The Basics of Social Media & Social Media Addiction in Teens

The importance of social media is vast in present times. Social media helps us to make new friends and increase our social network, all while affecting our self-esteem in either a positive or a negative way. Teenagers are highly prone to social media addiction and might waste their precious time scrolling through social media posts and websites almost on a daily basis. Since social media has become a part of everyday life, it is not necessary that its use certainly develops into an addiction, but social media addiction in teens is a real problem that must be addressed as soon as it comes to the fore.

Benefits of Social Media for Teens

Social media comes with many benefits for people of all age groups, and this is what primarily makes it addictive in nature, if left unchecked. Everyone finds something that intrigues them on social media, and because it caters to the diverse interests of diverse users, social media platforms are here to stay, no matter their impact in the long run (including social media addiction in teens).

Putting adolescence into the picture now, teenagers are undergoing a rapid period of physical and mental development, and their sense of self relies on what affects them unrelentingly. The role and importance of social media are major in this regard.

The benefits of social media for teens could be encapsulated as follows:

– Social media helps individuals to connect with like-minded people (as well as family) and extend their friend circle.

– Building connections is also an essential benefit of social media which can help teens in a variety of ways, ranging from growing personally to developing critical skills.

– When teenagers understand the pros and cons of social media and use it judiciously, they also get to frame the trajectory of their professional development, which is right for them.

Social media addiction in teens is something that has the potential to spring up from the use of social media in these seemingly and positively beneficial ways too. Social media addiction has to do with an individual’s lack of control or an individual’s compulsion to check their social media notifications and handles in general, repeatedly.

Negative Effects of Social Media

It does not matter much in the case of addiction whether an individual is using social media for positive purposes or not. Because once they start spending every other minute on social media so much so that social media addiction in teens starts to affect their daily life, various other problems arise.

Talking about teenagers, the negative effects of social media on their developing minds are as follows: Poor sleep, unhealthy eating patterns, obesity, increased isolation, decreased academic performance, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and low self-esteem.

Ways to Deal With Social Media Addiction in Teens

The issue at hand is not the pros and cons of social media, but how to help teens deal with their addiction. There are various ways to do that:

-Make your child understand how to use social media in the best way possible and discuss cybersecurity and time management while you are at it.

– Lead by example, and do not use social media yourself while eating, before going to bed, and while doing your work – Encourage your child to go outdoors, have face-to-face interactions with friends/family/people in general, and engage in sports and physical events.

Conclusion

Social media addiction is hard to grapple with but given the right guidance from parents, guardians, and teachers, teenagers can emerge victorious from this compulsive battle with the excessive time spent on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms.

(Also, Read: What is Peer Pressure & How is It Affecting Your Teenager?)