By La’Rena Coleman
Features and Entertainment Reporter
Social media has become a big part of teenagers' lives, shaping a way for them to connect, communicate, and consume information.
Ava and Chelsea spend time on their phone as they sit next to each other in lunch. Social media has taken over students' lives. Photo by Cayla Gist.
However, its impact on mental health has become a growing concern in recent years. While other platforms foster a community and offer support, they also contribute to issues such as anxiety, depression, and feelings of inadequacy.
“Since our generation is Gen-Z, we're addicted to electronic devices and can’t get our hands off them if we don't have anything else to do; it's like an everyday task,” Dominic Jackson said.
According to the Global Burden of Disease study, around a billion people in the world suffered from mental disorders in 2017.
“If they're getting accused of something they didn't do or feel bad about themselves, like hate comments or people bashing them, it'll probably lead to suicide,” Jackson said.
Mental health conditions can have severe adverse effects, hampering people’s ability to work, study, and be productive. According to the World Health Organization’s Global
Burden of Disease: mental illness is the most burdensome disease category in terms of total disability-adjusted years for adults younger than 45, and depression is one of the most taxing conditions.
“I use social media on a daily basis. I am on many social media platforms, and I try to always post and promote positive content and messages. I try to post content that will allow my followers and friends to get to know me a little better or information that is humorous and/or will add value to one's life,” Ms. Nelson said.
While social media's influence on mental health can undoubtedly be harmful, it also has the potential to have a positive outcome when used mindfully. The constant pressure to have the perfect life can worsen feelings of inadequacy, especially when individuals compare themselves to others.
“If there's a situation, they will rather run to social media about it rather than thinking about the principle and taking accountability,” Zarea Lloyd said.
“Some people might be sensitive, and one thing you say might make them feel bad about themselves,“ Jackson said.
The addictive nature of social media also creates a distorted sense of time, leaving multiple teens disconnected from reality and reducing their ability to reflect on their emotional state of mind.
“I’ll know if my mental health is declining by my emotions, like I’ll know if it’s improving if I feel some type of way about it, and if it's declining, I’ll know if I still feel the same and don’t have anything to say about it,” Lloyd said.
The main impact of social media is not just distracting people from reality but also having them forget about their responsibilities like work and school. Relationships and self-care often take a backseat in the life of a person who's addicted to social media, keeping them hooked by delivering content tailored to their interests.
“There can be positive and negative effects when it comes to social media; there's creativity and opportunities for people to self-express themselves; the negatives are of society cyberbullying and people thinking differently about their body image,” Henderson said.
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