Digital lives, real consequences: young people and social media
Have you ever felt frustrated, even lost, after spending hours on your phone? The problem is much deeper than you think. That’s why we are here today – to explain the positive and negative effects of social media, as well as its psychological consequences. But we are focusing not just on theory – we will also give you practical steps to follow in response.
The popularity of social media among young people has grown exponentially over the past 10 years. According to a recent survey, the number of Gen Z youth (aged 11-26) using social media in the United States is 56.4 million, the second largest cohort after Millennials. Moreover, according to another report, teenagers’ (aged 13-18) screen time in the US exceeds eight hours a day! It is not hard to guess what hides behind these numbers – plenty of teens, our future, lying on their beds and scrolling all day. Eating, having a shower, going for a walk with a dog, sitting in a cafe with their family, they always have something playing in the background. The statistics show that the most used apps remain Youtube, Tik-Tok and Instagram, with Snapchat and Facebook in 4th and 5th place respectively. But why are social media platforms so attractive to teens? Simply, they use bright colours, emotional videos, attractive design and last but not least – they ask for no effort. It’s way easier to press a button than open a book and read something. Unfortunately, most of us prefer this type of lifestyle.
As with each and every digital tool, social media has its pros and cons.
Among the positive effects of social media are:
Communication: In-person communication can’t be replaced completely. However, it is not always possible if your friends or family are far away. Messengers erase geographic boundaries and simplify communication between different time zones. Moreover, relational diversity can boost well-being and compensate for the lack of emotions, since it requires less time — a resource that is scarce for many people — to contact a person.
Civil engagement: Social networks are a platform for expressing opinions regarding social topics. This activity may become the first step toward community building. Also, social media is good for professional networking, as all the profiles can be examined for commonalities and matching values.
Real-time news: Though constant scrolling of news is harmful on the one hand, access to important information in emergency cases may be very helpful.
Educational resources: Social media is not meant only for entertainment, but for edutainment as well. Sometimes, creatively wrapped knowledge is memorised far more easily than within an academic approach.
Negative effects of social media are as follows:
Reduction of concentration: Clip thinking is a peculiarity of modern times, with tons of information being produced daily. However, when faced with the need to pay attention to longer texts or videos, young people often struggle to maintain concentration and complete studying or work tasks properly.
Time-wasting: The main goal of social media is to keep the user there as long as possible. Notifications, advertisements, and constant content proposals make it harder to leave social media once the main purpose of its use has been achieved.
Disinformation spread: Users may become victims of propaganda amplified by algorithms and dive into conspiracy theories where communities are built not in the name of improvement but against common sense. This is also a field for manipulation of political sentiment, as social media has become the primary source of information for the new electoral generation.
All these disadvantages of social media can lead to more serious psychological consequences.
Despite the tendency to portray realistic life — as seen, for example, in the growing demand for the BeReal social network — the overall picture of people’s lives remains distorted: users tend to present a more favourable version of everything. This leads to self-esteem problems, especially among more passive users. Stress, insomnia, and anxiety may also become consequences of social media overuse. Gadgets’ blue light disrupts sleep patterns, while social comparison and the fear of missing an important piece of news can increase anxiety.
Finding a balance between physical and virtual realities may seem like a difficult task. However, a bit of discipline and a more conscious approach can change the situation and help prevent mental disorders.
Firstly, there are tools on our phones to help us: set time limits or turn on “Do Not Disturb” mode, especially during working and studying hours. Ask yourself, “What am I doing here? What’s my purpose?” each time you use your device. The answer may be unpleasant, but understanding the problem is the key to solving it.
Use social networks to search for offline activities: follow such accounts and get inspired to meet in person with like-minded people. When possible, try a complete detox.
Track your emotions. What makes you happy, sad, or anxious? Maybe the profiles whose content upsets you should be unfollowed. On the contrary, seek out real motivation and subscribe to accounts that provide it.
Set a particular time for checking updates. This is a stable but not constant way to stay in touch with the world.
To sum up, social media has both advantages and disadvantages. It allows us to receive real-time news, communicate with friends and peers, take part in civic activities and expand our knowledge. However, it can also cause problems such as frustration, reduce our ability to concentrate and spread disinformation. The main thing we should always keep in mind is finding a balance. Do not spend too long on social media platforms, take breaks, try to follow channels with useful information. We can’t deny that, unfortunately, social media has become an integral part of the lives of most teenagers, so here’s a little reminder to you – there’s a whole world beyond the screen waiting for you. Go outside, call your friends and just try to admire nature. It’s worth it.
