Impact of Social Media on Teens

WHAT HAPPENS, WHEN KIDS ARE LOST ON SCREEN?

Imagine travelling to a town of multicultural people, with multifaceted personality for the first time, without a tour guide, a map, or experience? Wouldn’t you feel overwhelmed, and saturated with perplexing emotions? Now think of what it would do to a child trapped in a world of social media.

With the heavy reliance on Internet in the world of today, the impact, and effect of social media on teens and kids should be overemphasized. Guardians, parents, schools, should be encouraged to educate and supervise the kids on dangers of the Internet today.

In 2022, a survey of 14-17 year olds, with 1,300 responses, found that 35% of teens use at least one of five social media platforms, several times a day. Another study of 12,000 teens in England between ages 13-16, found that using social media more than three times a day, would have them running into a digital overdose.

A recent study conducted by the Italian Society of Pediatrics, in collaboration with the State Police, underlined that 15% of teen declared they “cannot stay without” their own device. So, even when parents or guardians come up with inconsistent rules, to keep this media consumption in check, this forced isolation could increase anxiety and stress.

ADHD and Autism has been tied to an overdose of screen time in young children, and this addiction can affect their school activities, communication, social interaction, and behavior. Children should expand their interests beyond the screen and devices, focus on ‘low tech’ hobbies like sports, and go to playgrounds and nature walks.

Families should be educated on the dangers and concerns of having children and adolescence online. Quality time spent with family should be prioritized, to limit online communication. Privacy settings should be turned on, and gadgets monitored when in use, to reduce their risk of interaction with perverts, and child grooming.

The world of social media is a wide canvas of unfiltered opinions, leading sometimes to a shift in their career choice, as they now have an unrealistic view of life. Also faced with stronger peer group influence, they might pressure themselves to meet a particular standard that normally should not be a bother to them.

In summary, it hurts to say that my rebuttal also draws from a personal experience of losing the daughter to a family friend, who was strongly influenced by peer pressure, and sort to end her life at an early age of sixteen after experiencing depression. We should not throw caution to the winds when dealing with growing children and young adults, as they are mentally fragile to resist influences, and filter information.

Staff, Mayo Clinic. “Teems and Social Media Use: What’s the Impact?”, 18 Jan. 2024, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social- media-use/art-20474437, Accessed 25 March, 2025.

Bozzola, Elena, et al. “The Use of Social Media in Children and Adolescents: Scoping Review on the Potential Risk”, National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2024,

Wachs, S., et al. Computers & Education, Vol. 160, No. 1, 2021, www.apa.org/monitor/2023/09/protecting-teens-on-social-media, Accessed 25 March, 2025.

Huang, Ryan. “Social Media Use in Children with ADH, Autism, and Intellectual Disability” Private Space, 28 Mar. 2024, www.privatespace.com.sg/social-media-use-in-children-with- adhd-autism-and-intellectual- disability/#:~:text=Pitfalls%20and%20Risks,and%20have%20less%20self%2Dcontrol, Accessed 25 March, 2025.