What Teens Are Doing on Social Media

In today's digital age, social media has become an integral part of the lives of teenagers. By giving them new opportunities to share their thoughts and opinions and stay connected with friends and family, social media platforms have made communication easier than ever before. But this easy access to the digital world may also carry some risks, and concerns have grown about possible negative impacts on young people’s mental health.

It has come to the point where governmental bodies are considering ways to step in, which is causing shockwaves on many levels. Most therapists would agree that the pull of social media, to want to try to live up to other’s standards, can be quite damaging to some teens, especially teenage girls. I often hear parents voicing these worries.

According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, YouTube is the most commonly used social media platform among teenagers, with 95 percent of people between 13 and 17 reporting that they have used it. TikTok comes in second, with two-thirds of teenagers having used it, followed by Instagram with 62 percent, and Snapchat with 59 percent. On the other hand, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, WhatsApp, Reddit, and Tumblr have seen a decline in use among teenagers in recent years. The study also found that Black teenagers are more drawn to TikTok than other groups, with 81 percent reporting using it, compared to 71 percent of Hispanic teens and 62 percent of White teens. Additionally, teenage girls are more likely to use TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat than boys, while boys are more likely than girls to use Twitch, Reddit, and YouTube.

The study found that more than half of teenagers would find it hard to give up social media. While 36 percent of teenagers feel they spend too much time on social media, 55 percent believe they spend the right amount of time on platforms, but girls are more likely than boys to feel worry they spend too much time on social media. The study found that social media has had a mostly positive impact on teenagers, with 32 percent reporting that they believe it has had a positive effect on them personally, and 24 percent saying they believe it has had a positive effect on other users their age. Teenagers tend to report positive experiences more often than they report negative experiences in their social media use. Those positive experiences include feeling more connected to friends' lives, opportunities to show their creative side, feeling supported through tough times, and feeling more accepted.

However, social media also has some negative effects on teenagers: 38 percent reported to Pew that what they see on social media makes them feel overwhelmed because of all the drama; 31 percent sometimes feel like their friends are excluding them from things; and 29 percent feel pressure to post content that will draw lots of comments or likes.

Social media has become an essential part of teenagers' lives, and while it has benefits, it also has its drawbacks. The research shows that teenagers need to be mindful of their social-media use and maintain a balance between their digital and offline lives. In doing so, they can ensure that social media does not have a negative impact on their mental health and well-being.