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Chloe Helmes

Mr. Ricci

English Period 3

2 June, 2017

The Effect of Social Media on Teens

Social media is used by approximately 2.5 billion people all over the world; that number

is only expected to grow over time. By 2020, the number of social media users worldwide is

expected to rise to about 3 billion (“Number of social media users worldwide from 2010 to

2020”). Teenagers are on social media more than anyone. The average teenager spends 9 hours a

day on social media; that means teenagers spend more than one-third of their day on it (Wallace).

Many teens use popular social media sites such as Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook.

On these sites, teenagers can share posts about themselves. They can also see what their friends,

family members, classmates, etc. post. Social media is supposed to be a place to share memories,

stay updated on family members’ or friends’ lives, connect with people you do not see often, or

give people an inside look as to what your life is like. Those things seem very intriguing to

people, especially to teenagers for many reasons. One of them being, teenagers eagerly want to

see what their classmates are like outside of school. Social media allows them to see the kinds of

things their peers like to do, where they like to go, who they hang out with, what sports they

play, and many other details about their lives. Additionally, teens are persistently trying to keep

up with modern trends. If a teenager sees that many of his/her classmates are using social media

sites, he/she will feel obligated to use it too. The large popularity of social media encourages
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teenagers to use it. However, social media can have many detrimental impacts and teenagers are

the ones most affected. After analyzing both the positive and negative effects of teenagers using

social media, it is clear that social media can be harmful.

The first reason why social media is harmful for teens is it causes cyberbullying. It is one

of the main causes of cyberbullying worldwide. Social media allows teenagers to have constant

access to their peers. This allows bullies to have access to their victims every hour of the day. In

the past, kids would sometimes get bullied in school but would be free from all bullying when

they got home. However, now kids can get bullied constantly on the internet. It is tremendously

easy for someone to leave a mean comment on someone else’s post or post something negative

about another person. Moreover, teenagers typically say/do things online that they would never

do/say in person. Therefore, it is much easier for someone to bully another person on social

media where they can hide behind a screen. Dr. Donna Wick explained, “Kids text all sorts of

things that you would never in a million years contemplate saying to anyone’s face.” In today’s

society, most bullying occurs online on social media rather than in person. Typically, teenagers

do not think that there will be any consequences for them if they bully someone online. Usually,

when bullying occurs in schools where teachers or other classmates can witness what is going

on, it will be taken very seriously by the school and dealt with. On the other hand, it is much

easier for someone to get away with bullying another person online. Unless it is brought to the

school’s attention by the victim, schools typically will not even be aware of the issue. That is

why cyberbullying is such a problem for teenagers today and can have such a negative impact on

the one being bullied. Cyberbullying can lead to teenagers feeling like there is no way to escape

the torment they face, not even in the safety of their own home. Also, it is easy for other
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teenagers to amplify the bullying when it occurs on social media. For instance, teens can easily

repost or retweet something mean that was said about someone else. In addition to that, they can

write comments on things that other people have posted. Many teenagers will see mean things

posted or said on social media and will go along with it, rather than stand up to the person. They

will often assume the things they say are “just a joke” and they are not doing anything wrong.

However, the constant torment many teenagers receive online can be unbearable. It can lead to

depression that takes over the life of the victim. In some cases, the bullying is so bad that the

bullying victim will decide to take his/her own life. That is what Jessica Laney’s case resulted in.

Jessica Laney, a 16-year old girl from Florida, hung herself in 2012. Her friends said that

cyberbullying was to blame. Jessica had an account on the social media site, Ask.fm. According

to her friends, she had received a variety of cruel posts on her page. She received one post on her

account that said, “Just kill yourself. You’re worthless.” Her close friend, Cheyenne Ellsmore,

said, “You get compliments sometimes, but it’s those negative comments that bring you down.”

Unfortunately, the bullying and torment online became too much for the young, 16-year old girl

to handle and she took her own life to escape it (Murray). Like Jessica Laney, many other teens

consider taking their lives after being bullied online. One in five kids who are cyberbullied

consider suicide; one in ten attempt it (Laird). In order to avoid instances like this occurring

again in the future, it is time to examine the root of the issue: social media. Social media is

becoming more and more popular every day and that needs to change in order for cyberbullying

to stop.

