The year 2020 was a transitional era moving towards a more digital age. The only way to stay connected amongst the pandemic was through our devices. The dependency on technology was more apparent than ever before. A new normal was created for the emerging generation. Nowadays, adolescents are searching for the sense of connection that is strongly desired at this pivotal time in their lives. Social media can be a short term fix for a quick sense of pleasure but can end up breaking everything else. The feelings that these adolescents are experiencing worsens each time they are fed on social media. From the moment adolescents wake up, they typically go on their phones and check all social media from Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram to TikTok. From there, they either go on their laptops and go to class online. From phones to laptops to televisions, it can be hard to break this cycle of dependency between adolescents and media, more specifically social media.
To begin, “The Harris Poll conducted between late March and early May, found that between 46% and 51% of US adults were using social media more since the outbreak began. In the most recent May 1–3 survey, 51% of total respondents — 60% of those ages 18 to 34” (TheHarrisPolll). With an understanding of this increase, it is important to understand what social media applications these young adults are spending most of their time on. “During a fall 2020 survey, it was found that Snapchat was the most important social network for 34 percent of U.S. teens. Fast-growing social video app TikTok was ranked second with 29 percent of teenagers in the United States stating it to be their favorite, ahead of legacy platforms Facebook and Twitter (Statista). These platforms are a breeding center for mental health issues. The increase of users on these platforms can only make people more susceptible to “decreased, disrupted, and delayed sleep, which is associated with depression, memory loss, and poor academic performance” (EMarketer). These sites have unrealistic life and beauty standards that mold young adolescents to thinking they are everything social media is not or they will try their best to live a certain way that is not healthy.
With there not being much moderation with social media usage, the amount can be very unhealthy. Over consumption of media can only be pleasurable for so long before it takes a toll on the human brain developing many mental health disorders. The content put out in social media is often depicting a false narrative which makes people feel less than, lose connection, and have FOMO (fear of missing out). Although these problems may seem not as threatening at first, overtime they can lead to serious issues like depression, eating disorders, anxiety and many more. For the most part, social media is a toxic place especially for young users who are still developing. This new digital era is all about this sense of reward and approval. This can entirely deplete confidence. McLean’s hospital states that “providing young people with a window through which they can view missed experiences, social media puts a distorted lens on appearances and reality. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat increase the likelihood of seeing unrealistic, filtered photos at a time when teen bodies are changing” (McLeanHospital). With the main audience being young adolescents, development is a vulnerable time for the toxicity of social media taking over.
The interdependent relationship between overconsumption of social media and the youths mental health can be very high risk. Without the proper regulation the contextual factors of this relationship can be detrimental on the cognitive and physical well being of adolescents. With social media being so addicting, it can be challenging to break away from these bad habits. Many people may not realize the cognitive or physical effects of social media consumption. Without the realization and understanding of how harmful this relationship can be, it will only continue to grow stronger and this vulnerable digital era will affect the future generations and have everlasting problems. There are already countless studies proving this idea about this relationship. These platforms need to do a better job with content regulation and help limit the time users are spending on these apps. With no other outlet besides social media, adolescents will become forced down a pigeon hole that can be hard to come out of when so instilled. Other outlets need to be more accessible and normal during the pandemic and after to prevent the rise of mental health issues.
Great post. I think the development of information technology really outpaced our own evolution. Just 100 to 200 years ago, most people never step outside their small community, but suddenly we are given more information than we can process from all over the world. It's also not helping that big tech and media companies are going out of their ways to hack our sensations so we are hooked to their content
Interesting post. I often observe poorer mental health in myself when I succumb to the addictive apps on my phone, even when it involves communicating with other people. To me giving my mind a break comes in the form of being out in nature which is especially important since it means getting out of shithole LA. I do this by hiking or surfing, good stuff.