Social Media and Teens: How Does Social Media Affect Teenagers

Mental Health

BY: Katie Hurley

The verdict is still out on whether social media is damaging to the mental health of teens.
This is in part due to the lack of research. Some studies show that online connections with
small groups of people can be beneficial to teens, while other research points to a rise in
symptoms of anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

The other reason it’s difficult to get a good read on the issue is that social media is
constantly changing and evolving. Plus, no long-term studies have been completed. So,
we’re left making educated guesses based on current research. There’s just not enough
data to back up the potential long-term pros and cons of living on “likes”.

Small Studies, Worrisome Results

One study out of the University of Pittsburgh, for example, found a correlation between time
spent scrolling through social media apps and negative body image feedback. 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. The
participants who spent the most time on social media had 2.6 times the risk.

Results from a separate study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine showed
that the more time young adults spent on social media, the more likely they were to have
problems sleeping and report symptoms of depression.

And another small study of teens ages 13-18 from the UCLA Brain Mapping Center found
that receiving a high number of likes on photos showed increased activity in the reward
center of the brain. Further, teens are influenced to like photos, regardless of content, based
on high numbers of likes.3 Bottom line: It feels good to be “liked” and herd mentality is big on
social media. Like what others like and you’re in.

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The Upside of Social Media for Teens

There are some positive aspects to social media. It’s important to remember that teens are
hardwired for socialization, and social media makes socializing easy and immediate. Teens
who struggle with social skills, social anxiety, or who don’t have easy access to face-to-face
socializing with other teens might benefit from connecting with other teens through social
media.

Teens in marginalized groups—including LGBTQ teens and teens struggling with mental
health issues—can find support and friendship through use of social media. When teens
connect with small groups of supportive teens via social media, those connections can be
the difference between living in isolation and finding support.

The Downside Social Media Use by Teens

Read enough of the current research and you’ll find that the negatives tend to feel bigger
than the positives. While teens can use social media to connect and create friendships with
others, they also confront cyberbullying, trolls, toxic comparisons, sleep deprivation, and less
frequent face-to-face interactions, to name a few.

Too much time spent scrolling through social media can result in symptoms of anxiety and/or
depression. Here’s how social media can be destructive:
 Focusing on likes: The need to gain “likes” on social media can cause teens to
make choices they would otherwise not make, including altering their appearance,
engaging in negative behaviors, and accepting risky social media challenges.
 Cyberbullying: Teens girls in particular are at risk of cyberbullying through use
of social media, but teen boys are not immune. Cyberbullying is associated with
depression, anxiety, and an elevated risk of suicidal thoughts.
 Making comparisons: Though many teens know that their peers share only their
highlight reels on social media, it’s very difficult to avoid making comparisons.
Everything from physical appearance to life circumstances to perceived successes
and failures are under a microscope on social media.
 Having too many fake friends: Even with privacy settings in place, teens can
collect thousands of friends through friends of friends on social media. The more
people on the friend list, the more people have access to screenshot photos, Snaps,
and updates and use them for other purposes. There is no privacy on social media.

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 Less face time: Social interaction skills require daily practice, even for teens. It’s
difficult to build empathy and compassion (our best weapons in the war on bullying)
when teens spend more time “engaging” online than they do in person. Human
connection is a powerful tool and builds skills that last a lifetime.

There’s a happy medium in here somewhere. The key to helping teens learn to balance
social media with real life friendships is to keep the lines of communication open and keep
talking. Honest communication shows your teen that you are there to support, not to judge or
lecture. It’s also important to walk the walk. Disconnect on weekends and show your teen
that there is a whole world out there that doesn’t require a handheld screen. She may miss
her phone a lot less than she thinks she will and this is a very good lesson to learn.

