The National Library of Medicine Center for Biotechnology Information reports that up to 95% of adolescents aged 13-17 use social media platforms, with more than a third of those people classifying themselves as "consistent social media users". And unfortunately, this desire to use social media has extended itself to children, with 40% of 8-12 years olds using social media. This epidemic of adolescent social media dependency has impacted mental health and overall self-worth, pushing teens to comply with social media's unrealistic beauty standards, and develop insecurities at an early age. At such a high state of vulnerability with growing and developing, and also struggles with school and friends and family,  their self-esteem is already low. This amplifies the stress and pressure that social media puts on them, creating a larger issue. 

That's where Minds Matter Now comes in. As high school freshmen, we get it--because we've lived it. We know what it feels like to be pressurized by social media, especially with it being the main way we enjoy consuming our leisure time. The influencers who we look up to attempting to post "relatable content" yet are the same people who use various beauty filters and strategies to create this illusion of perfection. And seeing other people accomplishing and achieving things in life, and leaving you to think "I'm wasting my life doing nothing". 

Our campaign is here to challenge this narrative. With a significant number of our peers being avid social media users, we have discovered that it has led to increased negative self-talk and diminished self-worth. Risk factors for this problem include: low self-esteem, unrealistic beauty and success standards, and insecure attachment. Protective factors that will work towards reducing the likelihood of these risk factors are: positive physical development, emotional support, and positive norms. Through education, empowerment, and affirmations we strive to help our peers foster healthy growth, build a strong sense of self-worth, and have a positive and healthy relationship with social media. 

We met up with our Mental Health Consultant, Mrs. Medendorp, who discussed her experience of working with adolescents and her observations on the detrimental impacts of social media on them. From that, we started researching and acknowledging what we as people-who are also teenagers-have seen among ourselves and others. We began to dive more deeper into how the issues develop by analyzing research-backed data and our very own personal experiences, leading us to identify key risk and protective factors. Through evaluating the psychological and social influences of social media, we determined the main factors that increase the likelihood of diminished self-worth and negative self talk (as a result of social media), as well as how we can protect ourselves from those negative effects. 

RISK FACTORS (IN DEPTH): 

• Low Self-Esteem: Low self-esteem is defined as the negative perception of one's own worth, which gives people feelings of inadequacy. It already leaves people struggling with feelings of inadequacy, Being constantly exposed to carefully curated highlights of others' lives it increases the likelihood of having a diminished self worth and having negative perceptions regarding oneself. 

• Exposure to Unrealistic Beauty and Success Standards: Unrealistic and Beauty Standards are societal ideals that set unobtainable expectation for one’s physical appearance, happiness, and/or success. People on social media unrealistically portray their beauty and success by not showing the full picture. Influencers who are constantly being idealized use filters and edit themselves to promote 'perfection', which fuels self-criticism and less value for oneself by trying to measure up to an unattainable standard. 

• Insecure Attachment: Insecure attachment is when people feel unsafe and anxious in their connection with others in relationships, often being a result of having inconsistency in relationships with their caregivers. As a result, people turn to external forms of validation/approval and struggle to trust others. This makes people rely on things like social media to validate, where the amount of likes or engagement they receive determines their self-worth. This external approval causes emotional instability and makes people more likely to be affected by rejection. 

PROTECTIVE FACTORS (IN DEPTH): 

• Positive Physical Development: Positive physical development protects mental health by boosting self-esteem, resilience, and body positivity which can counteract the negative impacts of social media on self-image. It helps individuals build confidence and form healthy social connections, reducing the influence of comparison and unrealistic online standards.

• Emotional Support: It provides genuine validation and reassurance that helps individuals destroy the negative emotions of social media comparisons on their self-worth. Having loved ones or other individuals who can encourage you and strengthen your well-being fosters a strong sense of self-worth. 

• Positive Norms: Positive Norms foster supportive environments that allow users to have positive attitudes towards themselves and not engage in negative self-talk. In addition, positive norms produce positive feedback that promotes authenticity , which prevents harmful comparisons and the likelihood of being prone to unrealistic standards.

WHAT THERAPIES  OUR PROTECTIVE FACTORS ARE BASED OFF OF: