Impact of Social Media on Teenagers

Rayhan Ahmed Topader:

In modern life, social media is developing fast. It is used by many people all over the world. Social media is especially very popular among the young. However, there are many young people who cannot control themselves and are addicted to social media. Addiction to social media has many serious effects, including poor study habits, living away from reality and bad health. Addiction to social media makes the youth have bad grades in studies. Because of social media, many students who were excellent students have become bad students. Every day, these students come to class, but they do not focus on studying. While their professors are teaching, they are using cellphones to surf Facebook, Instagram or chat with friends on Messenger. They always check their cellphones every five minutes to see what is going on on social media. If the young use social media in classes, how can they listen to the professors and understand what professors are saying? Moreover, not only at school but also at home these young students who are addicted to social media do not do exercise or read the new lesson before going to school, because they are busy with social media. Young people who are addicted to social media can live far away from reality. Because of using a cell phone all day, they will not have time for outdoor activities such as playing sports or camping. Instead of going out to meet friends or talk to their parents, these people love chatting with friends on social media. Make sure you have regular conversations about the dangers of drugs. And don’t forget to mention the dangers of prescription drugs. Many teens do not recognize the dangers of taking a friend’s prescription or popping a few pills that are not prescribed to them. Unfortunately, teens often underestimate how easy it is to develop an addiction. And they don’t understand the risks associated with overdosing. Be sure you are talking about these risks on a consistent basis. According to The National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 3.2 million adolescents in the United States had at least one major depressive episode in 2017. More than 13 percent of teenagers may experience depression before reaching adulthood. Depression rates grew among adolescents, especially in girls, over the previous decade when about 8% of teens reported being depressed. 2 Some researchers blame technology for the rise in mental health problems. For instance, spending too much time on electronic devices may be preventing young people from engaging in sports or peer activities that help ward off depression. They also experience new conditions like “fear of missing out”, which further leads to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Depressive disorders are treatable, but it’s important to seek professional help. If your teen seems withdrawn, experiences a change in his sleep patterns, or starts to perform badly in school, schedule an appointment with your teen’s physician or contact a mental health professional. Do not delay getting help for your teen if you notice these symptoms. As of 2017, alcohol use and being drinking showed a significant decline among teenagers. Despite the decline, 33.2% of high school seniors still report drinking alcohol within the past month.Talk to teens about the risks of underage drinking. Educate them about the dangers, including the fact that alcohol can take a serious toll on a teenager’s developing brain. Also, do not shy away from expressing your disapproval of underage drinking. Saying you don’t approve can make a big difference in whether your teen decides to drink.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 19% of 12- to 19-year-olds were obese in 2016, with Hispanic and black children are more likely to be overweight or obese. Aside from the fact that overweight children are often targeted by bullies, obese kids also are at a much greater risk of lifelong health problems, such as diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and heart disease. They also may struggle with body image issues or develop eating disorders as unhealthy way of changing their appearance. But parents are not always aware of these issues. In fact, surveys show parents are bad at recognizing when their kids are overweight. They tend to underestimate their child’s size and the risks associated with being overweight. Talk to your child’s pediatrician about the weight and body mass are appropriate for your teen’s height and age and inquire about the steps you can take to ensure your teen is healthy. Then, if your doctor does recommend a healthier eating plan or exercise, find ways to support and empower your teen. To keep your kids from falling victim to peer pressure, give them skills to make healthy choices and to resist peer pressure. Also, talk to teens about what to do if they make a mistake. Sometimes, kids can make poor choices and may be too afraid to seek help. Make sure your kids are not afraid to come to you when the screw up. Demonstrate that you can listen without judging or overreacting and instead find healthy ways for them to make amends and move on. Many things Teens Are Peer Pressured Into Doing. Example; Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can be great ways for teens to connect with one another; but social media can be problematic for several reasons. For instance, social media can expose your teen to cyberbullying, slut shaming, and so much more. And, while there are some benefits to social media, there are a lot of risks as well. Social media can have a negative impact on friendships and is changing the way teens date. It can even impact their mental health. Bringing up any difficult subjects with your teen can feel uncomfortable. And your teen isn’t likely to respond well to a lengthy lecture or too many direct questions. But having a conversation with your teen about difficult issues is not something you should shy away from. Even when it seems like they are not listening, you are the most influential person in your teen’s life. It is important to lay a strong foundation before the window of opportunity closes. A good way to strike up a conversation about drugs, sex, juuling, or other uncomfortable situations is to ask a question like, “Do you think this is a big issue at your school?” Listen to what your teen has to say. Try not to be judgmental but make your expectations and opinions clear. It is important that your teen understands that you don’t condone certain behaviors and that they know the consequen- ces for breaking your rules. But, no matter what precautions you take, teens are still likely to be exposed to unsavory people, unhealthy images, and sexual content online. While there are measures being put into place to reduce the risks kids face online, it’s important for parents to get involved. Help your teen learn how to navigate social media in a healthy way. Talk about ways to stay safe online. And most importantly, know what your teen is doing online. Educate yourself about the latest apps, websites, and social media pages teens are using and take steps to keep your teen safe. You may even want to take steps to limit your teen’s screen time. And last but not least, using social media too much will have a serious impact on health. Because the young are addicted to social media, they will go to bed late to read news on Facebook or chat with friends. Staying up late is really harmful to the health, especially, the brain. If the young do not sleep enough, their health will be affected seriously by losing weight or always feeling tired. Their brains also will not work effectively and they will be in sleepy condition. Moreover, addiction to social media can cause depression in the young. When the young use social media, they will see other people on social media. If the young see other people who are better than them in appearance or talent, they can feel inferior. These young people can envy the people who are more famous or intelligent than them, and they also feel ashamed of themselves. They always wonder why they cannot be excellent, talented or beautiful like others. Therefore, they feel under pressure, stressed and depressed. These mental problems are very dangerous to the young people because these mental problems cause the young people lose their minds and eventually, choose death. In conclusion, although using social media has many benefits in our lives, addiction to social media is not good. It will have awful influences on studying, make us live way from reality and have bad effects on health. In order to avoid being addicted to social media, young people should spend more time playing sports, studying and taking part in activities in schools. But although sizable shares of teens encounter positive experiences on social media, some report encountering drama or feeling pressure to present themselves in a certain way. Some 45% of teens say they feel overwhelmed by all the drama on social media, while roughly four-in-ten say they feel pressure to only post content that makes them look good to others or that will get lots of comments or likes. Others believe social media has had a negative impact on their self-esteem: 26% of teens say these sites make them feel worse about their own life. Still, just 4% of teens indicate these platforms make them feel a lot worse about their life.

Writer and Columnist raihan567@yahoo.com