Social media as a whole has massively impacted teenager’s self image by encouraging harsh comparison between them and the people they see online. TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are the most detrimental apps, and also the most common ones. While scrolling through these apps, you will likely find people who seem “perfect”. They are usually the ones who are fit, skinny and attractive, the ones who wear the perfect outfit, have the nicest life, look the happiest, and have the best lip sync audio; basically every teenager dreams. Teenagers struggle with these thoughts, even if they seem dumb or irrelevant. Comparison is hard to avoid when all you see are people who you wish you were.
Around 45% of teenagers feel overwhelmed with the drama that surrounds social media, and 43% only make content when they look good and want to look good.This might seem obvious, but while in a scrolling frenzy, you forget all the intent behind the post and just stare directly into the phone which holds your biggest insecurities. These insecurities have caused major issues for teenagers. 96% of teenagers have been diving into websites that support pro-eating disorders and huge weight loss. Some of these sights aren’t even created by educated people, but teenagers become so blinding by comparison that they would do anything to look different. 41% of teens who have social media rate their mental health as poor or very poor. This demonstrates the massive toll social media has taken on teenagers. Teenagers are so caught up in what they could be, that they forget to take care of themselves, and slowly lose confidence and happiness.
We also often forget that the people recording these videos of perfection are also going through things. People usually only post on social media when they look happy and healthy, even if they aren’t. These facades send others into spirals, and we often lose sight of who we are as people and what is going inside each other’s minds. You never know what somebody else is going through, so driving yourself insane for people you don’t know is not worth it.
It’s hard to send yourself out of this spiral, but it is worth it because if you fixate all your time into comparison, you won’t get to live a happy prosperous life. You are never going to be someone else. It’s frustrating but factual. In order to fix this problem, maybe signing off social media for a while or using it for less time is probably the move. Regain comfort in yourself and learn how to be at peace with who you are. Nearly 50% of teenagers who have reduced social media time have improved their mental health and overall regained confidence in themselves. So, put the phone down, take a breath, and take care of yourself. People are not always what they seem online, so it’s not worth spending time losing your mind.
