Social media is always pushing out new trends, often harming our self-image.

Yet we seem to come back every time

The Growth of Social Media

It is no doubt that social media use has increased over the past 20 years as technology has developed and become more advanced. Almost 5 billion people use social media, which has doubled since 2015. (https://backlinko.com/social-media-users). The growth of social media has brought us so many opportunities to express ourselves creatively and connect and communicate with people from anywhere. But like thesocialdilemma.com says, “The technology that connects us also manipulates us”. As well as a growth in social media usage, we’ve also seen a growth in reported mental illness. According to pewresearch.org 1 in every 5 teens says they use apps like YouTube and TikTok daily. 

The internet and all media have given us access to all kinds of content and allowed us to inform and stay informed. However, with very few restrictions on what can be put online, the constant stream of media can also bring misinformation and harmful information. Since social media usage has grown in our lives, so has its impact on us. Though the term influencer was seen in writings as early as the 1600s, it has been popularized as a modern-day term for

“a person who has become well-known through the use of the internet and social media and uses celebrity to endorse, promote, or generate interest in specific products, brands, etc., often for payment.” 

As well as the rapid rise in social media usage in the past decade, there has also been an increase in reported mental illnesses. According to the World Health Organization, there has been a 13% increase in the past 10 years of reported mental illness. In the United States, over 57 million adults live with a mental illness, 33.7 of them being under the age of 25. 1 in 7 teens will experience a mental disorder, and over 40% of teens experience symptoms of depression. While it’s clear both social media and mental illnesses are on the rise, could there be any correlation?

The Constant Pressure

Being a teenager is hard enough as is. Not only is your body changing, but so are your views. You begin to see the world differently, as well as yourself. Having the internet and special media provides an even bigger challenge for modern-day teens. It is a brand-new influence on teens, and if used enough, can shape their outlook on everything. When using social media, there is an underlying pressure that comes with it: the pressure to fit in. With new trends constantly coming out, all we want is to conform. The struggle to find your identity becomes an even bigger challenge when faced with thousands of opinions, personas, and constantly changing trends. 

Social media is constantly pushing ideas of who we think we should be. How we should dress, act, speak, and feel, but it’s unrealistic. As we allow ourselves to be a part of this “fad culture,”  we begin to see ourselves differently. We see our friends and influencers on social media highlighting only the best parts. We don’t see their “flaws” or hardships. This false reality of a perfect life is the only thing that’s seen. We feel inadequate because we do not relate to what is cool and popular. Even if you do, trends quickly fade and move on to the next. 

As a teenager on social media, I feel the same pressure most others feel. I find myself getting sucked into each new trend and self-reflecting on how much I fit into them. As a person of color, I already have to fight the barriers of American beauty standards: lighter skin, straighter hair, Eurocentrism, and Western beauty. I’ve found that when scrolling on social media as a distraction, half of the time I end up feeling worse than before. I rarely relate to what is trending, and sometimes it feels like the media is against me. Being constantly told to change the way I naturally look because of a new trend is draining. Yet we keep going back.

Not only do we find ourselves consumed by the latest social media trends, but we are also attached to social media.

“Social media has a reinforcing nature. Using it activates the brain’s reward center by releasing dopamine, a “feel-good chemical” linked to pleasurable activities such as sex, food, and social interaction. The platforms are designed to be addictive and are associated with anxiety, depression, and even physical ailments.”

We’re obsessed with the quick boost we get from social media, even though a lot of it is harmful.

In just a few decades, the internet and social media have turned from an unknown technology to a network that we use in our everyday lives. It’s grown so fast that we barely know anything about it. Its rapid growth has given us an amazing advanced tool that can help us in many aspects of life. As online media keeps growing and developing, we must remember that nothing is ever as good as it seems. 

Mental Matters

Sources Used:

Dean, Brian. “Social Network Usage & Growth Statistics.” Backlinko, 21 Feb. 2024, backlinko.com/social-media-users.

McLean Hospital. “The Social Dilemma: Social Media and Your Mental Health.” McLean Hospital, 29 Mar. 2024, www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health.

Oxford English Dictionary. “Influencer, N. Meanings, Etymology and More | Oxford English Dictionary.” Oed.com, 2023, www.oed.com/dictionary/influencer_n?tl=true#:~:text=The%20earliest%20known%20use%20of, https://doi.org/10.1093//OED//7155202510.

World Health Organization. “World Health Organization.” Who.int, World Health Organization, 2024, www.who.int/.