By: Rasheed Bond
January 21st, 2025Social media has become a big part in most teenagers' lives, influencing how we stay in touch with friends and share new experiences. While it is very much fun and interesting, cyberbullying has negatively impacted adolescent’s mental health both here at Carver and across the country.
Taydon Lewis is currently a student of Carer Engineering and Science and he is feeling sad because his video isn't getting views.
Instagram and Tiktok are sources that lead to feelings such as inadequacy and low self-esteem among teenagers and their peers. Student at Carver high school Kamiyah Jackson gives her personal input on what she thinks social media does to teens.
“I feel as though, if you don't get enough likes or comments then it makes you seem as though you're not pretty enough even though people are pretty their own ways. - Kamiyah Jackson”
Spending too much time on social media causes stress or feelings of sadness in teenagers. 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by the age of just 14 years old. This stress can lead to different things in the teens life.
"I believe that it causes stress because when you're relying on social media, you´re not really wrapping your head around what's really going on in the world. You´re mostly focused on fake things you see on social media.´´-Breira Thomas"
The pressure to maintain a perfect online image can lead to anxiety and stress, as teenagers feel compelled to present a flawless version of themselves.
“Teenagers can be very vulnerable to the pressures of Social media because they are at the stage in life where they are seeking validation from their peers and the things that they are surrounded by”.
Sinceir during his second period class feeling depressed because Tiktok is leaaving.
The constant exposure to idealized images and lifestyles can help contribute to body image issues and things such as TID (Teenagers Identity Disorder) .
"I feel as though that when I'm watching different influencers I wanna have their lifestyle or want to wear their clothing. Everything is like a trend so when I see multiple things in it the it makes me wanna wear things."
Moreover, the fear of being left out or missing out can lead to things such as excessive social media use. Which can have a very negative impact on Teenagers sleep and Academic performance.
“When I'm up because I'm sad I go on social media to laugh and I usually don't fall asleep until I am and it's hard for me to get up for school.”
The more a Teenager gets sunken into Social media the more it becomes a distraction which could lead to more stress that they could create for themselves.
“I can say when I'm on my phone a lot I forget about things such as chores and homework and then I get overwhelmed because there's a lot going on at once. My grades have improved because my mom usually takes my phone for a short period of time to stay focused.”
As social media continues to play a big role in teenagers´ lives, it is very important to address its impact on mental health and provide support to help them throughout their lives. The Students at Carver were asked what to do if they weren't feeling like themselves.
"I go to the school counselors when I'm feeling down or if it's really bad I talk to the people I love the most or the ones I'm very close with."
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