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 The Impact of Social Media on Student Life

BY: Abhishek Karadkar

Today’s world is a global village. Everyone is connected to one another in this vast network
generated by the Internet. As said by Marshall McLuhan, a philosopher of communication
theory, “The new electronic independence re-creates the world in the image of a global
village.” This electronic independence is inherently dependent upon the Internet. It
illuminates the lives of thousands of people by spreading knowledge internationally, thereby
making us global citizens. 

In the past, the communicating and free sharing of thoughts among people were restricted
by long distance, nationality and/or religion. But now, even these barriers cannot stop the
flow of information and knowledge. The new world of social networking allows free sharing of
thoughts. Online social networks are created by websites such as Facebook, which has
emerged as a giant in this social world. So how do these networks affect our education?
How do they influence the lives of students?

Humans are social animals. We always like to remain in some group or another, and we
prefer to follow what this group does. All of our traditions and cultures are the product of this
group-oriented facet of human nature. A well-known American psychologist, Abraham
Maslow, stated in his “Theory of Motivation” that the social need of human beings is the third
most important requirement after our physical and safety needs — the third tier in his
hierarchy of needs. Even our self-esteem comes after this social dependence. This is the
main reason billions of people use social networking to stay connected, make friends and
satisfy their social needs. 
As of 2015 the world’s largest social networking company, Facebook, has 1.49 billion active
users, and the number of users is increasing every year. One of the most interesting things
to look at is the increasing number of student users on such social networking sites. As per
the survey conducted by Pew Research Center, 72 percent of high school and 78 percent of
college students spend time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. These numbers indicate
how much the student community is involved in this virtual world of social networking. 

Actually, many reasons exist that explain why students love to spend time socializing. Firstly,
social networks provide them the freedom to do whatever they want — to upload what they
want and talk to whom they want. They like to make new friends and comment on the lives
of different people. Students can create other online identities that the real world does not

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allow. The freedom it gives them to act just by sitting in front of a computer enthralls them,
and they then demand for more freedom. Never before has it been so easy for young minds
to create a digital image of their actions through such a spontaneous medium. 

But this has a darker side that has gained the attention of many parents, and even eminent
psychologists, all over the world. One of the biggest problems is the identity crisis constant
social networking produces. As said by Professor S. Shyam Sunder, a renowned researcher
at Penn State, “The types of actions users take and the kinds of information they are adding
to their profiles are a reflection of their identities.” 

Many psychologists are worried about the identity crisis that our present generation may
face today. The lives of people, especially students, are largely influenced by what is posted
by other people on their profiles. The habits that students learn are decided more by what
their friends do and less by the teachings of parents or professors. 

Our students have become prone to frequent fluctuations in mood and self-control. If one of
a student’s friends posted about his or her present relationship with someone, then other
friends are pressed to do the same thing. Actions that attract more public attention hold more
value, even despite some of them being immoral or illegal. We even see that many students
are worried about their looks, and so they always try to upload nicer pictures than their
friends. A recent survey has stated that whenever someone uploads a profile picture, it
immediately affects the moods of friends. It often produces stress, anxiety or fear about their
identities as people. Consistently thinking in this way can sometimes lead to depression. 

The most important things in a student’s life are studying, learning good habits and gaining
knowledge to become a person with moral character. But today, as we see in various
studies, this optimal learning process is seriously jeopardized by students becoming
entrapped by the ploys of social networking. Students neglect their studies by spending time
on social networking websites rather than studying or interacting with people in person.
Actively and frequently participating in social networking can negatively affect their grades or
hamper their journeys to their future careers. 

Getting too involved in social media can lead to an addiction that inculcates bad habits.
Students prefer to chat with friends for hours, and this leads to a waste of time that could
have been used for studying, playing or learning new skills. It is often said that a long-term
friendship or relationship is developed when people meet each other, spend time and share
their experiences. But this virtual way of communicating with each other does not lead to a

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natural, friendly experience and hence cannot produce a healthy relationship with those
friends. Also, these relationships tend to terminate easily due to a lack of personal contact. 

