This article explores the risks of social media to teenage health, focusing on how platforms like Snapchat and TikTok may negatively affect adolescents' mental wellbeing. Research has shown that adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media have double the risk of depression and anxiety.
One major concern is how algorithms feed users addictive content, particularly related to sensitive topics like body image or eating disorders. These algorithms are designed to keep users engaged, thereby increasing revenue through advertising. This leads to criticism that platforms prioritize profits over users’ mental health.
Experts like Professor Devi Sridhar argue that the onus (responsibility) is unfairly placed on parents to manage their children's social media use. However, with teenagers’ entire social lives embedded online, limiting usage often feels like a losing battle.
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🍅Reading Questions
1. Are you addicted to social media?
2. What age group is considered "adolescents"?
3. how does social media affect teenagers?
4. What health risks are associated with excessive social media use in teenagers?
5. What is the main function of social media algorithms?
6. Why is the way teenagers are 'fed' content considered a problem?
👉It wouldn't be a surprise. With so many different apps out there, Snapchat, TikTok, and the latest, Threads, it's easy to spend a lot more time on your phone than ever before.
I don't think I'm addicted, but I definitely spend more time on social media than I would like to.
However, there are plenty of studies out there looking at how social media affects mental health with some saying it can be as addictive as gambling.
Research in the US has found that adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media have double the risk of developing depression and anxiety. An adolescent is someone aged 10 to 19, between childhood and adulthood.
With that in mind, it's no wonder parents are worried. To help with this, the US is currently in the process of regulating social media apps for teenagers. Some scientists think the UK should do the same.
There has been growing agreement among health experts about the negative, chronic health effects of social media use on teenagers. They have revealed in surveys that social media makes them feel worse about their body image, and 64% of teens have said they are regularly exposed to hate-based content.
This is worrying for example, with young girls and eating disorders, that they're being fed that in an addictive way and the algorithm is saying 'oh they like that content. We want to keep giving it to them because it keeps them on their phones', and I think that's the really vital message here, of any of these apps, is that their revenue comes from advertising.
We need to remember that social media platforms use algorithms to keep users on the platforms for as long as possible because the revenue comes from advertising.
Revenue is the money a company earns. They are paid by other companies to use the social media space to promote their products.
This could be seen as social media platforms prioritising making money over the mental health of users – a worry for parents.