What Are The Negative Effects Of Social Media On Body Image

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As of 2018, 81% of Americans are using some form of social media (Smith). This number is expected to continue to increase. The rising popularity of social media among teenagers and young adults has brought up new concerns about the social lives of its users. The world of the internet has opened people up to endless new ideas and ways of communication. However, it is known that with great power comes great responsibility. By using social media, teenagers and young adults are negatively impacting their lives in the form of anxiety, depression, cyberbullying, envious thoughts, unrealistic ideas about body image, and lack of privacy and communication skills.
To begin, the use of social media is causing teenagers and young adults of this generation …show more content…
One effect of using social media is the overwhelming feeling of envy. Envy is the feeling of wanting something desperately that others have that they do not. “When we envy another, it is a sign that we feel we lack love, or care, or value”(Titmus 45). This resentment and envy of others is deemed a sin in the Christian religion. Yet, social media reigns on. Social media has become a way of competing for attention. It has created unrealistic body image expectations thanks to cosmetic altering of pictures (Child Mind Institute). By setting unrealistic expectations, social media has caused teenagers to develop a low self-esteem. Countless times users have found themselves scrolling through Instagram and viewing posts of people with things that they desire. Perhaps, money beauty, or friends. These users found themselves feeling powerless and inferior. They were so suddenly unsatisfied with what they had, but they return to the sites …show more content…
The internet provides people with a mask that they can hide behind and say whatever cruel things they please. Things that would usually not be said face-to-face. Bullying has life long effects on victims. Their mental health and social relationships could forever be changed (“The Negative Effects of Social Media on Teens”). Dr. Steiner-Adair stated that girls are at a higher risk of experiencing cyberbullying. “Girls are socialises more to compare themselves to other people, girls in particular, to develop their identities, so it makes them more vulnerable to the downsides of all this”. She continued to say that, “We forget that relational aggression comes from insecurity about yourself, and wanting to put other people down so you feel better” (Child Mind Institute). For the self-esteem of young girls and boys, cyberbullying needs to be put to a stop and a possible way to do that is to better regulate social media
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