The system generates a competition to make as many new friends as possible and the so-
called “social quotient” of a person is decided by how many friends they have and not on
how good-natured and congenial the person really is. Often, students who are not old
enough to accurately analyze the world “like” or comment on social or political issues, and
this leads sometimes to serious controversies. 

Considering all of the above pros and cons, it is necessary to develop certain regulations
over the use of such social networking sites, especially for high school and college students.
But still, students should get the choice to spend time socializing in an effective way. It
should not hamper their school or college performance, and it should be kept in mind that
social networking sites create virtual worlds that drastically differ from reality. Students
should develop the cognitive and intuitive ability to analyze how much time they want to
spend on social media. It is left up to the students to decide what really matters in their life
and how much of this virtual life translates to real life.

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 Positive and Negative Use of Social Media by Students

BY: Ana Maria

Social Media by Students

Social media are online technology platforms that help to connect people together far and
near. It is used to build relationship among people. The use of social media by students
helps to have access to basic information as quick as possible.

In school, the use of online platforms such as school website will give students the right
access to quality information about the school environment, departments, faculties, rules,
and regulations. It has been observed that social media has a wider and faster means of
circulating information not only to the students of an institution but also to the generality of
the public.

Students must use all available online platforms effectively and they must be conscious of
social media positive and negative effects. They should try as much as possible to create a
balance so as not to get carried away while learning. Social media platforms available to
students includes Facebook, Whatsapp, Google Plus, Blogs, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
and much more.

So what are the positive effects of Social Media?

It Facilitate Online Learning
The use of social media has helped the students to learn through various online learning
platforms available to them. The use of YouTube to watch educational videos has helped the
students to gain wider knowledge.

Access to Information
There are many groups that students can join through online platforms, that are related to
their course of study, demographic, school, environment and much more. Joining this group
on Whatsapp, Twitter, Facebook and others will help the students to have access to quality
information as at when needed.

It helps to Gain Wider Knowledge

Social media helps to enhance student academic performance and increase their knowledge
through data and information gathering. When students are been given an assignment in

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school, they go through various online platforms to gather information so as to find solutions
to their assignment.

It helps to build Relationship

Students can get to know each other better through social media networks. It helps to bring
together two or more people, where they can share their problem, which it can get solve by
their fellow colleagues. If a student’s finds out that he or she is having a problem in a
particular course, he or she can open up through chat and finds a genius who can provide a
solution to the problem.

What are the negative Effects of Social Media?

It Waste Time
Many students find it difficult to go about their normal life without making use of social media.
It has been observed that student does not listen in class, they are busy chatting and
reading stories online. They waste their time chatting with friends and families, instead of
reading and practicing what they have learned in school.

It Causes Distraction
Many students stick to their gadget without concentrating on their study. It is a bad idea to
waste away judicious time on social media platforms without gaining anything from it.
Students should not be carried away by social media platforms because it will affect their
academic performance.

It causes social problems

Social media has created many social problems in the society. In these modern days, many
students tend to choose online communication rather than having real time conversation,
and this leads to students becoming an introvert.

It Causes Health Problems

The use of computers, mobile phones, and various gadgets to access online platforms by
students may harm the user if they use it for long hours frequently. Students may be
exposed to bad posture, eye strain, physical and mental stress. Too much use of education
technology tools for accessing social media by students is harmful and there must be a limit.

All educational stakeholders must ensure they coordinate the use of social media platforms
by setting up a policy that can help to regulate the negative effects aspect of social media.
Students must also be ready to learn and listen in class, they should not make chatting their

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priority. Students should pursue an excellent academic performance and gain adequate
knowledge that will help them in the future.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND MALAYSIAN STUDENTS

Social Media
Social media has been defined as websites which allow profile creation and visibility of
relationships between users (Boyd & Ellison, 2008). It cause social media can make our
relationship become closer with another person. Another definition of social media is refer to
Internet-based applications built on Web 2.0. However, Web 2.0 is refers to a concept as
well as a platform for harnessing collective intelligence. Social media, such as Whatsapp,
Facebook, Instagram and others can use to communicate with other person and provide
people with a pervasive network connectivity.

