Running head: SWAYING THE ADOLESCENT MIND 1

Swaying the Adolescent Mind

Kenzie R. Naber

South Lyon High School

October 2017
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Abstract

This paper discusses how social media impacts teenagers, causing social anxiety, depression and

relationship problems. This topic should intrigue my audience because it is something that has

become a big part of our society. Teenagers are also a big part of our society and I think

everyone needs to know both the negative and positive effects that it has on them. I decided to

use the school database to retrieve data on this topic because I knew it would be the most reliable

place, but sometimes it was difficult for me to find the information that I wanted. For example,

finding sources that had to do directly with certain social media websites was difficult, also

finding sources that discussed specific mental illnesses was a low point of my research because it

was the most challenging areas to find research on. During my research, I discovered that social

media can lead to many negative outcomes, such as social and relationship issues; however

social media can positively impact teenagers by providing relief from depression and anxiety.

Keywords: ​Social Media, Teenagers, Depression, Anxiety, Social Issues, Instragram

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Swaying the Adolescent Mind

Brooke Lusk claimed that a colossal 93% of teenagers utilize social media (2010). With

such a large percentage of adolescents using social media, it's not hard to recognize how much

influence it has on teenagers. The influences social media has on teenagers can lead to many

negative outcomes, such as social and relationship issues; however, social media can positively

impact teenagers by providing relief from depression and anxiety. Hollywood celebrities that

post on social media websites such as Instagram or Facebook can influence teenagers in a very

negative aspect. Although there are many negative impacts, social media also helps the world

connect and can help people escape reality which can be looked at as a positive impact of social

media. There are many ways everyone in our society can help turn around the outlook of social

media and make more positive influences instead of negative.

Teenagers are the main users of social media which is why we need to make them aware

of its effects.
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Unfortunately, the negative outcomes of social media seemingly outweigh the positives

when it comes to impacting teenagers. An article from Pediatric Annals discovered that social

media affects every health concern that doctors and parents have about teenagers, depression and

self-image being some (2010). In addition to this, “Researchers at the Lucile Packard Children's

Hospital conducted a survey of youth with eating disorders to see how many visit "pro-ana" or

"pro-mia" sites. These sites offer tips and techniques on ways to successfully lose weight using

harmful methods and are often populated by teens with eating disorders,” says Lusk (2010, para.

11). This illustrates how social media can cause things such as eating disorder which is related

to depression and social anxiety. Andrea K. McDaniels stated that social media has been directly

linked to increased depression, anxiety and decreased relationship skills. McDaniels also

discusses how teenagers feel pressured to post the perfect photo or compete with the lives of

their peers (2017). This can be caused from not only other peers but Hollywood celebrities social

media posts. Hollywood celebrities are who teenagers look up to and aspire to be like. When

they post about their love lives, fashion choices, or anything else, it can cause teenagers to feel

insecure because they don't look or have the same life as them. Obviously that is not something

that is beneficial for teenagers mental health, impacting their confidence when they can't live up

to the expectations set by celebrities. Furthermore, for naive teenagers certain “role models”

from social media, may turn out to be bad examples in the real world and could negatively

influence teenagers lives.

Although social media has numerous negative effects on the teenagers of our society,

there is also some notable positive effects that must be considered. Lusk says that many teens use

social media as a relief from their anxiety or depression instead of being the cause of it (2010).
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Instead of having to consult with people in their everyday life, who could possibly be the cause

of their mental illness, teenagers are able to turn to social media. Social media can act as an

escape from reality, where teenagers are able to communicate without being defined by their

mental illness. Connectivity is also something that would be very difficult to achieve if we didn't

have social media because it has become the main source of meeting new people and

communicating with others, “Meeting face-to-face is becoming increasingly rare as people

choose to meet screen-to-screen” (2012, para. 8). Connectivity can expose teenagers with a

mental illness such as depression or anxiety, with one that is more accepting and supportive. This

could cause teens that are looking for a more accepting environment, to be attracted to social

media websites. There are also social media websites that are designed for teens to overall deeply

discuss their issues, no matter the topic. They are provided access to useful resources that can

help them overcome their insecurities or mental differences (Lusk 2010). Teenagers are

constantly going online to look for advice or answers to their questions, social media is the

perfect place for this type of thing. Social media is a place where all teenagers can connect by

relating to one another's problems, or giving advice on their questions or struggles in the real

world, or in the social media world. As Lusk notes, “Because of its ability to enhance

connections by making them easily accessible, social media can yield many benefits for youth,

including providing a virtual space for teens to explore their interests or problems with similar

individuals”(2010, para. 5). The freedom that is created through connectivity can act as a remedy

for teenagers who feel confined by where they live or the community that they are apart of. Lusk

also points out that social media can provide academic support, and strengthen their online
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communication skills and knowledge (2010). Furthermore, social media does cause a lot of

negative impacts, but there are also many positive impacts it can produce.

Granting that the negative impacts of social media on teenagers overcomes the positive

impacts, there are many ways that our society can change that. Although parents would have one

of the biggest impacts on teenagers because of their power to discipline and watch over their

children more closely, they are not the only ones that can help change the negative impacts the

juveniles of our society are experiencing from social media. Governments can take action and

make laws or limitations on social media to help fix these issues. Schools and educators can

make rules and advertise less social media. They can also give ways to reduce the use of social

media such as, extracurriculars, outdoor activities or even just banning cell phones from schools

in general so that teens will be exposed to less time on social media. Most importantly,

advertisements and Hollywood promoting less social media or just trying to make it a better

place will influence teenagers the most since that is where most kids are encouraged to follow

others. “Youth who have been educated about responsible Internet use by parents, teachers, or

peers are more likely to practice safe online behaviors” (Lusk, 2010. Para 10). Making teenagers

aware of the effects that can come from social media can help make the effects more positive and

reduce all the negativity that comes from it.

It is feasible to eradicate the negative body images, along with the other negative

emotions that teenagers obtain at the hand of social media by providing proper educations in the

classroom and household. “However, it only takes a little bit of digging under the surface, or

going out beyond the confines of our friends and online circles, to realize that social media can
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actually make the world a better place” (Lee, 2013, para. 1) We can easily help the 93% of our

real life and social media users transform to maintaining a healthy experience online.
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References

Children, adolescents, and the media: Seven key issues. (2010, Sep). ​Pediatric Annals Vol.39,

no.9, ​, 556. Retrieved from https://sks.sirs.com

Lusk, B. (2010). Digital natives and social media behaviors: An overview.​ Prevention

Researcher, ​, 3-6. Retrieved from https://sks.sirs.com

McDaniels, A. K. (2017, 14 Jun). Does use of social media affect emotional well being of teens?

Daily Gleaner​ Retrieved from h​ttps://sks.sirs.com

Pilieci, V. (2012, 24 Mar). Do social networks make us sick?​ Ottawa Citizen​ Retrieved from

https://sks.sirs.com

Whiting, J. (2012). ​Issues in the digital age: Online communication and social networking​ Issues

in the Digital Age: Online Communication and Social Networking. Retrieved from

https://sks.sirs.com

“Who Are Our Supportive Friends?” ​Home​, 8 Oct. 2015,

Lee, Joel, et al. “5 Ways Social Media Makes The World A Better Place.” ​MakeUseOf​, 3

Oct. 2013