Social Media Impacts on Teenagers' Self-Esteem

1 Social Media Impacts on Teenagers' Self-Esteem and Peer Relationships Harvard University 2 Introduction Adolescence is a stormy, tricky age. While teens' bodies are undergoing a rapid growth spurt, they are also learning how to reason while trying to get through the process of making friends. At this prompt moment, their value (self-esteem), how they comprehend their bodies (body image), and the quality of their friendships with peers primarily determine whether their development outcomes will be good or otherwise. Social media use has become a phenomenon, making interactions, aesthetic expressions, and how teenagers perceive the world quite different from those traditionally bound to their age group (Berry et al., 2018). Although these platforms give us space for self-expression, as well as a chance to be in touch with other people who share our interests, research shows that there are apparent adverse effects that their use may cause. The use of social media for teens' self-image and social life concerns might be a problem that waives the advantages of this media phenomenon. This paper investigates the intricate connection between social media and teen development. As simple as it sounds, it discusses both the benefits and the opposite concerns social media possess. Social Media in a Modern Teenage Life Today's teens live in the media-saturated social media era. Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are among the platforms that are now deeply integrated into teens' lifestyles, determining their connection with friends, self-appraisal, and accessing information. Arguably, the most pervasive statistic from the 2021 study done by Pew Research Center, as cited in Atske (2022), is that 97% of teenagers between 13-17 use at least one social media channel. Social media nowadays has an uncontrollable hold on youth, so it has become imperative to unveil how much psychological repercussions social media has on this vulnerable group. Given that applications 3 like Instagram and Snapchat are now ubiquitous among teenagers, we need to realize their possible effects on the psychological wellness of our young fellow citizens. Negative Impacts on Self-Perception Social media has one of its most frightening features: its unflinching tendency to show the audience almost mountainous islands of social comparisons. The youth, being online, are faced with countless digital feeds, which consistently show only the good side of people's perfect lives and physical appearances. While these bite-sized chunked and curated clips may show the world hidden behind the gloss, everyone can be seen as having a mistake-free and perfectly shaped body instead of reality. The evidence that Berry et al. (2018) provided shows the connection between higher social media use and decreased self-worth. The portrayal of the perfect image strips down the barriers of our imperfection and sends the message that we have to be perfect, which consequently results in increasing feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and even depression. As teens evaluate these unrealistic media portrayals, they begin to feel that they are not up to standards. Hence, the impact on mental health goes back to where it starts. On the other hand, via social media, the beauty requirements of younger girls become the platforms for fantasy, whose discussion is held under the sky of unrealistic cues. The non-ceasing flow of the photo-shopped pictures and clips intensifies the fake beauty frontier by exaggerating the narrow version of ideal beauty for people who do not have it. With the rising number of movies or TV shows that depict unrealistic beauty ideals, teens' body image becomes a messy interaction of surreal photographs appearing here and there; they end up being pressured by the 'flawless skin,' 'perfectly proportioned bodies,' 'meticulously applied makeup,' and so on. The study of Wilksch et al. (2020) points the finger at social media use and provides a nasty link between it and body 4 dissatisfaction in teenagers. This dissatisfaction expresses itself in bad habits like disordered eating and compulsive exercising, which can potentially lead to serious unrest for their physical and mental health. Negative Impacts on Relationships Because of social media, teens' communication and friendships are becoming more characteristic of their social lives. Interaction has become increasingly online, and the sharpness of offline communication skills is being reduced. The youth might be unable to articulate their thoughts verbally or read non-verbal cues and have difficulty dealing with the diversity of social involvements in face-to-face conversations. The research by Dalavi-Esfahani (2021) showed that high levels of social media use may lead to a delay in empathy development, making it hard for teens to feel and respond to the emotions of others. Doing so, eventually, may degrade emotional intimacy among friends as, in the struggle to meet the depth of their relationships, the teenager could lose the ability to connect to the relationship profoundly. In addition, appearance can have a toughening effect on them in that they will become less friendly, and their peer relationship may be corrupted. The continuous attempt to keep a favorable "mutual image," resulting from the fear of missing out (FOMO), appears to cause widespread social anxiety. Teenagers will experience a flood of an urgent need to be always online, as they suspect that they could be de-friended when their active social footprint on the web is not on par with their peers. In conjunction with this anxiety, it might also get into their real-world interactions, thus leaving them with a constant fear of not being themselves in society (Dalvi-Esfahani et al., 2021). Moreover, cyberbullying and social rejection suggest more presence of isolation within these platforms. Social media platforms uphold anonymity, which would lead people to be bolder 5 in perpetrating harmful behavior, making teens feel lonely and helpless. The events can sometimes make teens feel lost to the point where they suffer from belongingness and self-esteem. Moderating Factors Although social media causes many latent harmful consequences for teenagers, it is fair to mention some aspects that mitigate those ill effects. Teens may have different opinions on whether this threatening matter is appropriate for their psychological growth. Social relationships, selfconfidence, and psychological state are critical factors besides age, gender, intelligence, and genetic background. According to the study of Valkenburg et al. (2021), teenagers with higher selfesteem and more vital social networking skills are less susceptible to negative social media influences. Such a fluctuation of surrounding media can become the support systems that make one feel a complete sense of belonging to the environment and diminish the desire to compare and imitate false appearances in the online environment. The parents' guidance and communication in reducing the negative impacts on teenagers of instant messaging platforms cannot be underestimated. As Eilsaesser et al. (2017) exemplify, parents play a crucial role in the home discipline of social media time limits as control or