BY JULIET PEREZ
Staff Writer
Anybody who has social media can say that it has made their life harder in one way or another. Social media can trigger comparisons with other users, and raise doubts about self-worth. These feelings of insecurity can lead to anxiety and depression. Along with the rise in smartphone/social media use, depression rates have also risen. A study published in 20117 in the journal of Clinical Psychological Science, done on 500,000 US students between the grades 8-12, regarding social media use, found that between 2010 and 2015 there was a 33% increase in levels of depression and a 31% increase in suicides. These statistics are almost exclusively driven by females. Another study in JAMA Psychiatry done on 6,595 students found that spending more than 3 hours may increase the risk of mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and negative self-image. “Displacement” is the word used to describe what teenagers are not doing during the time that is “displaced” with social media, such as sleep, exercise, and hobbies, which are essential to happy and healthy teenage years. Sleep is a huge part of maintaining your health, however heavier social media usage is usually linked with poor sleep patterns. For example, 60% of teens check their phones within the hour before they sleep.
Mental health is not the only thing at risk when using social media. Younger children are at risk every day of getting groomed online. There is an estimated 500,000 online predators active every day online. According to the FBI, over 50% of sexual exploitation victims are between the ages of 12 and 15. 89% of sexual advances directed at children happen on the internet, in over a quarter of these interactions, the predator will ask for inappropriate photos. Only 20% of the children who use social media are well aware of the issue of grooming, but only 40% of them actually have their privacy settings on.
Realistically we cannot get everyone as a whole to stop using social media, as it has its benefits, and people are already so attached to it. However, it would be so helpful if the government or the actual sites would regulate themselves.