How often do you find yourself using a social media platform like Tiktok, Instagram, or Snapchat? Everyday? Whenever you have downtime? Today, teenagers and young adults spend nearly 5 hours everyday on social media, consuming content not meant to educate, but rather promote certain lifestyles, which have caused many negative impacts on teenagers mental health and the way that they perceive themselves.
Apps like Tiktok, Instagram, etc. show videos and images of people who alter the way that they look, and only show the good aspects of their lives. Face tune and photoshop, apps used to edit and alter photos and videos, are rampant on social media platforms. But even if a user doesn’t use those apps, it is very rare for someone to post the raw reality of their life. On social media, you are in control of what people get to see, and get to manipulate the things in your life that aren’t as perfect as you wish they were.
On Tiktok and Instagram teens and young adults are exposed to lavish lifestyles, people with seemingly perfect bodies, or even the perfect family, but the reality of that is not all of it is real. Being a teenager in 2025 myself, I have fallen victim to seeing people on Tiktok or Instagram with unrealistic lives and bodies, and I’ve felt insecure because of it.
Although I have listed a lot of different reasons as to why social media has negatively impacted our youth, there are some positives to it. According to research done by Pew Research Center, a majority of teens today see social media as a “positive space for friendships and creativity.” I can speak from personal experience, I have used social media and felt like I was able to connect with my friends more, whether it’s through sending silly videos to each other, or making those videos together. Social media has become an outlet for people to fully express themselves, and also allows people, especially teens and young adults, to find other people of their age and connect with them through shared interests.
Social media and its use by teens specifically is a controversial topic, and holds many different opinions and stances. I believe that while social media can be a tool for connection and creativity, it also needs to be used in moderation. Too much time spent online can create unrealistic standards and negativity affect mental health, but when used responsibly it can bring people together and allow for self expression. In the end, it is up to us as teens and young adults to find a balance, and to remember that what we see online is not always the full truth.