Advantages of Social Media for Students

There are many advantages of social media for student such as student can make a
conversation with their friend, lecturer and family. This social media allows users to interact
with each other in a broadcast or dialogue manner synchronously in real time or
asynchronously with time lapse between statements.

Besides, we also can share our information and knowledge with others by using
social media. Students are continuously connected to the internet through their mobiles,
tablets, and others. Hence, social media can rapidly transmit information to friends, family,
and other connections. This information is a lot more than just hilarious videos or vacation
snapshots. Furthermore, people also can share views, opinions, tips, projects, study material
and other such useful stuff with each other. They exchange helpful information for classes
and examinations.

Moreover, student will be able to access, evaluate, maintain and share fantastic
information without even being aware that they are actually developing such skills day-by-
day. The old generation need to understand the magnitude of this new style of
communication. It is important for old generation to follow the technology progression
nowadays.

Next, the ‘new media’ has led professionals to build a social media strategy to
publicise their product and service. Social media marketing is seen upon as a skill which is

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an emerging career option. It help students to become successful marketers and the same
time, success in their studies.
Last, social media also can make teachers be able to improve the involvement of
their students in studies and education, improve technological ability, provide a great sense
of collaboration in the classroom and make good communication skills.

Disadvantages of Social Media for Students

Social media also have many disadvantages for students such as cyberbulling. Most of the
student have become victims of the cyberbulling over the past. Since anyone can create a
fake account and do anything without being traced, it has become quite easy for anyone to
bully on the Internet. Threats, intimidation messages and rumors can be sent to the masses
to create discomfort and chaos in the society.

Second, disadvantages of social media is hacking. Personal data and privacy can
easily be hacked and shared on the Internet. Which can make financial losses and loss to
personal life. Similarly, identity theft is another issue that can give financial losses to anyone
by hacking their personal accounts. Several personal twitter and Facebook accounts have
been hacked in the past and the hacker had posted materials that have affected the
individuals personal lives. This is one of the dangerous disadvantages of the social media
and every user is advised to keep their personal data and accounts safe to avoid such
accidents.

Next, social media can easily ruin someone’s reputation just by creating a false story
and spreading across the social media. Similarly businesses can also suffer losses due to
bad reputation being conveyed over the social media.

Furthermore, cheating and relationship issues also is a disadvantages of social

media for teenagers. Most of the people have used the social media platform to propose and
marry each other. However, after some time they turn to be wrong in their decision and part
ways. Similarly, couples have cheated each other by showing the fake feelings and incorrect
information.

Last, social media also can make health issues. The excess usage of social media
can also have a negative impact on the health. Since exercise is the key to lose weight, most
of the student get lazy because of the excessive use of social networking sites. Which in

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result brings disorder in the routine life. This research by discovery will shock you by
showing how bad your health can be affected by the use of the social media.

In conclusion, social media indeed many of advantages and disadvantages for

students. Students must use this platform to increase their knowledge and take opportunity
to improve themselves.

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REFERENCES
Abhishek Karadkar (2015). The Impact of Social Media on Student Life. Retrieved from
http://www.technicianonline.com/opinion/article_d1142b70-5a92-11e5-86b4-
cb7c98a6e45f.html. Access on 3 September 2019.

Ana Maria (2017). Positive and Negative Use of Social Media by Students. Retrieved from
https://blog.blogdash.com/media-industry/positive-negative-use-social-media-students/.
Access on 3 September 2019.

Katie Hurley (2014). Social Media and Teens: How Does Social Media Affect Teenagers’
Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.psycom.net/social-media-teen-mental-
health. Access on 2 September 2019.

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