protection for children. This can be done by setting up time limitations, talking about proper online behavior, and, at the same time, regulating the content that is accessed. Open communication channels about online activities support trust between parents and teenagers and allow parents to render guidance. At the same time, their children try to overcome the challenges of social media. Cultural norms, social standards, and expectations around social media behavior can also mean that social media can be limited in what it can finally alter. If societies emphasize online appearance and popularity 6 too much, the negative consequences may become more pronounced as teenagers will be increasingly asked to meet someone's unrealistic online persona. Exploring Potential Benefits Given teens' prolific use of social media platforms, social media serves as a platform for teens to connect with others who share the same interests and issues. Digital communities are a significant social element in life, especially when there is a gap between places (far away or in a backyard) or social exclusion in helpful or needed face-to-face cases (Winstone et al., 2021). In addition, one of the main reasons teenagers embrace social networks is that some of them cannot find their "niche" at home and feel out of place in their immediate surroundings. However, they can discover a welcoming and understanding online community that offers them a place to belong. On the other hand, social media brings together even people with a broader distance; hence, teenagers can be in touch with their friends and family, mainly those with busy schedules or those who reside in a far-off country. A face-to-face connection is maintained through video calls and messaging platforms, and close rapport is established even when no physical contact is possible. Rather than entirely false fears of losing communication between faces, proponents argue that these technology platforms can enhance some social skills. Interactions between players in online gaming are facilitated by communities, which foster teamwork, communication, and negotiating skills as the gamers strategize, collaborate, and cooperate (Ke & Moon, 2018). Thus, the internet is a stepping stone towards acquiring the power of social mindfulness and succeeding in complex social situations rather than a substitute for offline social interactions. 7 Critical Analysis Finally, the positive effects of social media on relationships could be better than the standard of thumb that will need a more refined outlook. Although online communities provide an overview of a sense of belonging, the effect of the long-term sustainability of these connections and their ability to translate to beyond-the-internet relationships must be carefully monitored. Do these online contacts cause real emotional intimacy, or are they just a substitute for offline contacts necessary for developing empathy and social skills (Bjornestad et al., 2020)? However, it is also essential to investigate the links between virtual and actual social interaction to find if social media can create actual competencies or if the online socialization it may trigger suffers from superficiality. The Road Ahead The coming study era should emphasize the future risks of social media and the broader scope of teen demographic and social issues. Programs and Interventions that investigate the impact of literacy on social media and parents take center stage in promoting responsible online behavior across all age groups are equally important. Such sources of information can endow adolescents with advanced mental processes that allow them to scrutinize online details, thereby enabling them to distinguish between objective facts and skillfully designed deception (Boer et al., 2021). Additionally, identifying and forming mechanisms and frameworks to achieve a spirited affiliation between online and physical relationships is very important. This multidimensional strategy could include shortening teenagers’ screen time and promoting their active engagement in 8 the real world by participating in sports, clubs, or volunteer programs. By going beyond virtual relations and freely expressing their feelings, teens will overcome social media risks and build a territory for healthy social development. Adopting such a culture makes them feel secure in various social complexities and develops sentiments of belonging and self-confidence, which can be accomplished in the real world (Schønning et al., 2020). Eventually, the two strategies ensure that social media is additive to the extent that teenagers can benefit from the positive sides of online socialization, being not only the consumers of it but also influencers. This way, social media could be supportive and complimentary to society in the long run, with teenagers being its significant users. Promoting Healthy Social Media Use Research points to the need for clear instructions and guidelines from parents to support the development of positive social media habits among young people. This describes envisaging such measures as establishing time limits or checking access to content to be faced with responsible digital citizenship. "The communication would have to be very open (Barry et al., 2017). Examining online experiences, in particular, strengthens trust and leads to parents providing consent following their guidance through the complexities of social media. Children socializing inside the digital world is better when supplemented with other outside activities, such as sports or clubs, and proper real-world relationships. So, social media becomes an additional resource, not the opposite, regarding overall development. Through this reciprocal interaction, teenagers can harvest the positive deeds of social media connection and simultaneously spare its drawbacks. 9 Conclusion Social media elucidates a complicated interaction between it and teenage development, showing a paradoxical double-edged sword image. Although it facilitates self-expression and provides connections, the research findings show severe adverse effects on self-worth, body image, and peer relations. Social comparison, inflation of immeasurable aesthetic norms, and communication shifts fueled by social media lead to one's feelings of insecurity, social anxiety, and conflicted peer relations. However, positive outcomes exist, such as relationships, community linking, and linking with revered communities should be appreciated. Individual variation, upbringing, and traditional values are all key factors that affect media's outcome. The future lies in informing the youth about finding accountability in social media use through education and parental guidance and ensuring a good balance between online and offline interactions. This helps because they enjoy social media's benefits without feeling its drawbacks. Moreover, research is ongoing to gain comprehensive knowledge about the long-term influence of social media usage on teenagers' development. Such studies will lead to the implementation of efficient interventions that foster healthy digital habits and positive growth for teenagers. 10 References Atske, S. (2022, August 10). Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022. 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