Social media is a huge part of teenagers’ daily lives. 97% of teens use platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat according to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey, but certain media they may be consuming can be incredibly harmful to them. 

Social media can encourage teens to commit to unhealthy body standards and expose them to bullying, rumor spreading, and peer pressure. Whether it is through a post or a rude comment, teens are receiving this hateful content. A 2019 study, according to the Mayo Clinic, shows over 6,500 12-15-year-olds in the U.S. who spend up to 3 hours a day using social media are at higher risk for mental health problems. Other studies have shown links between high levels of social media use and depression or anxiety symptoms. 

Despite the risks, social media does allow teens to create online identities, communicate with others, and build social networks. Some people, mostly teenagers, do not see the problem and argue that they are not necessarily sensitive to those kinds of things. 

While there are benefits to using social media, there are also consequences, as comes with anything, and it would not be right to ignore what is actively affecting teens’ everyday lives. In order to fix these problems, limiting what they consume could be helpful. For example, if one is prone to be easily influenced, it is probably best to avoid interacting with certain pages or platforms that are notorious for spreading negativity.