In addition to that, social media can destroy one’s body image. It constantly exposes

teenagers to unrealistic body expectations. Photos are often highly edited or photoshopped. This
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makes teens, especially girls, feel bad about themselves and feel that they need to change. As a

result, many teenagers consistently feel insecure and self-conscious. They may also want to

change the way their bodies look and go to extremes to do so. In many cases, teens will develop

eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. ​A 2011 study from the University of Haifa

examined 248 girls from the ages of 12 to 19. The study found that more exposure to social

media contributed to higher rates of eating disorders and other related concerns. The more time

that these girls spent on social media sites, the more likely they were to struggle with bulimia,

anorexia, physical dissatisfaction, negative physical self-image, negative approach to eating, or

more of an urge to be on a weight-loss diet (Howard). In the U.S. alone, more than 30 million

people currently suffer from an eating disorder (“Eating Disorder Statistics”). ​Eating disorders

are not only damaging to someone’s mental health, but also to his/her physical health. They can

lead to serious health problems or even death.​ ​Celebrity, Demi Lovato, shared a little bit about

her struggles with bulimia and anorexia and how social media played a role in it. She stated,

"Social media started impacting my life when I was about 14 years old. I would check it

obsessively, reading comments and wondering if people noticed that I'd gained or lost weight. I

allowed social media to define what I thought of my body. And now I realize that no matter how

thin you are, someone will call you fat. No matter how beautiful you are, someone will call you

ugly. But you can't spend your time worrying about that. You're just not going to please the

world." Similarly, Kerry​ Hooton, 22, claimed that social media fueled her anorexia. She would

spend hours scrolling through selfies on social media and felt that she could not match the

“perfect” lives portrayed by others. She would survive on less than 200 calories a day

(Waterlow). “For as long as I can remember, I have compared the way I look to other people as I
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have always felt I was never good enough for society and those closest to me. It wasn’t until my

late teenage years that this transpired to comparing the way my body looks. I have compared

myself to celebrities, it has always been the average person and I believe social media has

heightened the ability to allow myself and others to do this,” Kerry stated. ​The most important

thing for people is to be happy in the skin that they are in. How can that be possible when social

media is constantly making them think that they need to change?

The final reason that social media is detrimental to teens is it changes the way they

communicate and learn. Today, teenagers are so obsessed with social media that they rarely

communicate with people face-to-face. According to a study, one in four people spend more time

socializing with people online than they do in person (Fowlkes). They also spend so much time

on social media that they barely make any time to spend with friends or family. It is apparent that

social media is quickly changing communication. Hussein Chahine stated, ​“Communication is

constantly evolving. Some people are as used to seeing their friends’ online avatar as they are

their face. People increasingly prefer quick and frequent engagement with instant updates on

news than a prolonged chat and are also finding new ways to catch up with friends from the

comfort of their sofa.” ​Teenagers are so absorbed by social media that they forget how important

it is to spend time with someone and talk to them in person, not through a screen. Another

research study suggests that face-to-face communication is much more effective and beneficial.

According to the study, ​90% of the influential conversations that we have every day happen

offline, while only 8% are online (​Fowlkes). Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair believes that

adolescents are now lacking critical social skills due to social media (Ehmke). “In a way, texting

and online communicating—it’s not like it creates a nonverbal learning disability, but it puts
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everybody in a nonverbal disabled context, where body language, facial expression, and even the

smallest kinds of vocal reactions are rendered invisible,” she claimed. Not only is social media

changing the way people communicate, it is also affecting the way they learn. With the rapid

increase of electronics in school, it is immensely easy for teens to go on social media during

school hours. Instead of learning and absorbing vital information, many teenagers choose to go

on sites or apps such as Snapchat and Instagram. This is detrimental to their education. Since

social media has become increasingly popular, students are paying much less attention in schools

and are spending less time studying or getting work done. Severals studies have shown that

information that is learned while someone is partially distracted is often quickly forgotten. New

information is transferred from the brain’s short-term memory to long-term memory in a process

called encoding. Without someone being deeply concentrated, encoding is unlikely to occur

(Sullivan). “Multitasking while doing academic work leads to spottier, shallower, less flexible

learning,” Anne Paul, a brain expert, warned. Additionally, teenagers will commonly spend

hours on social media after they get home from school instead of studying, working on

homework, or going over what they did in class that day. Larry Rosen, a professor at California

State University, created a study to quantify how often students get distracted by technology

while studying. He followed 263 students into their normal study environments and told them to

work on a school assignment for 15 minutes. Even knowing that they were being observed, the

students could not resist texting or using social media. “On-task” behavior started to decline after

only two minutes. Overall, only 65% of the time was spent doing schoolwork (Sullivan). Social

media is a huge distraction for students and over time, will diminish the education students get.

Receiving a good education and communicating with those around them are overwhelmingly
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important things for teenagers. However, because of social media, proper communication and

efficacious educations are increasingly vanishing.

Overall, social media can be immensely detrimental for teenagers. Social media can

cause cyberbullying, destroy someone’s body image, or change communication and education in

a negative way. Many teenagers enjoy using social media because it allows them to be in

constant communication with their friends, family, or people they do not even know. Someone

can use social media sites to share memories or get a better look at the lives of others.

