Social media is harming young adults by increasing mental health problems, worsening real-life connections, and encouraging addictive behaviors but if people are properly educated and have boundaries, the issues can be prevented and social media can become more positive than negative. Social media has slowly become a daily habit for the majority of the world, specifically for teenagers and young adults. Many young teens spend hours scrolling on social media without even realizing how much time has passed. "1 in 5 teens report being on Youtube or TikTok almost constantly" (Pew Research Center 2023). Teenagers are not afraid to admit how much they use social media but they are so caught up in their lives that they overlook how harmful it can be on their mental health.
Social media has not always been as powerful as it is in today's world, it began as an easy way for people to connect online. Different platforms like MySpace (2003) and Facebook (2004) were introduced in the early 2000s. In the beginning, these platforms were mostly used on computers, people didn't use them often. This made them less intrusive in everyday lives but as time passed and smartphones became more advanced, social media quickly became more of a constant occurrence. Over time, social media has become more so a source of entertainment and validation rather than a tool for communication. The quick evolution of social media explains why social media now plays such a crucial role in the everyday lives of young adults and why the negative effects such as mental health issues and addiction have increased.
When you think of the word "addiction" you often think of drugs or alcohol, many young adults are not aware that social media can be its own addiction. Social media apps often come with different design features that are used to keep teenagers engaged. Some of these include auto-play which allows videos to automatically play without giving the person time to get bored of the app. Another example are notifications or numerical counts such as streaks on snapchats (Jacqueline Nesi). Algorithms on apps such as TikTok are capable of "learning" what type of content the person is interested in and will keep the young adult engaged for long periods of time. Teenagers and young adults often scroll for hours without realizing it because they have a hard time finding a stopping point that feels right to them. Social media keeps people's attention by notifying them with likes, comments, or messages from other people. This is linked to psychological reward systems, they receive likes or messages that triggers something in their brain to want more. After time passes, this creates a daily need to check on their social media.
Social media has had a major negative impact on the mental health of young adults. This contributes to what many experts now describe as a growing "national crisis" (Faverio, Michelle 2025). One major reason for this is the comparison that is constantly taking place on social media. Young girls often compare themselves to other girls they see online and become insecure with themselves which lowers their self-esteem. Teenagers spend the majority of their time online, watching the lives of other people who might seem to have more than them, this makes them insecure with their own lives. Dr. Hamlet explains how many girls are "bombarded with their friends posting the most perfect pictures of themselves" but majority of these are photoshopped. The idea is similar with celebrities, clearly they have more money, hair teams, and makeup teams which make young teenage girls compare themselves and feel insecure. This proves the idea that social media causes low self-esteem and loads of insecurities that affect teenagers mental health.
Not only does social media harm the mental health of young adults, it also weakens connections with the real world by making young adults feel comfortable in isolating themselves to scroll online. Even though social media platforms were originally designed to help people connect and stay connected with each other, when overused it can have the opposite effect. Young adults who spend the majority of their time on social media begin to avoid face-to-face interactions with other people because they are more comfortable behind the screen due to anxieties and insecurities. Jerry Bubrick claims "the more we use social media, the less we think about being present in the moment" which demonstrates how online interactions can end up taking priority over in person interactions. While this may not seem detrimental in the moment, overtime this habit can weaken relationships and reduce communication skills that are important. Young adults become distracted by their own cellphones, they miss out on so many experiences of the real world. After all, social media affects how people connect with each other in their everyday lives but also how they view themselves.
On the other hand, it is true that social media can have positive effects on young adults if used correctly and responsibly. The internet can allow people to stay connected with others in the community. When families live far away from each other, sharing pictures on social media can keep them in touch and connected. Online communities can also help people feel more supported who feel isolated in their own lives. Social media offers a space for people to express themselves and connect with otters who share similar experiences and interests. These things can be great as long as social media is used for beneficial reasons and the right ways. Parents play an important role in guiding their children by encouraging healthy behaviors and setting important limits when it comes to young teens being on social media.
Although it seems like social media has a lot of negative effects and only a few positives, believe it or not there are long term solutions that can decrease the negative impact of social media. One of them is education about social media responsibility. If young adults knew and understood more about how bad social media is for their mental health and what it does to their self-esteem, they are more likely to be mindful of how much they use it and what they use it for. Schools can be held more accountable to educate students on the impacts of social media, if mini lessons are taught about what it does to their mental health and they begin talking about it with their peers, there might be more of a chance that they will use social media responsibly. Setting personal limits such as putting their phone on do not disturb will avoid them from seeing new notifications, this will prevent those addictive behaviors. Parents have a huge responsibility in guiding their young teens by being good role models and setting clear expectations of using social media. These solutions can help young adults build healthier relationships with the internet. By focusing on self control, awareness, and proper guidance, social media has the potential to be a helpful tool rather than a harmful one.
