It is still debatable whether social media takes a toll on teenagers mental and physical health. There is not enough research to prove that it actually does. One study has suggested that time spent scrolling through social media has correlation to the negative feedback responses in the body. Those who spent more time on social media had more body image problems and less self-esteem. Social media is often described as being more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol, with the worst social media apps being Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok when it comes to addiction. Almost a quarter of the world’s population is now on Facebook. In the USA nearly 80% of all internet users use Facebook because social networks feed off interactions among people, they become more powerful as they grow.

Study reveals that social media leads to increased feelings of depression, anxiety, poor body image, and loneliness

Some negatives to social media are cyberbullying, self-esteem problems, “fake friends”, comparison, and less face time. Teenagers are more focused on feeling liked and getting attention from other people ever since social media. It has also been suggested that they have more fear of “missing out”. Stalking, identity theft, personal attacks, and misuse of information are some of the threats faced by the users of social media.

Many believe that there are some positives to social media such as socializing, having creativity, staying in touch, and being able to express ideas. One of the effects of social media is encouraging people to form and cherish artificial bonds over actual friendships.

Technology and social media is still growing today and the question has been asked of how bad could these negative effects really get. Some will argue that the negatives outweigh the positives.