One of the most common phrases that young ones use today is “follow me on social media”. People between the ages of 10 and up are already active on some of the most popular social media platforms nowadays such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.
When experts were asked what exactly does the term ‘social media’ mean, they simply said that it is when people interact with one another with the use of different media such as computers, tablets, and mobile phones.
These devices then have applications wherein it is possible for people to connect with one another by using its different features as well as share some of their thoughts and feelings, including photos and videos, for the world to see.
Unfortunately, people who are most active on social media are teenagers and most parents and guardians are not exactly in control of that because of their rights to privacy. Social media definitely changed the way people communicate as well as the way people see the digital world.
Which then led to the increasing number of teenagers that are suffering from depression. According to a recent study, there has been a huge increase when it comes to teens being diagnosed with depression, from only 8.7 percent back in 2005, it is now up to 11.3 percent.
Social Media Depression On Teenagers
Social media is a way for people to share their thoughts and feelings as well as being able to interact with other people through different features using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
However, it has been very disturbing lately with the increase of teenagers being diagnosed with depression because of it. Unfortunately, the digital world has gotten crueler than the real world, with the harsh comments, critical judgment, and endless comparisons, it is just getting out of hand. Some people may think that it is shallow, but for some, the effects could definitely lead to something serious.
In the digital world, it is so much easy to make mean comments towards a post, being judgmental is just so easy and this often lead to cyberbullying. Confrontations in real life are not often made which is why some people find it easier to insult and spread hate on someone online.
Body shaming is one of the trends nowadays, it is when a person who posted a photo of themselves and people are sending cruel comments such as not being skinny enough or being too skinny that it looks disgusting.
These comments are not often made face to face which is why some people tend to do it online so they could avoid confrontations. These are also one of the reasons why teenagers try so hard to look ‘perfect’ especially the young girls. Most of them, however, fall into depression because the digital society made them feel like they are not good enough.
Navigating Social Media
A recent study from the Royal Society in Public Health found that teenagers find Instagram to be the most negative social media platform. Since it is a type of app wherein people could share photos and let other people leave a comment on it.
To be able to do so, they must gain followers and teenagers find it very ego-boosting to have many followers since it indicates that they are getting famous. However, there is a catch, because the more followers you get, the more hate comments you would also receive.
Spending too much time on social media also indicates how it could be a very disturbing behavior. According to a psychiatrist from the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Louise Theodosiou, the more a teen spend so much time on their phones browsing on social media, the more they are prone to anxiety and depression.
She mentioned how teenagers are at their most sensitive stage wherein they are basically fragile, she also said how secretive teens could get since they are just so hungry to live and be independent but are scared that their parents might not understand them. Which is why experts like her believe that guidance and full attention are what these teens need nowadays.
Banning them from using social media would just make them want to rebel against their parents so it is not ideal, Theodosiou simply said that being there for them and letting them open up to you without forcing them could help in a lot of ways.
It is inevitable since it is the world they are living in at the moment, they have to adapt but with parents’ guidance, they could survive. If you are noticing any depressive behavior, then seek help immediately.