Next time that you are in public, take a look around. It is safe to say that you will see several people staring into the screen of a cell phone, tablet, or even a computer. They may be texting their mom, friends, or significant other, posting a tweet about something that made them Laugh Out Loud, or snapping a selfie to post on Instagram or SnapChat. Technology has evolved to the point where social media is a part of nearly every aspect of our lives. We are so caught up in the many benefits that these social platforms have to offer that everything needs to be captured and shared for everyone in the world to see. Even though social media has its many perks, it is evidently detrimental, and teens have it the worst. Teens are pressured with the idea that they need tons of followers, they need tons of likes and comments, and they need tons of selfies just to “fit in.” Teens generate a falsified image online that they use to base their acceptance in society. They lose sight of the emotions of others, what is right or wrong, and the consequences that come with their actions and see only the grandeur picture: popularity. Social media, although beneficial in some circumstances, has ultimately led to low self-esteem, desensitization, and poor social skills for teens all around the world.

New social media interfaces, such as Snapchat, Instagram, and even FaceTime, have ultimately led to lower self-esteem in teens across the globe. Teens post pictures of themselves accomplishing personal goals, having the time of their life, or even wearing a new favorite outfit. These pictures typically increase the self-esteem of the individual that posts the picture because they receive numerous amounts of likes and comments of praise from their peers, but it doesn’t quite have the same effect on the viewers. In a recent study at Penn State University, students analyzed the effects of posting pictures vs. the effects of viewing pictures on self-esteem in teens, “The students, along with Wang’s graduate advisor Michel Haigh, found that while selfie-posting did not have distinctive psychological effects on participants, viewing others’ selfies did,” (Mastroianni). Wang then states that teens view their peers having a great time in their lives and assume that their life is far worse than that of their peers. These teens believe that they are entitled to the great life that their peer has earned and therefor experience depression when they do not earn it for themselves. The study proves that teens that are already insecure about their image view these images and experience a decrease in self-esteem. Similarly, participants posting pictures can also experience a lower self-esteem. Barakat quotes an interesting perspective from Hemmen, “If a young girl poses provocatively and gets 300 likes for that photo, that’s false self-esteem for that kid.” The teen receives several likes and comments that boost their current mood, but in the long-run, the image that they are creating is self-deprecating. Instead of improving their genuine self, the teen resorts to a falsified image that they believe is improving their self-worth. Social image is a vital role in the decision-making process of maturing teens. 

While social media can provide an outlet for compliments and praise, teens are equally prone to harassment and bullying. Social media platforms make it easy for teens to be harsh and bully their peers without feeling any immediate responsibility. Cyberbullying is a leading force in the lowering of teens’ self-esteem. Teens utilize the new forms of social media to indirectly communicate with their peers. Rachel Ehmke, a senior editor for the Child Mind Institute, believes that this indirect communication has made it so easy for kids to be spiteful and inhumane towards other kids. She integrates an important take on the topic from Dr. Donna Wick that states “’Kids text all sorts of things that you would never in a million years contemplate saying to anyone’s face.’” Teens say whatever they want, whenever they want on social media because they have a sense of invincibility behind their phone screen. In this case, the victim is not the only person that experiences a lower self-esteem. Teens that harass others behind their screen feel a temporary victory by putting someone else down and not being punished for it but ultimately are degrading their own self-image. Wick states that teens are ruining their relationships and overall self-esteem by showing dominance over another person, rather than politely disagreeing with that person. On the other side of the equation, the victim is now experiencing an incredibly low sense of self-value. These victims get so caught up in what others say about them and, in many cases, have resorted to self-harm. In the worst cases, like the Amanda Todd or Tyler Clementi Case, teens are violently harassed to the point where they end up committing suicide because they have lost all sense of self-worth. According to the NOBullying website, “the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people with approximately 4,400 deaths every year.” The incentive behind these tragedies typically stems from cyberbullying and harassment amongst fellow peers. Negative comments from teens erase the existence of a positive self-esteem, especially in a society that is so built around the idea of equality for everyone.

Constant interaction and dependence on social networking sites among teens leads to social underdevelopment and anxiety. It may seem as if they are building valuable relationships or solving the world’s problems, but they are only hindering their development. Teens are by far the most prone to these social inadequacies because they are in their greatest stages of psychological development. As we push through the awkward phase of maturation, we experience hardships that enable us to develop skills necessary for a successful future. Teens deal with physical changes, academic struggles, breakups, and disagreements with fellow peers. According to Ortiz, a children’s therapist at West Texas Counseling & Guidance, “A child may avoid social interaction to spend more time using electronic devices or may use the device to avoid situations due to social anxiety because of underdeveloped social skills.” From a teens perspective, it is far easier to handle a difficult situation behind the screen of a phone or computer. Social development is centered around genuine interaction and adaptation to these complications. Although the issues may be temporarily resolved on the phone, teens are not properly establishing the skills of true problem solving. When teens are presented with issues in the real world such as interviews, customer interaction, or even just doing laundry, they are already behind the ball because of their constant reliance on social media platforms. According to Simon Sinek on an episode of Inside Quest, social media has a similar effect on teens as alcohol and smoking. When we receive a text, a like, a comment, etc. our brain releases a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is the same addictive chemical that is released when someone consumes alcohol or smokes a cigarette. The addiction to social media creates an over-reliance on these platforms among teens. We rely solely on technology for our answers to everything. If we need a new idea for something delicious to eat, we search recipe pages on Instagram or Twitter to find something popular. If we need to buy something, watch a crash course on how to change a flat tire, or find the answers to a tricky math problem, we immediately resort to social media to give us answers. Teens are becoming more and more underdeveloped due to social media because there is no longer the existence of trial and error. Teens turn to social media for every answer instead of adapting and problem solving. When teens rely on these technologies, they fail to generate problem solving skills or social skills that will allow them to interact with others and come to a genuine conclusion. Failure to establish these skills puts a major hindrance on teen success. Underdeveloped teens will not be able to be successful in employment because they lack basic, fundamental skills that lay the foundation in the work force. The teens then begin to experience a lower self-esteem which ultimately leads to depression and the feeling of inadequacy. Therefore, teens do not experience the proper development necessary for becoming a responsible and successful adult.

