Does social media affect teenager mental health

This study will compile previous studies on mental illness and connect them with social media among teenagers. The study will conclude whether there are any effects of social media on the mental health of teenagers. Justification While several studies have tried to find out the effect of social media, a few of them link the impact on mental health. It remains unclear whether social media is a factor of psychological well-being. Moreover, few studies link social media with the mental health of specific age group especially the teenage. 1 What is a Teenager? Teenagers those people who are between the age of thirteen and nineteen. The people between this age group are also referred to as adolescents. According to Statistica (2016), 93% of this age group are on social media.

Most teenagers are referred to as minors by statutes and they are not allowed to access some contents. Some of these contents include murderous scenes and sexology articles. Nevertheless, social media may degrade the social skills of teenagers. Many teenagers prefer staying online and contravene face-to-face interaction. Teenage is characterized by active brain development. As the brain develops, the teen grows up with weak social skills. The person may grow up as shy and with low self-esteem. However, Woods, and Scott, (2016), claimed that many teens spend the time that should have been used to sleep on social media. Many teenagers are students, and they are either in class or doing other chores during the day. Social media substitutes their sleep because that’s the perfect time to be online.

Many teenagers who use social media do not get enough sleep. Poor sleep brings anxiety and poor mental health. Sexualized images and messages, commonly known as sexting, are common on social media. Social media contain a great deal of sexual content. However, there is little discussion on responsibilities, emotions, or risks associated with the activity such as unwanted pregnancies, birth control, and sexually transmitted diseases. Social media is more private than traditional media, and it is easier for teens to search for sexual materials privately. Body shame in social media is minimal, and it is more likely for teenagers and access and post naked bodies on social media. 51% of the teenagers in America are already addicts of social media (Smith & Anderson, 2018).

They visit a social media site at least once in a day. According to Smith and Anderson, (2018), 74% of Facebook users are already addicts for they must visit the site at least once in a day (See Appendix 2). Unfortunately, the addition comes at a time when the brain of teenagers is still developing. According to McGinty, Goldman, Pescosolido, and Barry, (2015), addition is a mental illness. Teenagers who are exposed to sexual content are more likely to get unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted illnesses. The unintended pregnancies and STIs cause more mental arm to teens through depression. Social media addition is a mental disorder that is common among the teenagers. This addiction affects the brain development of teenagers. They struggle with the addition for a longer period.

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