Trigger Warning: Article mentions teen suicide rates
Imagine posting a picture of yourself late at night before going to bed. When you wake up, you log into your phone and a notification pops up on your screen. It’s from Instagram. As you open the app and go to the chat, it’s an unknown person who replied to your recent post saying that they can still see the acne under the filter you used. You check the rest of your notifications: all comments from them. As you look at the picture you chose to post, now all you see is the imperfections of yourself.
Comments like this is are unfortunately more common in recent years since everyone is glued to their phones. These remarks make teenagers feel discouraged, which in an unfortunate turn, increases teenage suicide rates.
Social media can destroy teens’ mental health and confidence. This is because through social media, teens have access to idealized celebrities, making them feel bad about their own appearance.
According to The Impact of Social Media on Teens’ Mental Health, research shows that young adults who use social media are three times as likely to suffer from depression, putting a large portion of the population at risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Since nowadays, many spend hours on their phone, and when social media puts unrealistic ‘beauty standards,’ it makes teens wonder about their appearance which leads to comparing themselves to others. Comparison can increase negative thoughts like anxiety, suicidal behaviors and even eating disorders. And having negative thoughts about yourself can be unpleasant to you, mentally and physically.
When teens have social media and get negative remarks about themselves, it’s hard to forget. Instead of forgetting, they often try their best to fit the standards of others which can cause harm to the body.
Teens with social media are more likely to self harm. When teenagers have access to social media, they can be introduced to harmful content that promotes depression, self-harm, or unhealthy coping strategies.
According to a study by the National Library Of Medicine, the increase in suicide rate parallels the simultaneous increase in social media use. In addition, the rate of nonsuicidal self-injury ranges between 14 percent and 21 percent among young people.
Teens are often exposed to harmful content, which can increase negative habits. Social media has trends that encourage risky activities. Sometimes, even when teens try to fit in, there are still strangers who will spread hate on post to get a reaction. These people are called Cyberbullies.
Teens can be bullied or feel worthless by others on social media. This is because strangers have access to contact anyone these days. In Article National Library Of Medicine, it states how “between 10 percent and 40 percent of adolescents experience cyberbullying and studies suggest that [there is an] association between cyberbullying, deliberate self-harm, and suicidal behavior among victims of such bullying.”
Cyberbullying has been an issue that can cause teens to have anxiety and depression. Cyberbullies could spread rumors or send threatening messages, which causes self harm. Also, the victims of cyberbullying may feel isolated and would self harm themselves as a way to cope.
So if you’re ever on Instagram and see a post from a mutual friend, it wouldn’t hurt to compliment them instead of spreading hate. And if you have hate to spread, consider yourself apart as to why social media increases teenage suicidal rates.
