DO YOU THINK SOCIAL MEDIA IS GOOD FOR TEENAGERS?

ENGLISH ESSAY

BREAK ROOM 6 XII SCIENCE 7

• Ibrahim Azis (13)
• Inaya Mayang Faradisa (14)

DO YOU THINK SOCIAL MEDIA IS GOOD FOR TEENAGERS?

The availability of social media can bring positive effects to teenagers, such as allowing them to communicate and form positive interactions with people who live far away. They can also form new friendships and possibly find support amongst other teens when they are in need of it.

But, social media can have a negative effect on teens mental health as well. Teens may feel pressured to stay constantly on their various social media platforms to avoid missing out on anything their friends may be apart of. This fear can lead them to prioritize their social media lives over in-person communication or over healthy sleeping habits, as they may wake up in the middle of the night to check social media. Lack of sleep and in-person communication can both lead to feelings of loneliness and depression, a negative effect on a teen’s mental health.

Social media can also expose teens to cyberbullying. This type of harsh treatment can have severe effects on a teen’s mental health. A bullied teen can easily experience low self-esteem, loneliness, depression, and/or anxiety and may even consider or commit suicide.

It's true that social media has the potential to influence teenagers negatively, particularly in the way it might affect their self-esteem. However, although there are dangers to consider when it comes to social media use, there are many positives that can be taken away from it too. Rather than attempting to discourage young people from using it at all, encouraging them to use it in the right way can deliver a variety of benefits.

Social media sites are all about content in a variety of forms. From written content to photos, there are many ways to participate, engage, and show off their creativity. If you have a teen who likes to take photos, this site and apps can help them to hone their skills and show off what they're doing. Teens can come up with fresh, innovative ideas, and get instant feedback. In this way, social media can be a tool for creative teens.

Using social media gives teenagers the chance to expand their worldview and get out of the bubble of their own community or circle of friends. It exposes them to different viewpoints, news from around the world and people from around the world too. It can be beneficial for teenagers to start learning about what’s happening outside of their world, understanding big issues and even making new friends from different backgrounds. Social media makes it easier to do this, even if teenagers restrict their contact to friends and family or friends of friends.

In conclusion, social media can have both positive and negative effects on teens' mental health. if a teen's mental health is starting to become negatively affected by social media, it is important for parents and teens to work together to find the cause of their negative feelings and to work out reasonable limitations to time spent on social media. By doing this, there should be an improvement in teens' mental health overall.