How Does Social Media Make Students Feel?

Jenna Marlow

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Generation Z is already known for their ability to work with any type of technology put into their hands. How does this differ from past generations? From the moment this generation was born, their picture was uploaded on social media. This generation is the one my friends and I are a part of, and this is how it has affected our perception of people and ourselves.

From as early as nine years old, I can remember getting my first Instagram account along with everyone else my age. This might not seem significant to most people; until they start seeing the effects social media can have on a young mind.

At age nine, the brain is developing critical and abstract thinking skills, this includes self-perception. When you add the competitiveness of getting likes, followers, and saves, while also seeing celebrities who photoshop their pictures to be perfect, it can have detrimental effects on a developing brain. While talking to some other students, one of them mentioned the fact that the most common age to have an eating disorder is twelve. One of the reasons eating disorder statistics are rising at this young age is because these young kids are used to seeing adult bodies that have been manipulated to be perfect, and they can’t understand why they don't look the same. Social media is why this generation is unlike the ones before, we have adapted to being an icon on a screen and not living as young adults.

A person between the ages of twelve to even eighteen is a young adult; they need to act like an adult according to others but are not treated as if they are. While this is prominent in all generations, Generation Z has shown this differently. The young adults dress, act, and demand to be adults. While you see a sixteen-year-old girl on the outside she is twelve on the inside. This is why social media is so harmful to young minds. Is there a way to fix this? Yes, there is one solution that seems to be the most effective for this generation. The solution to this problem is for young adults to unplug from their phones once in a while, hang out with friends, and enjoy being a teenager instead of worrying about what people think if they don’t respond to a text quick enough. The results of doing that one thing can be huge. Imagine walking into school without the anxiety from using social media. A clear head ready to take on the day with real people, real expectations, and real love.