The Negative Influence of Media on Youth

Technological innovation has provided people with modern devices and tools that they can no longer live without in their daily lives. The Internet has practically taken over the world and has given people more opportunities to collaborate. Unfortunately, the excessive use of the Internet by young people is beginning to affect their overall health.

One must be aware that adolescence is an extremely vulnerable time in which young people are exposed to many different aspects of life. The impact of social media on youth should be a major concern for responsible adults. Social media accelerates and supports learning but can also have several disruptive effects on adolescents.

Table of Content

1. Negative Effects Of Media On Adolescents

   1.1. Depression

   1.2. Cyberbullying

   1.3. Internet Addiction

   1.4. Sleep Deprivation

   1.5. Low Self-Esteem

   1.6. Social Skills

   1.7. Sexual Behavior

2. Parents Control The Media Consumption Of Their Children

3. Conclusion

Some Of The Negative Effects Of Media On Adolescents Include.

1. Depression

The most prevalent emotional disorder linked to social media use is depression. Teens often feel inferior and depressed compared to their peers on social media. The desire to conform and be recognized by famous friends in the media can push teens toward this type of emotional disorder.

2. Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying uses media sites to spread false, embarrassing and offensive information about certain users. Cyber threats or cyberbullying is one of the biggest ills of social media and causes users to experience cognitive problems such as anxiety, low self-esteem, loneliness and suicidal thoughts. Privacy settings on social media accounts should ensure that certain contacts can only view certain content posted by users. However, data protection in the media is almost non-existent. Social media violates privacy and exposes youth to issues such as image abuse and body shaming.

3. Internet Addiction

Uncontrolled media use leads to Internet addiction in young people. The more time young children spend on the Internet, the more they are exposed to new ideas and stories and the more they continue to explore. If left unchecked at an early stage, this exploration can turn into an addiction that can affect a child's personality development, mental health and academic performance.

Media can affect brain development by influencing how the brain processes information, reacts to situations and stores information. Internet addiction can lead to structural changes in the brain and a reduction in grey matter. Multitasking with media can cause young people to take longer to complete tasks and affect the quality of their studies and homework.

4. Sleep Deprivation

Social media is one of the leading causes of teen insomnia: teens are especially active on the Internet during sleep hours. This disrupts their sleep patterns and compounds the risks associated with sleep deprivation. Social media use can disrupt sleep patterns and force teens to stay up all night and monitor notifications; teens need seven to eight hours of sleep, and lack of sleep is detrimental to their health. They have difficulty learning and concentrating and are constantly stressed and anxious. They may become irritable and suffer from physical problems such as viral illnesses, acne and weight gain.

5. Low Self-Esteem

Teens are confronted with different images of perfection. The Internet is full of images of ideal body shapes, most likely achieved through plastic surgery. These unrealistic beauty standards affect teens' self-esteem, whose bodies change in unexpected ways: Teens may feel insecure when they see pictures of models bragging about having perfect skin and complexion. The constant confrontation with unrealistic standards impacts how teens perceive their bodies. Such observations can harm an adolescent's mental and physical health.

6. Social Skills

Social skills help young people make and maintain friendships with their peers. By spending so much time on social networking sites, teens can develop interaction skills that may not be applicable in the real world. Social networking sites strengthen existing relationships, but teens must learn how to establish meaningful and personal interactions with others. Social isolation in the real world can lead to depression and suicidal thoughts. Because teens spend more time on social media than with real people offline, it is difficult for them to develop effective social skills, and they are more likely to develop mental health problems.

7. Sexual Behavior

Sexually explicit images of young women on social media can strongly influence teenage girls who were recently children. Sexually explicit images are often present on various social media platforms. Exposure to erotic content depicting risky sexual behaviour can harm young people on the verge of discovering their sexual identity. This can lead to irrational expectations that impede the development of healthy sexual relationships and lead to unsafe sexual behaviour.

Therefore, the most effective approach to reducing the negative impact of media on youth is to encourage them to build a strong ethical system within themselves and create solutions that can be safely navigated on user-centred social platforms. Parents who control their media consumption and reduce negative influences can also benefit the younger generation.

How Can Parents Control The Media Consumption Of Their Children And Teens?

• Parents should try to understand these effects and how they risk their children's physical and mental health.
• They must maintain good communication with their teens and protect themselves from the harmful effects of social media.
• Please familiarize yourself with social media to understand how it can drive teens to addiction.
• Parents can monitor social media use by installing monitoring applications on their children's devices.
• If necessary, parents can set ground rules for the use of social platforms.

Conclusion

While social media seems like a great way to communicate, the damage it can inflict on society should not be overlooked. Young people are particularly vulnerable to the potential risks associated with social media use. If these negative media effects are not recognized and addressed on time, they can hurt young people's social well-being and health. Parents have an important role in protecting their children from the negative effects of social media during this sensitive time.