Social media has existed for nearly 30 years. What began as an innovative branch of technology, communication and connection has now become a booming industry with over five billion users.
These platforms are significant contributors to the modern lifestyle. Social media is particularly popular with the younger generation as 90 percent of teens ages 13-17 have used social media. While these teens are able to connect with friends and express themselves, they can also be exposed to inappropriate content, be prone to compare themselves to unrealistic standards or be distracted by social media.
As the prevalence of social media continues to rise, its flaws are beginning to reveal themselves as well.
Spending an excessive amount of time on social media can be damaging for individuals’ mental health and self-esteem. Certain platforms promote online communication rather than in-person interactions. As a result, despite teens recognizing the downfalls of social media, they also feel obligated to use social media in order to follow pop culture trends and maintain friendships.
Many teens feel they can’t give up social media in high school because it is now the set standard for entertainment, information and communication. “Having Snapchat in high school is great, but continuing into college next year, I plan to delete it,” shared senior Sydney James. “I feel like I miss out on certain things when I’m off social media, especially Snapchat. When I continue on to college next year, I will have everything I need all on one campus, and I won’t rely so much on social media.”
Teens are taking action now to improve their lifestyles and control their social media usage.
While many enjoy scrolling through their feeds, others are beginning to realize that social media is not as great as it is made out to be. “Social media is the opposite of what it claims to be with the way that people use it. It’s more of a divide than anything else,” shared junior Roman Saddler. “Dialing back on social media has also given me a lot of time and sleep back.”
With 2025 just beginning, there is an opportunity to set goals and New Year’s resolutions to reduce social media usage. “I decided to delete TikTok this year because it is most of my screen time, and I want to push myself to find more consistent sources of information and forms of communication in the new year,” shared senior Estelle Treiber. “I noticed that I was seeming to lose a lot of time in my day, which negatively impacted my mood and my energy! I realized it was because I so mindlessly found myself on social media whenever I wanted to procrastinate,” added Treiber.
Many teens are keenly aware of the potential negative outcomes associated with excessive social media usage. Limiting screen time or setting boundaries can refine poor habits. The younger generation is taking matters into their own hands to reduce their reliance on social media platforms.
