In the modern world, people of all ages get immersed in social media. Like with anything, it comes with good and bad.
For teenagers, the bad often has an intensity that may lead to long-lasting problems and life-altering events. While still a phenomenon, this area of research continues to point to the fact that young minds in the midst of developing and maturing face risks when overusing social media.
Impact on mental health
From bullying to body image, social media floods young people with inaccurate information and opens the door for people to create an online following purposefully to hurt another person. The more time spent on the many different platforms, the increased chances of developing depression and anxiety. With the inability to deal with those emotions, these mental health issues may follow young people into adulthood.
Change in behavior
Along with changes to the brain, increased use of social media often leads to unhealthy changes in behavior. Young people start to develop the need to constantly check social media, which may eventually evolve into getting inadequate sleep. Doing a quick five-minute check easily turns into an hour on a device, which increases the chances of inactivity. Both of those issues create potential lifetime
Development of an addiction
For some young people, the feeling of checking social media equates to the feeling a drug user gets when getting a fix. Overuse means overstimulation. The constant need to release dopamine presents symptoms similar to an alcohol or drug addict.
Social media has provided a way for people to connect and stay social in everchanging times, but it also comes with risks that should not get ignored.