Every morning when I wake up for school. I feel obligated to do my makeup. I cannot walk out of my house without some type of makeup on because I go on social media and see all these flawless girls. Just like how social media can mask people’s imperfections, so can makeup. Social media is detrimental to many teenagers no matter their age, gender, or appearance. Social media is so involved in our everyday lives that it’s hard even to notice its effects and how to step away from it.
Social media is accessible anywhere you want at any time, allowing social networks to be involved in the lives of any random user in the world. Social media is a place to share posts, interact with many, and exchange information and/or ideas on online communities and platforms. During 2020, the world was hit with Covid-19, which meant everything closed down. Teenagers were not allowed to socialize face-to-face with their friends, so instead, they turned to platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. These are the three major social media platforms that teenagers use, but other platforms include Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Discord, and Twitch. As long as social media exists, it will be available for anyone to use. Whether it is more or less involved in your life, it still influences your choices.
Social media can lead young people to have a fear of missing out (FOMO), worsening their mental and physical health, and preventing them from maturing individually. In an article by Lawrence Robinson and Melinda Smith, M.A. called “Social Media and Mental Health,” they describe the effects of FOMO: “A fear of missing out (FOMO) can keep you returning to social media over and over again. Even though there are very few things that can’t wait or need an immediate response, FOMO will have you believing otherwise.”
Having this fear can take a toll on teenagers’ mental and physical health. Social media is made to catch your attention. People, especially teenagers, use social media as a way to distract themselves from reality. In the end, this doesn’t allow them to grow as a person. If in your free time, all you do is scroll on social media, seeing perfect-looking people, and then you see yourself, you might question “Why don’t I look like them?” or “Why do I have all these imperfections?” To counteract this, it’s good to reflect on yourself and look at the positive.
To look at the positive, it might be a good idea to step back from social media, even if not completely. Instead, try interacting with friends and family in person who aren’t on social media. Even though there are plenty of online communities to talk to when you’re bored or when you need to vent, there’s nothing like being face-to-face with someone. If you can’t separate yourself from social media, try looking for positive posts instead of going through pages of videos or posts that make you feel worse about yourself.
Even though I can’t leave my house without makeup, I love myself too. To love yourself takes a while, and social media can prevent that. Social media is everywhere and it is not possible to completely walk away from it, but it is a good idea to take a step back to preserve mental health.
Let’s All Step Back: Social Media Hurts Teens’ Health
By Bryanna Epstein ‘25
Every morning when I wake up for school. I feel obligated to do my makeup. I cannot walk out of my house without some type of makeup on because I go on social media and see all these flawless girls. Just like how social media can mask people’s imperfections, so can makeup. Social media is detrimental to many teenagers no matter their age, gender, or appearance. Social media is so involved in our everyday lives that it’s hard even to notice its effects and how to step away from it.
Social media is accessible anywhere you want at any time, allowing social networks to be involved in the lives of any random user in the world. Social media is a place to share posts, interact with many, and exchange information and/or ideas on online communities and platforms. During 2020, the world was hit with Covid-19, which meant everything closed down. Teenagers were not allowed to socialize face-to-face with their friends, so instead, they turned to platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. These are the three major social media platforms that teenagers use, but other platforms include Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Discord, and Twitch. As long as social media exists, it will be available for anyone to use. Whether it is more or less involved in your life, it still influences your choices.
Social media can lead young people to have a fear of missing out (FOMO), worsening their mental and physical health, and preventing them from maturing individually. In an article by Lawrence Robinson and Melinda Smith, M.A. called “Social Media and Mental Health,” they describe the effects of FOMO: “A fear of missing out (FOMO) can keep you returning to social media over and over again. Even though there are very few things that can’t wait or need an immediate response, FOMO will have you believing otherwise.”
Having this fear can take a toll on teenagers’ mental and physical health. Social media is made to catch your attention. People, especially teenagers, use social media as a way to distract themselves from reality. In the end, this doesn’t allow them to grow as a person. If in your free time, all you do is scroll on social media, seeing perfect-looking people, and then you see yourself, you might question “Why don’t I look like them?” or “Why do I have all these imperfections?” To counteract this, it’s good to reflect on yourself and look at the positive.
To look at the positive, it might be a good idea to step back from social media, even if not completely. Instead, try interacting with friends and family in person who aren’t on social media. Even though there are plenty of online communities to talk to when you’re bored or when you need to vent, there’s nothing like being face-to-face with someone. If you can’t separate yourself from social media, try looking for positive posts instead of going through pages of videos or posts that make you feel worse about yourself.
Even though I can’t leave my house without makeup, I love myself too. To love yourself takes a while, and social media can prevent that. Social media is everywhere and it is not possible to completely walk away from it, but it is a good idea to take a step back to preserve mental health.
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