How Social Media Shapes the Minds of Adolescents: The Good, the Bad, and the Necessary

Social media is an integral part of our world today, serving not just as a medium of communication and entertainment but also as a platform to get valuable information, get up-to-date news, and most of all, a source of livelihood and income for a lot of people. However, despite how important it is, we can't turn a blind eye to it, especially how it affects one's mental health. This isn't only towards adults, but also adolescents whose lives are just taking shape, and that's why I'll be using this article to talk about my take on everything that revolves around adolescents, social media, and mental health.

Social media is an important part that I don't think should be pushed aside for anyone in this present age, and the reason for that isn't far-fetched. As I've highlighted above, social media plays a crucial role in human information and awareness in our world today, and not being versed with it can be detrimental to adolescents or even adults who haven't been gradually integrated into how it works, what to look out for, what to avoid, and how to use it intelligently. I understand social media has its downside, and when it comes to adolescents usage, I'll always clamor for routine monitoring of their social presence and interactions, as they don't have the capacity to deal with all that the platform presents nor the emotional intelligence to deal with some of its complex aspects.

When it comes to adolescents social media interactions and how it affects their mental health, I for one thinks it's a two way thing and I'd be stating my reasons below;

Positive Impact on Mental Health

Emotional support: One thing social media has presented to us is an ability to get connected to supportive communities and professionals that understand adolescents struggles. which goes on to offer them the support they needed emotionally, not forgetting such will also reduce the feeling of loneliness.

Mental health awareness: Users of social media, including adolescents, get to have first hand access to health content that creates an awareness for mental health. and even shares coping strategies and true life stories of others who have walked the same path to encourage adolescents who are in similar situations or walking on a path that might lead to such.

Self-expression: we all can agree on the fact that social media is a space that gives us the opportunity to express ourselves in diverse ways, such as writing about how you feel, Talking about it or even sharing one's creativity—all of these, when done or seen, can relieve one's mental health issues.

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Negative Impact on Mental Health

Cyberbullying: Despite how amazing social media is, we also know it can be a toxic environment for even adults, not to mention adolescents, who tend to experience harassment online, get negative comments that can take a negative toll on their emotions, and even learn to socially withdraw, and that's one way social media can affect adolescents mental health.

Anxiety and Depression: A lot of things play out on social media that can lead to depression in adolescents, such as constant comparison due to the lifestyle showcase by others online, fear of missing out, and even negative comments on their opinion, which can lead to sadness, low self-esteem, and anxiety, making it a health concern for adolescent interaction.

Addiction and Sleep Disruption: Even I as an adult tend to express this once in a while, not to mention adolescents who tend to overuse social media, interacting with it into the dead of the night, which in the long run leads to few hours of sleep, which results in worsened mood, mental health concerns, and the like.

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So with that being understood, I don't think the level of adolescent knowledge or understanding will reduce due to their social media presence or interaction. What I feel matters is how they use it, what they do with it when interacting with it, and the likes.That's where the role of an adult, like their parents or guardian, comes into the picture. We need to monitor and make sure to moderate their usage, because social media is a powerful tool that can bring about growth, social development, and learning in adolescents, so our guidance is needed to shape their lives and how social media impacts them, because it can be a lifeline or a landmine for adolescent mental health depending on how it's used.

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All photos are taken and edited on canva.

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