Behind the Screens of Social Media
Snapchat. Instagram. Tik-Tok. VSCO. Twitter. Youtube. For many teens, these applications are their main source of entertainment and happiness. In our world today, technology and social media are ever-present within our society. These platforms are beneficial in our day-to-day lives and have the power to connect thousands of people across the world. I want to delve deeper into both the benefits and drawbacks of social media, such as the negative impact that it may have on students’ mental health and well-being.
I sent a survey to a group of Havergal students from Grades 10 to 12 about their experiences on social media. 100% of these students said they enjoy using social media, and 86% of students say Snapchat is their favourite social media app. Many teens enjoy social media as it allows them to talk to people and socialize. Students love to connect with one another and feel valued. Social media does a great job of giving users a sense of validation that they may not find in their day-to-day lives. This validation is really what makes users, especially teens, so obsessed with social media. According to the Washington Post, social media allows teenagers to have a much larger impact on the global community; it lets kids “realize they have a voice they didn’t have before.” As a result of having their own platform, teens are able to spread awareness about issues they see within our world today that would otherwise go unnoticed. According to Samantha Newman, a Grade 11 Havergal student, “social media allows you to get different perspectives on the world and is a great way for people to raise awareness about things that they are passionate about.”
Despite the great benefits of using social media, some would say that the drawbacks outweigh them. According to Ellie Sokolowski, a Grade 11 student, “Social media makes it easy for people to compare themselves to others in a negative way which can be detrimental to their self esteem.” 80% of respondents echoed Ellie’s thoughts and stated that social media has made them more judgemental of themselves. Ellie also stated that “[social media] makes you think that other people are living an ideal life and you are the only person that is not ‘perfect’; [it] sets very unrealistic standards for students.” According to the American Psychological Association, “the greatest spike in negative psychological symptoms among young adults and teens occurred in 2011 around the same time social media burst onto the scene.”
When you are seeing thousands of posts, receiving hundreds of snaps, and watching countless Youtube videos everyday, you are constantly exposed to a false perception of what life really is. Social media is a highlight reel of life; no one shares pictures where they do not look “perfect,” as everyone wants to seem like they are living their best life all the time. The reality is that these standards are unattainable.. Social media fuels this fire of feeling less than others because of things you cannot control. You do not gain followers or get a lot of likes for being nice or funny, rather, you get likes on photos when you look pretty. This phenomenon has a negative affect on students as it makes them very focused on materialistic things, rather than what really matters—who they are on the inside. According to PSYCOM, a study done on students at the University of Pittsburgh found that “those who had spent more time on social media had 2.2 times the risk of reporting eating and body image concerns, compared to their peers who spent less time on social media.” This toxic comparison culture is the culprit of many teens’ negative self image of themselves.
The increasing use of social media has an obvious impact on our lives. Without social media, it would be much more difficult to connect with the global community and spread awareness on important issues. Despite these benefits, social media also has a seemingly negative impact on students’ mental health. It has created a culture where teens are taught to conform to an unrealistic standard of perfection and look a specific way that society wants them to, and if they do not look this way, they feel badly about themselves. Users of social media can change this narrative by posting realistic photos and showing who they really are on social media. An example is Life Unfiltered, a youth movement reminding women that behind each photo, there is still a girl with insecurities and bad days. By breaking down this barrier, it allows users to feel less of a need to be perfect. It is truly up to the current generation to make a change that will positively impact those to come.