Social media has taken the world by storm in the last decade or so. I’d be surprised if I saw a teen out and about nowadays without their cell phone. Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter are some of the main sources of social media content that have become the most popular over the years… and they may be fun; however, they are more dangerous than you may think.
A lot of teens and adults use social media as a means of communication and social connection. They also use such platforms as ways to gather information of what may be going on in the world. Researchers at the university of Austin texas stated in a work written on this issue, “Social media/social network (SM/SN) use is increasingly a predominant means of communication and interaction. Facebook, for example, is used by 68% of adults in the United States for information seeking and social exchange…”. Not only do adults frequent websites such as Facebook, but teens so much more often it seems like, and this may be causing some serious issues.
There have been an uprising of articles and research coming out with what seems to be evidence that social media may be causing teens and adults to develop depression. One study shows “of 1,319 residents of the United Kingdom between the ages of 16 and 59, individuals who were heavy Internet users reported more symptoms of depression”. Thus, social media may have a direct correlation to depression in teens and adults in today’s society.
Billions of teens and adults use these social media platforms daily, and these platforms are some of the main ways of communicating and spreading information quickly. There are becoming fewer and fewer REAL social interactions and face to face contact which “are less emotionally satisfying, leaving them feeling socially isolated.” This kind of isolation and neglect from real emotions can leave people with a lot more anxiety to face the real world and sadness because they are not getting the kind of connection needed to keep them going.
We cannot say that social media technically causes depression or anxiety among teens. However, there is a strong correlation. The child mind institute stated that “of over half a million eighth through 12th graders found that the number exhibiting high levels of depressive symptoms increased by 33 percent between 2010 and 2015”. Now isn’t this shocking? This was just when social media was popping off and becoming much bigger than it already was. Now in 2019 we barely get to see a teens face behind their phone screen. There is no substance to hanging out if all you are doing is looking at your phone the whole time. It is practically pointless.
In conclusion to all of this, all I can say is: shut your phone off once in a while. It’ll be worth it. Feel the sun on your face rather than the blue light of a phone screen for once. Get out there and make friends. Talk to someone without hiding behind a phone for entertainment. Whenever I am hanging out with my friends, I put my phone down for most of the time and enjoy the moments spent with them. Crack open a cold one with the boys and just talk and laugh and have fun. You only live life once… don’t spend most of that time hiding behind a screen.
If you are struggling with depression as well I just want to let you know that it does get better and that I’m here for you. If any of you get a smile from reading my blog posts then I’m happy to help. Never hesitate to reach out to someone and tell them how you feel and seek medical help if you feel that you need it. Until next time… peace! ❤
It’s so funny how social media was just this fun thing, and now it’s this monster that consumes so many millennial lives.
Cazzie David
If you ever need to talk to someone for suicidal thoughts or tendencies here is the suicide prevention hotline just in case sweethearts! : 1-800-273-8255
Works Cited
Parent, Mike C., et al. “Social Media Behavior, Toxic Masculinity, and Depression.” Psychology of Men & Masculinities, vol. 20, no. 3, July 2019, pp. 277–287. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1037/men0000156.
A Concept 