communication

Last name: 5

Name:

Instructor:

Course:

Date:

Effects of Social Media on Teenager's Behavior

In recent decades, social media have become an inseparable part of lives of most of the teenagers. Spending the greater part of their days on various social networking Web sites, teens rarely have any idea of what a great effect they have on their health and general behavior.
At the same time, the impact of social media on youths is strong nowadays not only because teens construct probably the most vulnerable social unit but also because they remain to be the most massive audience of social networking.
The possibilities of social networks have not been fully explored but their influence on the formation of mind in teens, the reasons for their behavior, a system of values, lifestyle, the choice of the life goal and ways of its realization, is still dramatic.
Unfortunately, social networks, in the most cases, idealize the things that do not really worth paying special attention and virtual life spoils real values in the still unformed minds of youth.
Teenagers are forced to constantly compare themselves to other people and think less about their private living. As a result, the individuality is lost.
With no doubts, social networking provides youth with benefits and improves education but its risks should not be ignored.
Peer pressure and an difficulty in self-regulation make teenagers particularly vulnerable to such dangers as, for example, depression and cyber bullying (Ramasubbu). These threats, nowadays, are realistic enough. Internet addiction and image of what is happening on the screen significantly intensify the behavioral problems.
The recent statistics show that one in seventeen teenagers was abused or threatened online ("Teen Chat Rooms Peer Pressure Statistics"). Similarly, the 2015 report of Statista on the teenage social media users in the United States who have experienced peer pressure on social media reveals that approximately 68% of users experienced drama among their friends on social media and that, in fact, significantly influenced their behavior. Besides, some of the respondents mentioned the deterioration of their general state "because of something they saw from other friends on social media" ("U.S. Teen Social Media Peer Pressure 2015").
Modern teens are nearly glued to their devices which highly promotes isolation among them. The behavior might shift from the absence of the desire to communicate to the total closeness. According to the research published by the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin revealed that "exposure to substance use and sexual content is linked to initiation of those behaviors" ("The Influence Of Social Media On Adolescent Behavior"). This aspect is explained by the fact that teenagers are not only the direct consumers of information but also produce what they see in many cases.
Bullying is quite a significant and ongoing issue. Cyberbullying frequently leads to the depression and various emotional disorders in youth.
The behavioral changes in teens because of the impact of social media is seen as they become more dissatisfied with their lives. Facebook, for example, as being one of the most famous social networks throughout the world influences on the feelings of loneliness and angriness in youth after browsing the site (Goldsmith). Also, when the active users follow other people on Facebook, this factor often triggers the feeling of vexation, caused by the well-being and success of someone else. Two German universities conducted research that apart from everything mentioned above revealed that while one people could feel envy, others might boast more about their achievements (Goldsmith).
Therefore, social media may negatively affect the lives of the modern youth. Still, everything depends on how and who uses social networking sites. However, the danger, in this case, should not be neglected.
Teens are highly exposed to such behavioral alterations as depression, isolation, frustration, and angriness while using social media on a regular basis. Thus, it is crucial to find a proper medium in such circumstances and pay more attention to own well-being rather than to the lives of other people.

Works cited

Goldsmith, Belinda. "Is Facebook Envy Making You Miserable?". Reuters UK, 2013, http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-envy-idUKBRE90L0N220130122.

Ramasubbu, Suren. "Influence Of Social Media On Teenagers". The Huffington Post, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suren-ramasubbu/influence-of-social-media-on-teenagers_b_7427740.html.

"Teen Chat Rooms Peer Pressure Statistics". Streetdirectory.Com, 2017, http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/202653/kids_and_teens/teen_chat_rooms_peer_pressure_statistics.html.

"The Influence Of Social Media On Adolescent Behavior | Department Of Pediatrics". Pediatrics.Wisc.Edu, 2017, https://www.pediatrics.wisc.edu/featured-stories/social-media.

"U.S. Teen Social Media Peer Pressure 2015 | Statistic". Statista, 2015, https://www.statista.com/statistics/453833/us-teen-social-media-peer-pressure/.