IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON TEENS

The internet is embedded in our lives : at home, at school, in a mall, in work place or even with you. It is now the useful and the easiest way of social interaction. Teens are among the heaviest users of them. Even if your child does not have phone, the child next to them do. So that, you can not ban them from facebook, online communication or social time. «Screenagers» as they are called now always find time to spend on running internet.

Teens are more influenced by new thing especially of what is going on internet. The impact of social media on teens deserves to know. We naturally think of bad effects of using Social Media when it comes to know about its impact. Nevertheless, Social Media is also beneficial for teens.

WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT ITS NEGATIVE IMPACT ON TEENS ?

• Internet is teens playground where they grew up. They found their friends there, they create their own games(nothing to do with the games you thought about). They always seek for a person advice before doing something and online they are sure to find « the » person. It leads to the loss of their self-esteem because the need of others opinion is highly recommended. They cannot do anything unless they got answer to their question.
• Teens get easily anxious and depressed when they are online. Even if they have never seen the person who comments their post, they are frustrated if the comment does not compliment them. It is the same for depression, just one word on message or on post can touch them easily. They become more sensible since they considered Social Media as their best friend.
• Being 24/24h online limits time to communicate even at home. This disadvantage affects not only teens but also adult. All is by phone even when it is time to have supper, some parents text their own teens to come along for it. It is normal if Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair, a clinical psychologist says that social media increases non-verbal communication. All emotions are retained by the fact that social media has already permitted all of these online.Thus, not only teens but everybody was sunk on social media world.
• For a teenager, it is primordial to go online after school. They want to be update in order not to miss anything which is passing by. In the meanwhile, internet provides all distraction you can not ever think. One of the reason why, teens spend many times on it. It can rise addiction which decrease academic performance for them. They are more digital and forgot to resource from books or other tools apart from internet.
• The work flow for teens when they are on Social Media are created or update status, share something and give their ascertainment on a post (like, dislike, sadness, love, …). The conversation seems not to have an end and it is the case after all. They always find something to say and think that something will always happen. This mental prompts to harass people. They always want more and do not want to stop. They get anxious if someone does not respond to them. The big worst action is to make a status to harass the person by tagging them to point. They never thought that it is not fair to do that as they ignore what is cyberbullying.

HOW ABOUT THE BENEFITS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA?

• Teens gain confidence from their Social Media profile towards people’s reaction. They feel as someone is listening to them. By comments, they get all advice and support they need. It raises their confidence.
• Some teens who suffer from introverts or shy can easily express themselves through Social Media. Sometimes, these people talk a lot behind their screen. But when it comes to express themselves in public or with their friends, they become very quiet. Thus, Social Media permits them to express what they want to say indirectly and without no restriction. We know all that getting through something is not easy and the only way to allay it is talking. Here Social Media has its sense.
• Some people show sad fact on a post. As teens are more sensible as said before, they react easily on them. These sad posts often reflect real fact in everyday life which they ignore totally. Most of the time, they discover by these posts that such thing exist in this earth. They encourage as much as they can by commenting or hit « sad emoticon » reaction on the post.
• Social Media is already a good way to make acquaintance. Teens can learn how to talk with someone they have never seen. They can read about people’s view. Social Media shows them also new insight from people around them or throughout the world. Technically, they can approach or learn in deep new things. For example, on Instagram, teens may know about the best technique to take photo by viewing others photo. They can take it as hobby and can develop their skills to be a good photograph, why not !
• Skills are so huge and everybody can improve their skills by doing everything they want. On Social Media, teens acquire many skills from creating their own profile to update it time after time. It is already a skill. Many people add tutorials also on Social Media so it eases teens to learn something new. These tutorials can help them to develop what they have already known.

Social Media is our new way of life. It becomes an indispensable part of our lives anyway. We can not stand living without it too namely these Y generation. Still, and all, it depends on users that determines whether Social Media is good or bad. If you want your teens living in this digital universe, you must teach them first to distinguish good and bad things. Teach them the advantages of using it and above all do not forget to warn them about disadvantages.