Just an hour a day can take your life away. Social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, have bombarded today’s world with news and gossip that are accessible to anyone within seconds. Society has become obsessed with gaining self-esteem from likes on posts or from editing applications that expel every single flaw. Although, it is not the likes and feedback that people desire. It is the instant gratification that drives them to their various obsessions online. Out of the whole population in the United States, adolescents are the most affected by this new wave of social communication. Their development has been interrupted. The progress of social skills and the creation of one’s personality has been corrupted. All of those aspects are what they to have a successful and enjoyable adulthood. The growth of social media interactions and online communication in today’s society has caused issues in the psychological and emotional development in adolescents that lead to greater harms in the future of adults. 

Twenty years ago, the United States was both medically and technologically advanced. Although in the past few years, the progress made in technology has been extreme. Communication around the world is possible within the blink of an eye. Pictures and videos are constantly being uploaded to new social media platforms. Even though such advances have changed the world for a great amount of good, it has also taken a turn. 

From the outside looking in, a childhood with gadgets and the ability to text and be in touch with people at all times sounds ideal. From the inside, all of the social media platforms and posts are feeding adolescents negative messages. They are being given so much information at one time that they do not know what to take in (Schacter.) Constant images are telling them who and what to be. On the other hand, they are getting opposing feedback from other sources online that are completely different. Psychologically, kids are being bombarded with harmful outcomes without their brains even knowing. It is impossible, during the growth stages of the brain, to remember and comprehend all encounters. Because of the different stages that the brain goes through, great confusion can occur when it comes to social media and the various “categories” that one needs to fit into (Valkenburg.) The brain is unable to understand.

 Bullying, sexting, and many other dangerous corresponding activities online can lead to psychological turmoil, along with emotional distress in adolescents. This is something that adolescents that grew up before the time of social media did not have to deal with. It has become the generation of a “New Childhood” (Grannet.) The idea of the “New Childhood” refers to how different adolescent life has become. Instead of children getting puzzles to work with, their parents give them iPads. They do not truly learn how to struggle and work through something without a screen in between. New trends of childcare have come along with the growth of technology (Grannet.) Although, new ways are not always the best ways. There is something to be said for old traditions.  

Today in society, 75% of adolescents have cell phones, which means that over half of kids in the United States have access to online communication and social media as they please (Liu.) Because there such vast numbers of children with cell phones, numerous cases of psychological and emotional disorders are becoming more prominent. One of the leading adverse outcomes of the vast social media use in adolescents is depression (Bonnetti, Campbell, and Gilmore.) Depression is relevant and has been relevant in teens and adolescents since the beginning of time. Although, the media has greatly increased those numbers in the recent years. The different stages of brain growth are very precise and occur in ways that are not ideal at times. During some stages of growth, the brain can appear to be more vulnerable and in an almost confused state. This means that depression and other disorders can occur very easily throughout one’s brain growth (Grannet.) 

Down the road in one’s childhood, more intimacy is needed for a peaceful state of mind. Adolescents tend to need more love and compassion as they get closer to moving up in their maturity (Bonnetti, Campbell, and Gilmore.) Relationships outside of the family environment are made for the first time. Just when the various parts of the brain are expanding. Adolescents look for acceptance and equality to help their anxiety and new found loneliness. Because of the tendency for adolescents to feel lonely, they are more prone to obtain feelings of depression. Before the age of social media, kids would go out with friends face-to-face. They would learn how to communicate and deal with their insecurities themselves (Bonnetti, Campbell, and Gilmore.) Facebook, and similar platforms, allow kids to get away with learning responsibilities and how to interact with the world around them. Online, people cannot see your flaws, shyness, or any kind of physical attributes. They can only see what one allows them to see. Though in the real world, this is almost never the case. Adolescents feel confident and sturdy online because there is far less rejection than one might feel within a public interaction (Bonnetti, Campbell, and Gilmore.)

For a while, adolescents are happy communicating online and feel needed. Though when they go to school or an event that requires in person interactions, they discover that they really do not have friends (Liu.) Online communication only stimulates what a real friendship could be. Friendship is not defined by what one says online because those interactions are not real. There are no real emotions or intentions behind online communication that one can now for sure. Because adolescents do not know how to communicate in real situations, they once again feel a sense of loneliness inside. Children then go back to their regular online activities and get even more addicted to the attention that they cannot get elsewhere (Liu.) These attributes and activities then lead to depression. Even though depression and loneliness have always been symptoms within adolescents, social media has been able to heighten such feelings to the hilts. 