Social media has definitely become a powerful part of everyday life but its impact on teenagers and young adults are not always positive. As previously stated, social media has the ability to harm mental health, weaken social relationships, and create addictions that they might not even realize are possible. On the other hand, with certain boundaries and when used responsibly, social media can provide support to those in need and create better connected relationships. By educating people of the risks, creating boundaries, people can be in control of themselves and not allow social media to completely control their lives. With that being said, social media has negative effects but with good potential if used properly and responsibly.
Social media has not always been as powerful as it is in today's world, it began as an easy way for people to connect online. Different platforms like MySpace (2003) and Facebook (2004) were introduced in the early 2000s. In the beginning, these platforms were mostly used on computers, people didn't use them often. This made them less intrusive in everyday lives but as time passed and smartphones became more advanced, social media quickly became more of a constant occurrence. Over time, social media has become more so a source of entertainment and validation rather than a tool for communication. The quick evolution of social media explains why social media now plays such a crucial role in the everyday lives of young adults and why the negative effects such as mental health issues and addiction have increased.
When you think of the word "addiction" you often think of drugs or alcohol, many young adults are not aware that social media can be its own addiction. Social media apps often come with different design features that are used to keep teenagers engaged. Some of these include auto-play which allows videos to automatically play without giving the person time to get bored of the app. Another example are notifications or numerical counts such as streaks on snapchats (Jacqueline Nesi). Algorithms on apps such as TikTok are capable of "learning" what type of content the person is interested in and will keep the young adult engaged for long periods of time. Teenagers and young adults often scroll for hours without realizing it because they have a hard time finding a stopping point that feels right to them. Social media keeps people's attention by notifying them with likes, comments, or messages from other people. This is linked to psychological reward systems, they receive likes or messages that triggers something in their brain to want more. After time passes, this creates a daily need to check on their social media.
Social media has had a major negative impact on the mental health of young adults. This contributes to what many experts now describe as a growing "national crisis" (Faverio, Michelle 2025). One major reason for this is the comparison that is constantly taking place on social media. Young girls often compare themselves to other girls they see online and become insecure with themselves which lowers their self-esteem. Teenagers spend the majority of their time online, watching the lives of other people who might seem to have more than them, this makes them insecure with their own lives. Dr. Hamlet explains how many girls are "bombarded with their friends posting the most perfect pictures of themselves" but majority of these are photoshopped. The idea is similar with celebrities, clearly they have more money, hair teams, and makeup teams which make young teenage girls compare themselves and feel insecure. This proves the idea that social media causes low self-esteem and loads of insecurities that affect teenagers mental health.
Not only does social media harm the mental health of young adults, it also weakens connections with the real world by making young adults feel comfortable in isolating themselves to scroll online. Even though social media platforms were originally designed to help people connect and stay connected with each other, when overused it can have the opposite effect. Young adults who spend the majority of their time on social media begin to avoid face-to-face interactions with other people because they are more comfortable behind the screen due to anxieties and insecurities. Jerry Bubrick claims "the more we use social media, the less we think about being present in the moment" which demonstrates how online interactions can end up taking priority over in person interactions. While this may not seem detrimental in the moment, overtime this habit can weaken relationships and reduce communication skills that are important. Young adults become distracted by their own cellphones, they miss out on so many experiences of the real world. After all, social media affects how people connect with each other in their everyday lives but also how they view themselves.
On the other hand, it is true that social media can have positive effects on young adults if used correctly and responsibly. The internet can allow people to stay connected with others in the community. When families live far away from each other, sharing pictures on social media can keep them in touch and connected. Online communities can also help people feel more supported who feel isolated in their own lives. Social media offers a space for people to express themselves and connect with otters who share similar experiences and interests. These things can be great as long as social media is used for beneficial reasons and the right ways. Parents play an important role in guiding their children by encouraging healthy behaviors and setting important limits when it comes to young teens being on social media.
Although it seems like social media has a lot of negative effects and only a few positives, believe it or not there are long term solutions that can decrease the negative impact of social media. One of them is education about social media responsibility. If young adults knew and understood more about how bad social media is for their mental health and what it does to their self-esteem, they are more likely to be mindful of how much they use it and what they use it for. Schools can be held more accountable to educate students on the impacts of social media, if mini lessons are taught about what it does to their mental health and they begin talking about it with their peers, there might be more of a chance that they will use social media responsibly. Setting personal limits such as putting their phone on do not disturb will avoid them from seeing new notifications, this will prevent those addictive behaviors. Parents have a huge responsibility in guiding their young teens by being good role models and setting clear expectations of using social media. These solutions can help young adults build healthier relationships with the internet. By focusing on self control, awareness, and proper guidance, social media has the potential to be a helpful tool rather than a harmful one.
Social media has definitely become a powerful part of everyday life but its impact on teenagers and young adults are not always positive. As previously stated, social media has the ability to harm mental health, weaken social relationships, and create addictions that they might not even realize are possible. On the other hand, with certain boundaries and when used responsibly, social media can provide support to those in need and create better connected relationships. By educating people of the risks, creating boundaries, people can be in control of themselves and not allow social media to completely control their lives. With that being said, social media has negative effects but with good potential if used properly and responsibly.
