The Impact Smartphones Have on Youth - Emotional Health

By Khalil Wilson

Often times what we see on social media is not a true reflection of our reality. There are even instances where people choose to be an alternate identity when they are interacting on social media platforms. Whether this poses other implications can be argued, but essentially as long as the youth keep consuming social media they will be exposed to millions of differing opinions.

This idea of going 'viral' or becoming famous causes teens to go to extreme lengths just to be in the public spotlight. Emotionally, social media comes with a lot of strings attached. Youth may interact on social media and see the different lifestyle people they're age are living and may be envious. From there comes the idea of not measuring up enough, and continuing on is just a downward spiral. A small controlled study showed that young women within the ages of 17 to 25 reported a negative mood after browsing Facebook for just ten minutes.

Imaging the broader effects of social media on the entire youth population, both males and females, stirs up a conversation that truly is necessary. High stress levels are also seen in youth that use social media very often, making the issue that much more critical.


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