The Negative Effects of Social Media on Teenagers: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents
Technological innovations have revolutionized daily life, and the internet has created opportunities for people to connect globally. Excessive social media and internet use by teenagers negatively impacts their mental and physical health. Adolescence is a vulnerable period, and social media like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook have harmful effects on teenagers.^[1][^2]
The following are some of the negative effects of social media on teenagers:
Depression: Social media use is associated with emotional disorders like depression, as teenagers feel inferior to their peers on social media. They try to fit in, gain attention, and be accepted by their online friends, leading to emotional disorders.
Cyberbullying: Cyberbullies use social media platforms to spread false and unpleasant information about specific users. This behavior can cause cognitive issues such as anxiety, low self-esteem, loneliness, and suicidal tendencies among users. Privacy settings on social media accounts are supposed to restrict access to specific content posted by users, but privacy is virtually non-existent on social media platforms.
Addiction to the internet: Uncontrolled media usage leads to internet addiction among teens. This addiction can impact personal development, mental health, and academic performance. Multitasking with media can also lead to lower quality studies and homework.^[3][^4]
Sleep deprivation: Social media is a leading cause of sleeplessness in teens. Adolescents stay active on social media, especially during sleep hours. This disrupts their sleep schedule and aggravates the risks associated with sleep loss. Lack of sleep can harm teenagers' health, leading to difficulty in learning, concentration, stress, restlessness, viral illnesses, acne, and weight gain.^[5][^6]
Low self-esteem: Teenagers come across several images that portray perfection on social media. Unrealistic standards of beauty impact the self-esteem of adolescents whose bodies are undergoing changes. Images of models flaunting flawless skin and complexion can induce insecurity among teens. Ongoing exposure to unrealistic standards can influence how teenagers observe their own bodies, leaving a negative impact on their mental and physical health.
Social Skills: Adolescents are spending a lot of time on social networking sites, which can lead to the development of interaction skills that may not be applicable to the real world. While social networking sites are found to strengthen existing relations, teenagers must learn to establish meaningful and personal interactions with people. Social isolation in the real world can result in depression and suicidal tendencies.
Sexual behavior: Overtly sexualized images on social media can hugely impact teenage girls, who are still children. Exposure to erotic content can negatively influence youngsters, making it difficult for them to form healthy sexual relationships or develop unsafe sexual behaviors.^[7][^8]
The best approach to reducing the negative effects of social media on teens is to equip them with a strong ethical system and encourage them to create solutions that enable them to safely navigate user-oriented social platforms. Parents should manage their children's exposure to social media to curtail its negative effects. The following are some strategies parents can use:
Identify the negative effects of social media on teens and how it endangers their physical and mental fitness.
Establish good communication with teenage children to keep them away from social media evils.
Familiarize themselves with social networking sites to understand how they drive teens to addiction.
Install a monitoring app on their children's device to track social media use.
Set some basic rules on social platform usage, if necessary.
While social media is a great networking tool, its harms cannot be ignored. Adolescents are particularly susceptible to its potential risks. Parents play a crucial role in keeping their impressionable children away from the negative effects of social media.
Martial arts can be a great way for teenagers to combat the negative effects of excessive social media use. Martial arts training can provide physical exercise and a positive outlet for stress and anxiety. The discipline required in martial arts training can also help teenagers develop a strong ethical system and a sense of responsibility.
Taekwondo training at Reveal Martial Arts can improve self-esteem and confidence by providing a sense of achievement and mastery over skills. This is particularly beneficial for teenagers who may be struggling with self-esteem issues due to unrealistic standards presented on social media.
Moreover, martial arts training can also help teenagers develop important social skills by encouraging interaction with peers and mentors. The supportive and collaborative environment of martial arts training can foster a sense of community and belonging that may be lacking in the digital world.
Our taekwondo karate program for kids and teens can become an effective way for teenagers to battle the negative effects of excessive social media use. We provides physical exercise, discipline, self-esteem, and social skills that can help teenagers develop a healthy and positive sense of self. Parents can encourage their children to participate in our martial arts training as a way to balance their social media use and promote their overall well-being.
Tap here to get your teenager started with our risk free trial.
Twenge, J. M., Joiner, T. E., Rogers, M. L., & Martin, G. N. (2018). Increases in depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates among US adolescents after 2010 and links to increased new media screen time. Clinical Psychological Science, 6(1), 3-17. doi: 10.1177/2167702617723376
Kowalski, R. M., Giumetti, G. W., Schroeder, A. N., & Lattanner, M. R. (2014). Bullying in the digital age: A critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among youth. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 1073-1137. doi: 10.1037/a0035618
Lin, L. Y., Sidani, J. E., Shensa, A., Radovic, A., Miller, E., Colditz, J. B., Hoffman, B. L., & Primack, B. A. (2016). Association between social media use and depression among US young adults. Depression and Anxiety, 33(4), 323-331. doi: 10.1002/da.22466
Hong, F. Y., Huang, D. H., Lin, H. Y., & Chiu, S. L. (2014). Analysis of the psychological traits, Facebook usage, and Facebook addiction model of Taiwanese university students. Telematics and Informatics, 31(4), 597-606. doi: 10.1016/j.tele.2014.01.001
LeBourgeois, M. K., Giannotti, F., & Cortesi, F. (2019). The relationship between reported screen time and sleep measures in preschool children. Journal of Sleep Research, 28(1), e12790. doi: 10.1111/jsr.12790
Fardouly, J., Diedrichs, P. C., Vartanian, L. R., & Halliwell, E. (2015). Social comparisons on social media: The impact of Facebook on young women's body image concerns and mood. Body Image, 13, 38-45. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.12.002
Strasburger, V. C. (2018). Adolescents, sexting, and the law. Pediatrics, 141(Supplement 2), S161-S166. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-3617I
