Social Media: How does it affect Our Mental Health? While social media is one of the things that has been enabled by the new technology of this era, it has given us a means of communication to others around the world and a huge influence on our generation, but there are pros and cons of when it comes to our mental health. Social media is something that everyone in this generation is attached to. We, as in my generation, feel the need to either if its recording and keeping up with streaks on Snapchat, tweeting our 280 characters away on Twitter, posting something on Facebook, or taking pictures and selfies to post on Instagram, we’re always glued to our phones. I am part of this generation
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In the article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation” by Jean M. Tweng, she talks about how post-Millennials are safer, physically than adolescents have ever been. “But they’re on the brink of a mental-health crisis.” iGen is the generation who is greatly influenced by social media and smart phones. “The arrival of the smartphone has radically changed every aspect of teenagers’ lives, from the nature of their social interactions to their mental health”, according to the author. There have been rates of teen depression and suicide that have been going to the highest since 2011. Which, according to the author, could only be traced back to their phones. Today, Teens are less likely to leave the house without their parents, less likely to date and have sex and even work. Parenting plays a role in this too. “Parents may be inclined to encourage their kids to stay home and study rather than to get a part-time job” (Twenge 7). Teens are obviously content with this because they are not studious but “because their social life is lived on their phone.” They don’t feel the need to leave their home to spend time with their friends. When teens spend more of their time on smartphones and less time in-person socializing, loneliness is more common and so is depression. The harmful effect of screen activities is undeniable, the more time teens spend more of their time looking at screens, the more likely they start reporting symptoms of depression. In another article, “Social Media is harming the mental health of Teenagers” written by Jean Eric Udorie, a new study has been found that teenagers who use social media at night could be damaging their sleep and increasing the risk of anxiety and depression. Teenagers need more sleep than adults do, “The night-time social media use could be detrimental to their health (Udorie 1).” Research has shown that teens
In the article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation” by Jean M. Tweng, she talks about how post-Millennials are safer, physically than adolescents have ever been. “But they’re on the brink of a mental-health crisis.” iGen is the generation who is greatly influenced by social media and smart phones. “The arrival of the smartphone has radically changed every aspect of teenagers’ lives, from the nature of their social interactions to their mental health”, according to the author. There have been rates of teen depression and suicide that have been going to the highest since 2011. Which, according to the author, could only be traced back to their phones. Today, Teens are less likely to leave the house without their parents, less likely to date and have sex and even work. Parenting plays a role in this too. “Parents may be inclined to encourage their kids to stay home and study rather than to get a part-time job” (Twenge 7). Teens are obviously content with this because they are not studious but “because their social life is lived on their phone.” They don’t feel the need to leave their home to spend time with their friends. When teens spend more of their time on smartphones and less time in-person socializing, loneliness is more common and so is depression. The harmful effect of screen activities is undeniable, the more time teens spend more of their time looking at screens, the more likely they start reporting symptoms of depression. In another article, “Social Media is harming the mental health of Teenagers” written by Jean Eric Udorie, a new study has been found that teenagers who use social media at night could be damaging their sleep and increasing the risk of anxiety and depression. Teenagers need more sleep than adults do, “The night-time social media use could be detrimental to their health (Udorie 1).” Research has shown that teens