From a young age, children find themselves interested in social media. Kids get tablets or iPods and their parents don’t observe enough. People find themselves attached to social media at a young age and the addiction only grows. During the recent pandemic and teens having to quarantine, a lot of teens have found themselves dependent on social media. When people find themselves dependent on social media, they find themselves comparing themselves to others in unrealistic ways.
Although social media is a great way to connect with friends and family, it can also be extremely toxic and can cause many body issues, mental health issues and tendencies of distancing yourself. Social media can be used to advertise businesses and jobs, such as clothing companies or modelling agencies, but it also supports false images that only do harm to someone’s view of themselves.
For years, social media has harmed teens’ bodies and social images. Girls should be skinny, guys can’t wear nail polish, if a girl is sad she’s asking for attention, if a guy cries he’s weak and pathetic. The norms are forced and shoved down teens’ throats. Although social media can be fun, it can be very toxic and degrading. Social media warps the way young, fragile teens think of themselves which is far from healthy. Not only does it affect their body image but when teens become dependent on social media it affects their mental health.
A solution that many people wouldn’t be happy with is taking days without social media. It’s apparent that social media has warped the way teens see themselves and the world. It is super important that teens know what it’s like to just live in the moment and appreciate the present without a screen in front of them. When teens grow into adults and still find themselves addicted to social media and their online appearance, it’ll be hard for them to prosper and be the best version of themselves.
If people aren’t able to completely disconnect from social media, another option is to make social media less harmful for teens. People should be able to be themselves without the toxic gender norms being forced. Feelings are okay. Social media is a good place to express yourself and your individuality, but it can be so damaging when there is too much of it. Just like anything else, too much of anything can be harmful. It is important to learn boundaries and balance when it comes to social media.