Additionally, students often want to use social media to see what their classmates are like outside

of school and see the kind of things they do. They can learn more about them such as what their

hobbies are, who they hang out with, what places they like to go to, etc. Teenagers are also eager

to follow new, modern trends. As social media rises in popularity, more teens feel obligated to

use it. Although, many teenagers are not aware of the very negative impact it has on them and

constantly use social media sites, such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, without thinking

about the consequences. It is time to stop the reliance on social media by so many teenagers

worldwide because the effects of it are disastrous. There are approximately 2.5 billion people in

the world who use social media and that number is increasing each year; the problems that arise

from social media are only going to become increasingly worse if something is not done about it

(“Number of social media users worldwide from 2010 to 2020”).

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Bibliography

Brissette, Christy MSc. "Is Social Media Destroying Your Body Image?" ​The Huffington Post​.

The Huffington Post, 11 Nov. 2016. Web. 25 May 2017.

Dawson, Mackenzie. "How Social Media Is Destroying the Lives of Teen Girls." ​New York Post​.

New York Post, 22 Feb. 2016. Web. 30 May 2017.

"Eating Disorder Statistics • National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated

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n.d. Web. 25 May 2017.

Ehmke, Rachel. "How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers." ​Child Mind Institute.​ Web. 25

May 2017.

Fowlkes, Jasmine. "Viewpoint: Why Social Media Is Destroying Our Social Skills." ​USA Today.​

Gannett Satellite Information Network, 18 July 2014. Web. 27 May 2017.

Health, Office Of Adolescent. "February 2016: Teens' Social Media Use." ​HHS.gov.​ US

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"How Social Media Is a Toxic Mirror." ​Time.​ Web. 25 May 2017.

Howard, Courtney. "Does Social Media Cause Eating Disorders in Children?" ​Eating Disorder

Hope.​ 02 Oct. 2016. Web. 27 May 2017.

Laird, Sam. "Cyberbullying: Scourge of the Internet [INFOGRAPHIC]." ​Mashable.​ Mashable,

08 July 2012. Web. 25 May 2017.

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McNamee, David. "Cyberbullying 'causes Suicidal Thoughts in Kids More than Traditional

Bullying'." ​Medical News Today​. MediLexicon International, 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 25

May 2017.

Murray, Rheana. "Social Media Blamed for Teen's Suicide." ​NY Daily News.​ N.p., 12 Dec. 2012.

Web. 02 June 2017.

"Number of Social Media Users Worldwide 2010-2020." ​Statista.​ Web. 01 June 2017.

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Sullivan, Bob. "Students Can't Resist Distraction for Two Minutes ... and Neither Can

You."​NBCNews.com.​ NBCUniversal News Group, 18 May 2013. Web. 25 May 2017.

Wallace, Kelly. "Teens Spend 9 Hours a Day Using Media, Report Says." ​CNN.​ Cable News

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5st 7lb Says Comparing Herself to the 'perfect' Lives of Others Was to Blame." ​Daily

Mail Online​. Associated Newspapers, 05 Aug. 2015. Web. 27 May 2017.

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Works Cited

Brissette, Christy MSc. "Is Social Media Destroying Your Body Image?" ​The Huffington Post​.

The Huffington Post, 11 Nov. 2016. Web. 25 May 2017.

"Eating Disorder Statistics • National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated

Disorders." ​National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.​ N.p.,

n.d. Web. 25 May 2017.

Ehmke, Rachel. "How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers." ​Child Mind Institute.​ Web. 25

May 2017.

Fowlkes, Jasmine. "Viewpoint: Why Social Media Is Destroying Our Social Skills." ​USA Today.​

Gannett Satellite Information Network, 18 July 2014. Web. 27 May 2017.

Howard, Courtney. "Does Social Media Cause Eating Disorders in Children?" ​Eating Disorder

Hope.​ 02 Oct. 2016. Web. 27 May 2017.

Laird, Sam. "Cyberbullying: Scourge of the Internet [INFOGRAPHIC]." ​Mashable.​ Mashable,

08 July 2012. Web. 25 May 2017.

Murray, Rheana. "Social Media Blamed for Teen's Suicide." ​NY Daily News.​ N.p., 12 Dec. 2012.

Web. 02 June 2017.

"Number of Social Media Users Worldwide 2010-2020." ​Statista.​ Web. 25 May 2017.

Sullivan, Bob. "Students Can't Resist Distraction for Two Minutes ... and Neither Can

You."​NBCNews.com.​ NBCUniversal News Group, 18 May 2013. Web. 25 May 2017.

Wallace, Kelly. "Teens Spend 9 Hours a Day Using Media, Report Says." ​CNN.​ Cable News

Network, 03 Nov. 2015. Web. 23 May 2017.

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Waterlow, Lucy. "'Facebook and Instagram Fuelled My Anorexia': Woman Who Plummeted to

5st 7lb Says Comparing Herself to the 'perfect' Lives of Others Was to Blame." ​Daily

Mail Online​. Associated Newspapers, 05 Aug. 2015. Web. 27 May 2017.