It’s no secret that social media has negative effects on teens. Social media affects their self-esteem, mental health, and overall well-being. There are plenty of things you can do to help your teen manage their social media use and the impacts it has on their mental health. If they need extra support, adolescent mental health treatment can be incredibly beneficial.
How Social Media Affects Teen Self-Esteem
Body Image
One of the main ways that social media affects teen self-esteem is through body image and comparison. With the rise of heavily edited and filtered photos on social media, teens are constantly bombarded with unrealistic beauty standards. These images can lead to feelings of inadequacy and negatively impact their self-esteem.
Body image issues can lead to disordered eating or exercise patterns. Both boys and girls can develop eating disorders due to the pressure of having a perfect body. This is especially prevalent on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, where users often showcase their “perfect” bodies and lifestyles.
Cyberbullying and Extortion
Social media is often a home for cyberbullying, which can have a devastating effect on teens’ self-esteem. With the anonymity and distance provided by social media, bullies can target their victims more frequently and harshly without fear of real consequences. Cyberbullying is just as real as in-person harassment, causing teens to question themselves and their self-worth.
Extortion schemes are also common on social media, and teens are some of the most vulnerable targets. Many of these schemes use “sextortion” tactics, coercing teen boys and girls to send explicit images of themselves, which they threaten to release to family and friends unless they pay large sums of money.1 Both cyberbullying and extortion can cause suicidal ideation, self-harm, and depression.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
FOMO can make teens feel like they’re not living the right type of lifestyle. The constant comparison to their peers’ highlight reels can make them feel like they’re not good enough, missing out on all the fun and exciting things their friends are doing. This fear of missing out can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness, and anxiety.
How You Can Help Your Teen
Social media feels endless. There’s always something new to see, someone different to follow, and updates or notifications to check. Apps and sites are designed to draw people in and keep them engaged, and teens are the perfect targets. Without balance, the negative effects of social media can cause your teen’s self-esteem to crash.
You can help your teen find a middle ground—stay connected with their friends and networks while making time for real-life.
- Screen time limits – Setting healthy boundaries with social media, including limiting screen use to a certain amount of time each day, can help your teen find balance.
- Safe social media accounts – Talk to your teen about the risks of social media and how to stay safe online. Encourage them to be smart about privacy settings, who they interact with, and where they share personal information.
- Real world activities – In-person connections can be much more enriching than online relationships, but both have their place. Let your teen know how unrealistic social media can be and reinforce it by encouraging them to safely explore with their friends in the real world.
- Set a good example – If you’re constantly scrolling or oversharing on social media, it will be hard for your teen to take it seriously when you ask them to limit their time online. Be a good example; you might even find balance by seeking accountability with each other.
You might not always have the answers and that’s okay. Professional help is available and reaching out can give your teen the tools they need to build their self-esteem and develop healthier habits with social media.
Support for Teens at Family First
We provide support for teens with mental health issues, including those caused or influenced by social media use. Family First programs include residential treatment for boys 13–18 at our center in South Florida and co-ed day treatment (PHP) for teens of the same age.
Get in touch with us today by calling 888.904.5947 or reaching out to us online.
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