Is social media secretly shaping our minds, or are we just too hooked to notice? In a world where Snapchat notifications buzz in faster than we can think, warnings about social media’s dark side seem to get lost in the shuffle. Don’t get me wrong—I’m a 16-year-old with a daily screen time easily over 4 hours, and according to my parents my phone is always in hand.
As teens, we tend to shrug off concerns about social media because it’s practically in our DNA. It’s grown up with us. But, as much as it pains me to say it, our parents might be onto something. Social media isn’t just a recipe for laziness—it’s linked to some serious mental health pitfalls too.
Let’s face it: According to The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health by University Wire, scrolling through perfectly filtered lives makes us feel bad about our own. We compare, we criticize, and our self-image takes the hit. And if that wasn’t enough, it’s wrecking our sleep too. How many of us keep scrolling way past midnight, sacrificing sleep for one last like?
This constant exposure leads to anxiety and screen fatigue, making it harder for us to stay active and engage in healthy physical or social activities. What many don’t realize is that mental struggles often translate into a lack of motivation and movement.
In a poll of 14- to 24-year-olds, women in particular face a daily barrage of edited photos with filters that mask imperfections. Shockingly, the poll also found that social media can be more addictive than cigarettes—note to self: rethink those late-night TikTok scrolls. And this begs the question, “How is something so addictive vastly available to generations of young kids and teens?”
Some may argue that social media provides a hub to network, encouraging many to come out of isolation and connect with family, friends, and the many they choose to follow. While this may be true, according to the article Students with Busy Schedules, Social Anxiety, Experience FOMO by Katelyn Merriman, social media often leaves many teens with “FOMO”, or the fear of missing out.
In fact, according to a study by Harris Interactive and Mylife, 56 percent of people on social media experience the feeling of FOMO. This feeling is characterized by a sense of anxiety and stress, as friends are perceived to be having fun and their lives romanticized in a single captured moment or reel.
Not only do these influences affect the teen population, but also people in their early 20s have been known to experience rising insecurities brought on by the usage of social media. Based on Why Instagram Might be Affecting Your Mental Health, women in their mid-20s felt that their own lives “lacked meaning” compared to the fantasies social media paints for the other person on the other side of the phone. It not only raises questions and stirs emotions, leaving many to second guess themselves and their life’s choices. It also makes one wonder if they have to adapt to have what seems like a better life.
Social media tends to disguise itself as a collaborative networking platform, but many of us fail to realize that we can easily become addicted to it, isolating ourselves and bringing on unwanted mental and emotional harm.
Like everything in life, there’s good and bad, but the key is knowing when the bad tips the scale. So, here’s a thought: What’s your weekly screen time? Go check it out. It might be a sign to put down the phone and have real moments with family and friends—not just “reel” moments.
