6 Impacts of Using Social Media on Teens, Don't Be Underestimated

Social media is currently not only used by adults, but also by teenagers. Most of them are Instagram and TikTok users who are active as creators as well as viewers. Along with the increasing use of social media by teenagers, of course there is an influence behind it. Experts are concerned about the negative impact of social media on teens by changing behavior patterns. What is the impact of using social media on teenagers?

1.             little direct communication

When kids don't finish their schoolwork, they often play social media as a distraction. Send text messages, view and share content, and do other online activities. They communicate through screens rather than face to face with other people. As a result, children lose important social skills. In the end, our children are only used to verbal communication, so they have a hard time translating body language, facial expressions, and even types of voice responses.

2.              inability to make direct contact with other people

Learning how to make friends is part of a child's development and requires the ability to take certain risks, you must learn to tilt. But as they develop friendships online and via email, children miss out on many of the most personal aspects of face-to-face communication. Brands may not hear or see how their words affect others when solving problems via text messages. This bargaining power becomes more dangerous as children grow and romantic relationships and careers develop.

3.              intimidation

Another big danger of using social media is that children can be cruel to others more easily. They send messages behind the scenes and are bold. This is what breeds the seeds of bullying and deception, although not necessarily so brave when dealing directly in the real world. In fact, girls who don't like fighting in real life are more extreme cyberbullies.

4.             bad self-image

As teenagers, especially girls, begin to understand the image of themselves that other people want to see. As they seek identity, they become more vulnerable to what they perceive as negative. Peer acceptance is a big problem for them. Children feel insecure and feel bad about themselves when they compare themselves to others they see on social media

5.             Stalking

Another big change that social media brings is that we are never alone. Teenagers unwittingly upload content that contains personal data. They don't just connect with the family and friends they know. But also for foreigners who can have different goals. Children can be followed, become victims of stalking, and even perpetrators. This creates fear in children who are victims of stalking. So please be careful with your kids not to give out their personal information like school name, address, mobile number, personal photo to anyone easily in cyberspace.

6.             lonely

Social media makes it easy to connect in ways previously unimaginable. However, ironically, in the midst of this hyperconnection, people today feel lonely too easily. Social media allows us to react quickly to things. Children react easily when they don't get the expected response, and they feel lonely and anxious. The best thing parents can do to help their teen minimize the risks associated with social media is to set an example for their children. Give an example of what it's like to use social media in a healthy way so kids have real-life examples. Time spent on social media and time in tech-free areas of the home. At the table at family dinner. Also, encourage children to engage in plenty of physical and non-technical activities such as music and sports. We hope this information helps mothers to prevent the effects of social media use on their teens.