Is social media a good thing or a bad thing? The short answer is neither. Meanwhile, teens are the number one social media users. This is affecting mental health and creating standards and other things that should not be taken seriously. Jealousy, bullying and negative comments all have negative effects on almost every teen. Whether they are comparing themselves to others, wishing they were someone else, getting hated on, made fun of, etc. These are all the effects social media is causing in young adolescents. Now does this happen to everyone? No. But, almost every teenager has either had a TikTok account, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc and has witnessed an act of some sort. Growing up today with cell phones, new beauty standards, and constant pressure has definitely brought a concern for upcoming and current middle-high school students. Should there be a limit to this?, I’m not sure no one can control it, but maybe some ways to help prevent this situation would or could come in handy. 

   Many people are lacking self confidence nowadays. Some reasons are maybe someone says your body isn’t perfect which definitely can be hard for a girl or a guy. This can cause things such as eating disorders which have been a big topic on the trending TikTok app. It can also create body image issues which are heartbreaking for a developing growing teenager. I know I have definitely experienced the feeling of watching other people on Tik Tok or other platforms and saying to myself, “Oh I wish I looked more like her.” Unfortunately not all can just let it go and move on. Some are more damaged than others. Another big thing is kids being jealous of what they don’t have but others do which is causing a lack of gratitude. 

   Social media is fake. Now that doesn’t mean it’s not always reliable, it’s just not always as it seems. Due to editing of pictures which can have self confidence effects on girls or guys, unreliable sources creating news or other untrue ideas, and much more. 

   Now am I saying no one should have social media? Of course not! I just think that maybe the world should spend less time on it… something I definitely need to try. And not to take things personally and to think about you’re post before posting it. Think to yourself, “Is this going to hurt anyone or affect anyone emotionally?