Teens have become addicted to social media platforms and ultimately desensitized themselves from reality. To become desensitized, by definition, is to make (someone) less likely to feel shock or distress at scenes of cruelty, violence, or suffering by overexposure to such images. We have become so desensitized from right and wrong that we will capture any moment, good or bad, for popularity. It is possible to find footage or images of almost any gruesome event, whether it’s a fist fight on the street or a brutal massacre. Several large accounts on Instagram or Twitter, like WorldStar, gain most of their following through footage of someone being harmed in what is perceived as a humorous situation. In an article written by Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan on CNN, a news reporter was covering the Grammy Awards in 2011 and her voice suddenly gave out. It seemed as if she was having a stroke or some sort of medical issue and coverage was immediately stopped. The next day, the reporter’s medical struggles were the topic of conversation across all media sources. People were drawn to the woman’s potential danger. The authors state that “In an earlier time we might have been instructed to look away or give the person privacy. No more. We click and click.” Teens have lost all sense of empathy for these events, and this is only one circumstance. Earlier this year, there was a mass shooting in Las Vegas. Snapchat, now one of the most visited social media platforms among teens, had live coverage from victims of the shooting. The videos portrayed innocent victims running in fear from safe zone to safe zone, avoiding gunfire from the hotel building. The live coverage spread to several large news channels and is generating millions of views. Teens have constant access to these horrific stories and are constantly clicking through social media to view them, as if competing to see who can find or post the most gruesome shot. What does this have to do with empathy? Similar to the unfortunate circumstance with the news reporter, teens linger all over YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to view these tragic events. Teens hope to be the first amongst their peers to post about the tragic events. They want to get the most likes, the most comments, and the most traffic to their videos but, in doing so, fail to feel true empathy towards the victims. They believe that viewing the events and feeling sorry for the victims fulfills their contribution to a solution, but then they just return to their normal, more fortunate lives as if nothing happened.  

Desensitization has come entirely too far, especially for teens. Fights are viewed as entertainment; something that can gain them popularity or offer a sense of humor for fellow peers. According to an Administrator for the Psychology Benefits Society, “With social media today being omnipresent and seemingly inescapable, teens want to find a way to be noticed amidst the millions of posts and videos each day.” Unfortunately, teens have become so insensitive to dangerous situations and resort to recording these events as a way to get themselves out there in the social world. The Administrator highlights a very disturbing, yet important, case of desensitization of a large group of teens “On December 26, 2014, employees and shoppers alike at a mall in Pittsburgh hid in stores as a massive fight erupted between almost 1,000 teens.” As the fight progressed, teens began to mob towards each other with their phones in hand, recording the incident. The teens did not see the circumstance as dangerous at all but as a chance to create entertainment for others. They failed to even think of right or wrong, instead, they thought of how they could gain likes and approval from their peers. Social media has created a false and sickening idea of entertainment in the minds of teens. Another horrifying incident was reported by Alex Horton on the Washington Post regarding two teens that recorded a disabled man drowning in a fenced-in pond in Florida earlier this year. The teens recorded the incident, laughing and mocking the man for his inability to survive in the situation. They later posted the video to social media, thinking that others would find the humor that they found in the situation. Police found the video and the kids were questioned and unlikely to face charges. The teens did not call the police or attempt to help the man, they just stood their and laughed. Although disturbing, this instance is another example of how teens have become desensitized by social media that they don’t even consider the consequences that come with their rash decisions. In another case reported by Barbara Demick in the Los Angeles Times, a teenage girl told her depressed boyfriend how to kill himself, and he did. Teen desensitization has led to an astounding rate of bullying and suicides. Just like in this horrific case, teens feel that they can say whatever they want behind the screen of a phone and not be punished. They lose sight of what is right and what is wrong, and just do. Relationships that are built on social media platforms are usually fake because they lack physical impression. The teen girl, just like in any situation on social media, was unable to personally see the emotions of her boyfriend and therefor found it far easier to say what she said while not feeling that she would be held accountable.

The introduction of social media has offered an innumerous amount of advancements for people in society. Individuals can post pictures instantly, comment on other people’s posts, check the weather, follow the stock market, etc. all at their own leisure. Unfortunately, with these many improvements, comes many downfalls. Teens have been the forerunners in the surge of social media platforms. They experience a feeling of immortality behind the screens of their devices. False relationships are built online which makes it even easier for teens to be spiteful to one another. Teens bully, harass, and victimize each other every opportunity that they get. Victims of social harassment experience low self-esteem, evidently leading to self-harm. Teens view other people having the time of their lives and feel that their lives are inadequate in comparison. Teens nowadays fail in comparison to teens from just a few decades ago because of their inability to fully develop into self-sufficient humans. Social media provides us with the answer to every issue that we could ever come across. Human morale no longer exists among teens because of the distraction that social media has presented. Violence is now perceived as humor or entertainment, and we will do anything to generate a good laugh from our peers. Thousands of deaths by suicide are reported every year, thousands. Let that sink in and remember it next time you plan to send a text or post a video or picture that may harm someone, whether directly or indirectly. 
