Social media plays a huge role in teenagers lives, which shapes how we see ourselves and the world around us(7). Many teens assume social media helps them stay connected and express themselves, but research shows the impact is a mix of both positive and negative effects. As scrolling, posting, and comparing ourselves become part of our everyday lives, it becomes harder to see how much social media influences our emotions, confidence, and mental well-being. (7)
For this post, I’m focusing on my first sub question: How does social media impact teenagers mental health?
One of the most common issues for teens is comparison. The Child Mind Institute explains that seeing filtered photos and perfect moments online can make teens feel like their lives don’t measure up and are worth less, which lowers their self-esteem and body image (1). In recent years, there has been a lot more stress to look a certain way because of social media (1). Apps like Instagram and TikTok are full of unrealistic videos from influencers who spend hours on editing their self-image, which makes the viewer watching feel less about themself (4). These videos create a standard that most people will never be able to achieve. Because of this, many teens begin comparing everything about their lives: how they look, what they wear, or even how “interesting” their lives seem (1). These types of thoughts can seriously affect their confidence, mood, and mental health.
The Mayo Clinic also states that teens can feel pressured to look a certain way, gain followers, or get enough likes, which puts extra stress and anxiety on themselves (2). The World Health Organization even found that too much screen time can make teenagers feel more isolated, and the longer they stay up scrolling, the more it will lead to an increase in anxiety and depression (4). According to the National Center for Health Statistics, about 27.1% of teens ages 12–17 who use screens for four or more hours a day have anxiety (5). This is more than double the rate of anxiety (12.3%) among teens who spend less than four hours on screens(5). This research shows me that 1 out of 5 teens is experiencing anxiety from their social media use.
Even though there are many negative effects from social media, there are still many positives. Yale Medicine (3) found that many teens will use online communities for support, especially when they don’t feel understood in real life. For many teens, it can be hard to find a real-life support system, so social media being able to bring misunderstood teens together is an extremely positive use of social media (3).
The World Health Organization shows that the difference in positive and negative sides of social media depends on how the teen uses social media (4). When you use social media to connect with friends and share your passions with others, it can boost your confidence and give you a place where you belong (4). But if you use it to compare yourself to others and rely on it for self-validation, it can decrease your well-being significantly (4). Overall, social media can be both supportive and damaging, and understanding the balance is important when using it (4).
Sources
- Child Mind Institute – How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers by Rachel Ehmke – https://childmind.org/article/how-using-social-media-affects-teenagers
- Mayo Clinic – Teens and Social Media Use by Mayo clinic staff- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social-media-use/art-20474437
- Yale Medicine – Social Media & Teen Mental Health: A Parent’s Guide By Kathy Katella – https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/social-media-teen-mental-health-a-parents-guide
- World Health Organization – Teens, Screens, and Mental Health – https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/25-09-2024-teens–screens-and-mental-health
- CDC / NCHS by – Anxiety and depression rates by screen time by Benjamin Zablotsky, Ph.D., Basilica Arockiaraj, M.P.H., Gelila Haile, M.P.H., and Amanda E. Ng, Ph.D., M.P.H.https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db513.pdf?utm
- Mental Health Research Canada – Screen time linked to anxiety, depression in youth – https://www.mhrc.ca/blog-research-brief/associations-between-social-media-use-personal-screen-time-and-mental-health-indicators-among-canadian-youth?utm
- Information I have learned
Hi Sydney! this is every strong and clear first round of research that I found very easy to understand. I really liked how you went into more detail for how social media impacts our mental health as adolescents. I find your research plan very well thought out, and I cant wait to see what you have planned next. I loves how you showed both the positives and the negatives, rather than focusing on one, almost implying a bias. Overall, your post is very well written and thought out, as you break down each issue and explain it to the reader. I think that one thing you could try and add is a few more statistics on why this happens to us, although overall I really enjoyed reading your post!
For your next round of research, I found these sites that you might find helpful!
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/03/social-media-mental-health
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-and-social-media-2022/
Hi Sydney,
I thought your blog post explained a really heavy topic very clearly and simply which made it very easy to read. I think your images were both aesthetic and fitting within the blog posts, but also helped illustrate your message. In your next blog post, I would suggest not only using websites and sources online, but also talk about your own experiences or ask others around you about their screen-time on social media platforms and how it affects them personally. I believe that getting some more perspective on real-life situations can amplify your blog posts and the accuracy of information.
One source that can help you in your research is https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/04/22/teens-social-media-and-mental-health/
This source has good graphs that could be useful when talking about statistics in your blog posts.
Good luck with you next blog post!
– Ariana
Hey Sydney, I really enjoyed reading! As teenagers, I think topic of social media, and its up and downsides are not talked about enough. You really put a lot of information in this article, and I can tell you understood the topic well. The photos you added into your post also really helped illustrate.
For the future, I could maybe suggest giving real life experiences, whether from the internet or from friends, to show the real life consequences of social media.
I can’t wait to read more, and keep up the writing! – Jaeda