Since adolescents spend a majority of their time online communicating, they do not learn how to interact with others in public settings. Online, they can obtain instant gratification in an interaction as opposed to the normal, realistic scenarios. Although when it comes to reality, adolescents have to be able to communicate with adults and other kids at school. They are in a constant stage of “abstract” thinking, which means they always want to be right and know it all (Grannet.) Even though we have all heard the sayings of teenagers, “knowing it all,” it is true when it comes to their development. They are insecure in their own skin, which is why their brain tells them to respond in such egotistical ways.

 When kids find that they are socially awkward around others, they become embarrassed or shy. Interactions and communication online does not require personal contact with another, which is why teenagers and adolescents are addicted to the internet (Liu.) The internet is like a drug. They are not addicted to the drug itself but to the feelings they get. There is no awkward eye contact or handshake in an instant message. Emotions online are never seen, and a majority of the time, emotions are lost in online conversations When someone sends an emoji or a good “Haha” in a message, they do not actually portray those emotions then and there. Those emotions are therefore lost and never truly shown to the person on the other side of the screen (Grannet.) 

Kids do not learn how to really show emotions to another person because they never have to online. They get in a habit of being relaxed and in a comfort zone. As one grows up and begins to enter the next stage of their lives, they have to interact with adults and fellow peers. People begin to go on interviews for various jobs or schools to begin their futures elsewhere. With no communication skills or practice, kids growing up today will not be successful later in life (Valkenburg.) Even though a majority of companies today base their work off of the internet and social interactions, one still needs to know the basics of communication. Companies need people with skills and personality. Not someone who knows how to get likes on a post, or how to send an emoji through a text message. Regardless of what the internet leads people to believe, traditions and certain ways of life will always be relevant. Being a human being first is the most prominent aspect in most adult minds.  People still have ethics and emotions when it comes to the reality of things. Being able to have the skills to relate to people and be relatable back is still very important in today’s world. 

Apart from direct communication, adolescents can also have encounters with depression with various photos and videos that they see online regarding fellow peers. They obtain feelings such as envy, jealousy, and low self-esteem while scrolling through their feeds. They have a fear of missing out. Since friendships are of primary importance as an adolescent, the fear of missing out is a strong worry.  Kids see their friends out online in big crowds of friends that they wish they had. This can have a harsh effect on adolescents psychologically (Schacter.) 

The main attribute that teens and adolescents want to feel is that they matter and are included. Since their identities are still being created, they feel the need to always be accepted in every situation. Social media shows where someone is or is not, which makes kids want to know what is happening and where at every minute of the day (Schacter.) Feelings of exclusion from groups of friends or bullying from photos can result in severe loneliness and feelings of depression. Since it t seems to be the most vital thing in a teen or adolescent’s life, popularity and friendships will always be first on their mind because of the way the brain develops. It is a natural stage of adolescence, which is heightened because of the era of social media (Valkenburg.) 

Photos online of celebrities and role models can also cause adolescents to gain feelings of depression. Celebrities and online companies know just how to win over kids and teens in a heartbeat (O’Keffee.) Their tactics are manipulating and deceiving in the eyes of mature adults. Though to the kids, it is one more thing to compete in or enjoy with their friends. There are hundreds of pictures of women in sexy bikinis and revealing clothing online. Kids look at others’ ideas of “perfect” and think that they need to be just like them to be beautiful (O’Keffee.)  As a teen girl, the last thing you want to be told is that you have curves in the wrong places or that you need to lose weight for a man to like you.  Young boys always see images of fierce and strong men at the gym. They feel the need to be manly and never vulnerable. Adolescents feel the pressure to become something they are not, which leads to feelings of depression in many cases. 

 For both young girls and boys, the media feeds them negative and harsh messages without a word. When a young teen looks at images across their feed everyday of beautiful bodies and vacation scenes, they begin to believe in such false realties (Schacter.) When those “realities” never come true, they begin to feel left out or like they are not good enough to obtain such possibilities. Once again, feelings of loneliness and sadness arise and become an issue. Instead of looking online and feeling confident, they look and feel ashamed of themselves. Even thoughts of suicide can become prominent if issues become extreme (Schacter.) 

Apart from derogatory photos or pictures of unrealistic situations online, kids can also become obsessive with posting and taking pictures of themselves, otherwise known as “selfies.” With selfies, kids become obsessed with the way they look and the feedback they get from the social media platforms. It seems as if looking at ones-self could help with self-esteem. Though In many cases, it becomes an unhealthy obsession that can lead to negative outcomes later down the road. Adolescents begin to rely on the likes to make them feel wanted and popular (Schacter.) It is not the likes and comments that they are obsessed with. It is the feeling of pride and confidence they get when they see people like their selfies. It deceives them into thinking that they feel confident about themselves. Although, if they were confident, they would not have to be posting pictures of themselves for gratification online. 

