Impact of Technology and Social Media on Teenagers Mental Health

 

In an era dominated by technology and social media, our lives are intricately intertwined with digital platforms. Without a doubt, technology has completely changed the way we live and interact, from enabling us to connect with friends and family to providing access to a wealth of information online. However leaving aside its ease of use and connectedness which it provides there is a rising worry over the effects of social media and technology on mental health.

Especially Social media poses special difficulties for teenagers navigating the complexity of adolescence, which can worsen pre-existing mental health conditions or lead to the emergence of new ones. Social media has a significant and wide-ranging influence on adolescent mental health, from the demands of upholding a well curated online image to the relentless exposure to cyberbullying and unrealistic beauty standards, the impact of social media on teen mental health is profound and far-reaching.

Social media and technology have spread quickly in India, especially among teenagers. Although there are many advantages to these digital networks, however there is growing concern about their potential negative impact on adolescent mental health.According to a report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), India had approximately 213 million social media users aged 12-18 years as of 2021.The report also found that adolescents spend an average of 3-4 hours per day on social media platforms.

Young individuals aged 18-24 years spend excessive time on these applications – with Facebook and Instagram having 97.2 million and 69 million users from this age group alone in India, clearly showcasing growing dependency on social media. Constant usage of which causes serious mental health issues and diseases by exposing users to harmful information, altering behavioral patterns, creating feelings of inadequacy, and even engaging in cyberbullying.

Supreet Kaur a 19 year old college student replied when asked how does social media have impacted her studies and mental health " There was one time i remember i was in each and every social media app starting from Snapchat, youtube, facebook and popular one instagram. I went crazy about it and made accounts which i kept hidden from family, I used to post a lot of stuff  to keep myself relevant and made content (reels) on the latest trends, I was also crazy about growing followers. All of this happened during covid times which took a toll on my grades and studies. Finally by the 11th end, I quit all of this because of board 12 and college application. Life was so back on track."

Numer­ous stud­ies show that high­er lev­els of social media use among chil­dren and ado­les­cents are linked to adverse effects, includ­ing depres­sion and anx­i­ety, inad­e­quate sleep which can dis­rupt neu­ro­log­i­cal devel­op­ment and lead to depres­sion and sui­ci­dal behav­iors, low self-esteem, poor body image, eat­ing dis­or­der behav­iors and online harass­ment. These risks are greater for girls ver­sus boys and for those already expe­ri­enc­ing men­tal health issues. 

While challenges faced by the youth are manifold, there is an underlying practice of brushing issues under the carpet, inability to voice opinions and seek support, leading to grave personal issues. According to UNICEF, 1 in 7 Indians aged 15 to 24 years feel depressed

Stud­ies have found a con­nec­tion between social media cyber­bul­ly­ing and depres­sion among young people. It is also proved that near­ly 2 in 3 ado­les­cents are exposed to hate-based con­tent on social media. A study published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry found a significant association between excessive social media use and symptoms of depression and anxiety among adolescents in India.The study reported that adolescents who spent more than 5 hours per day on social media are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health issues.

Also as per survey Teenagers in India have low self-esteem and a negative body image as a result of being exposed to unattainable beauty standards on social media, according to research from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences teenagers who often judged themselves against photos on social media were more likely to have negative self-images and body dissatisfaction.

A survey conducted recently showed that excessive screen time, particularly before bedtime, contributed to sleep disturbances among adolescents.The survey reported that 72% of adolescents in India experienced difficulty falling asleep due to their use of smartphones and other digital devices.

Apart from social media, technology as a whole has a big impact on how teenagers feel about their mental health. Teens find it difficult to unplug and relax because smartphones and other digital gadgets have made it difficult to distinguish between real and reel lives. The continual bombardment of alerts, messages, and notifications can shorten attention spans, interfere with sleep cycles, and increase feelings of overwhelm and burnout.