Social media has made a great impact in our day of age. Many people like to think it has made a good impact on society, while others disagree.

But why would they disagree when we’re able to do things we’ve never done before? Such as meeting new people and seeing news all around the world. Well, this is because it has also caused many issues, especially with teens.

Things like beauty standards, money, way of life, and jealousy are big problems caused by social media. Not only can this take a toll on someone mentally, but some people decide to hurt themselves physically.

Challenges and standards are made for people to follow, yet cause so much hurt. So, after reading this, do you think social media is preventing you from meeting your full potential? If social media wasn’t a thing, would our lives be healthier? 

“Overall, 73% of teens say they go on YouTube daily, making YouTube the most widely used and visited platform we asked about,” a Pew Research Center article. YouTube came out in December of 2005. When it first came out, only 30-second videos could be uploaded. Now, you can find an extreme variety of videos.

With teens, gaming and “vlogs” are most popular. Although you can find lots of helpful and useful videos, there is also a lot of misinformation, dark humour, and negative people that can be found on YouTube. Many influencers have used their platform to promote products and brands, which also does very well in today’s society. 

Research shows that nearly all teens – 96% – report using the internet daily. It is also more common for teens of the age of 15-18 to spend more time online daily. This seems to be negatively affecting teens more than others. Unrealistic beauty standards, too much screen time, misinformation, etc., are just a few of the big problems in today’s society due to social media. So, what can you do to help yourself? 

Setting screen time limits can be very helpful to start. For some people, screen time has helped a lot with unhealthy habits. Multiple students I have asked have an average of seven hours of screen time in just one day. I suggested a screen time limit for these student, and some even said they felt less drained after being more productive without their phones.

Try not to forget that there’s a beautiful world around you. Live to enjoy it, and try not to spend so much time online.