Self-obsession from social media can lead to social and communication issues with others around them (Schacter.) One can become so obsessed with themselves that they do not see the world and people that surround them. They live in their own reality. When an adolescent has to interact within society, they will begin to feel a sense of confusion and loss. They begin to realize that they are not on top like they are on social media (Schacter.)  The likes and popularity online do not always carry over into the real world. 

Cyberbullying and sexting are other activities that occur online and can result in depression in kids and teens today. Bullying is a natural part of childhood and growing up (O’Keffee.) Adolescents grow and learn to deal with harsh comments from other kids. Eventually, the negative interactions will fade away and become a lesson. In regards to online interactions, bullying is more effective. Someone can destroy another with just a simple click of a button. Pictures, videos, and nasty comments will tear people apart. The worst part is that material on the internet is never really deleted or gone. Someone somewhere is always able to trace back to that event or time (O’Keffee.) This can be severe in cases in which lives can be torn apart for good. Cyberbullying does not allow for lessons, but for serious mistakes and consequences in one’s life. 

Sexting online can also lead to signs of depression and anxiety. There are numerous online sites that are typically for older audiences. Although, companies and advertisers know that adolescents and young teens will always interact and look at the material (Grannet.) Adolescents always feel the need to be one step ahead. Kids are taken advantage of in every market online because of this simple fact. Since adolescents are vulnerable in their stages of brain development, they are willing to put themselves out there online. A simple sexual text or response, they would think nothing of. Because there is no physical or emotional connection in person, kids do not portray their conversations online to be a reality (Grannet.) 

Kids are also exposed to a much more sexual world online. There are ads, pictures, videos, and articles portraying sex and sexual activities. Promoters and advertisers sell their products through sex symbols. Today, it is not unlikely for a child to come across a post that includes sexual content. Children that were born before the millennial never would have been exposed to such things because Instagram Facebook, nor Google existed. The exposure to so much sexuality makes adolescents think that they should do the same and act the same as what they see online (Northenor.) This is another example of how the stages of brain development can collide with the advancements in social media. 

The main reason why adolescents are so engrossed and obsessed with online interactions is because of one thing. Brain development is the primary reason why adolescents feel the need to be active online (Valkenburg.) During adolescence, the development of the brain is crucial. The three main stages of development during this stage are identity, intimacy, and sexuality. Social media and interactions online hit all three of these stages of development. The reason why adolescents feel the need to be accepted, loved, and show their sexuality is because it is all part of the natural process. Social media just makes all of these difficulties easier to obtain (Valkenburg.) 

Facebook statuses and pictures both give a sense of identity online. Kids can give themselves any identity that they please because it does not have to be their true identity. They can be anything that they want to be, which is the part that is appealing to them (Valkenburg.) What kid does not want to choose who and what they can become? When it comes to the second stage of development, intimacy, media platforms allow them to feel like they can be open with the person on the other side of the screen. There are no feelings of intimidation or shyness (Valkenburg.) Kids feel the need to talk about intimacy to their peers, but talking online is not a healthy way to do so. It is not true intimacy. Intimacy requires physical contact and real portrayal of emotions. None of which any form of technology can provide. Online interactions can make one almost emotionless, which is not healthy for the brain or body in any scenario (Walsh.) 

In the third stage of development, sexuality, the kid or young teen craves to know more about the person they are. Adolescents are just beginning to feel all of the foreign feelings in their bodies. They are curious and in need of information, or instant gratification (Valkenburg.) Social media can give a kid a sense of what it feels like to be sexual with another or even the ability to witness something of that sort without the physical interaction. During this stage of brain development, they are naturally going to be drawn to pictures, articles and advertisements online that express sexual ideas (Valkenburg.) These three stages of brain development in adolescents are the main reason why they are the most effected by today’s media. Just because adolescents and young teens are drawn to the media does not mean that they are attracted for the right reasons. Social media has changed both the development and image of adolescents alone. 

Social media has impacted the minds and lives of adolescents in numerous ways. Some argue that the media has only brought good intentions and opportunities to adolescents. They say that it is an advantage for adolescents to see and hear the various opportunities and cultures around them. Although they are missing one key point in their argument. Information about the world, sexuality, identity, and numerous other subjects can already be found without online involvement. Books, people, family, traveling, and plenty of experiences can provide adolescents with what they yearn to know. 

Social media has grown and exploded so quickly that no one has had the chance to question its authority to the fullest. The world had it all, even before the times of social media and the internet. Sure, there was still depression and normal health issues. Though there was nothing to heighten those issues like there is today. If the world of social media continues to grow at such rapid rates, adolescents could lose just what made them adolescents. Just an hour a day can really take your life away. 
