social Media
There are some good points for this type of electronic communication and the reason why many users will stay using it for the foreseeable future.
- Helps long-distanced couples stay connected
- Easy access to research and information for education and work
- Online learning through platforms such as YouTube
- Perfect for digital marketing to increase engagement
- Good for people who are looking for online/remote jobs
As you can see, social media can be pretty helpful in a lot of ways, but this is just one side of the coin.
The cons are rising more and more, and with excessive use in effect, it looks like the negativity in social media is causing more harm to those who use it.
Negatives of Social Media
With teens being on their phones more and the increased use of a variety of social media platforms, young people are being exposed to things that are producing a negative effect on their mental health, and whilst social media companies have put steps in place to shield younger and more at risk people from viewing content, it has a way of slipping through.
It Has Become Addicting
Being on social media can be a very addictive experience. When someone posts a picture on Instagram or Tweets something that gets a lot of likes and engagement, that rush of dopamine can be addictive, more is wanted so they increase their time online.
More time online means being opened up to other things that can do considerable damage to their mental health, e.g. looking at people with perfect bodies, a perfect life, just everything being perfect.
This can be jarring and will make them feel bad about themselves and what they look like, but they can’t pull away as they are so addicted to being online that they strive for that acceptance, so they post more and interact more to get that dopamine hit again.
Body Image Issues
As previously mentioned, when people are online they see these beautiful people and compare themselves with what they think is the optimal beauty standard.
They may not be aware that these people do not look this way in real life and they could have easily photoshopped their image and only posted the positive aspects of their lives, not the negative.
But young people wouldn’t think about this, they would just see what’s in front of them and feel bad about their bodies.
Bullying
One of the main issues about being on social media is bullying. Young people are subjected to horrific taunts and actions, and as social media grows, it opens up a world of pain and trauma for those who just want to exist online without being the target.
They can be bullied by schoolmates, friends of their friends, and random people online who don’t even know them well enough. All of this can cause them to spiral and make them feel alone.
One of the worst outcomes of being bullied is that the person being singled out could take their own life if they become too depressed and feel like they shouldn’t be alive.
This is unfortunately something that has happened and continues to happen with the youth of today.
Statistics
According to websites such as lifespan.org, there are shocking statistics about bullying that need to be understood.
- Every 7 minutes a child is bullied
- 85 percent of cases are not addressed
- 1 out of 4 teens is bullied
- 43 percent of bullying is online (cyberbullying)
- LGBTQ students, as well as biracial and multiracial children, are victimized and harassed
- 5.4 million children fear being bullied and will try and stay home from school
As you can see by these numbers, that is extremely upsetting to read and know that so many children fear that they will be bullied no matter where they are, and even in the digital world, they cannot escape that fear.
Conclusion
After reading this article, what do you think? Does social media do more harm than good? If you feel like your child is being bullied, you need to take action as soon as possible. Listen to them and support them.
Social media will always be here to stay, so all you can do is be there for your child and notice any signs along the way.
It is hard to protect them completely, but as long as they know you are there, they will feel good and supported.