15% of teens say they were the target of online cruelty. 41% of teens had a negative experience as a result of using a social networking site. 22% of teens lost their friendship with someone due to actions on social media sites. 13% had an experienced a problem with their parents because of social media sites.
The negative aspects of social media
However, multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. Social media may promote negative experiences such as: Inadequacy about your life or appearance.
Although there are important benefits, social media can also provide platforms for bullying and exclusion, unrealistic expectations about body image and sources of popularity, normalization of risk-taking behaviors, and can be detrimental to mental health.
However, social media use can also negatively affect teens, distracting them, disrupting their sleep, and exposing them to bullying, rumor spreading, unrealistic views of other people's lives and peer pressure. The risks might be related to how much social media teens use.
The risks you need to be aware of are: cyberbullying (bullying using digital technology) invasion of privacy. identity theft.
What are the top 5 security threats of social media? Social media threats are common. The top five social media security threats are phishing, social engineering, information disclosure, fake accounts, and malware.
Teenagers with certain vulnerabilities — such as those with low self-esteem, poor body image or social struggles — seem to be most at risk. One experiment found that exposure to manipulated images directly led to worse body image, particularly for girls more prone to compare themselves with others.
The more time spent on social media can lead to cyberbullying, social anxiety, depression, and exposure to content that is not age appropriate.
Key Social Media Addiction Statistics
Around 70% of teens and young adults in the US have a social media addiction. The average person spends 1 hour and 40 minutes per day on social media. Over 50% of Americans aged 30-49 have a social media addiction. Over 60% of men and over 55% of women are addicted to social media.
Surveys suggest that 90% of teenagers use social media.
The study findings suggest that checking social media repeatedly among young teens ages 12 to 13 may be associated with changes in how their brains develop over a three-year period. The brains of adolescents who checked social media often – more than 15 times per day, became more sensitive to social feedback.
If the use of social media is not monitored, it can lead to grave consequences. It is harmful because it invades your privacy like never before. The oversharing happening on social media makes children a target for predators and hackers. It also leads to cyberbullying which affects any person significantly.
Spending too long on social media is associated with higher levels of mental health problems, including anxiety, depression and psychological distress. “Other impacts include cyberbullying, sleep problems and concerns about body image.
Instagram was found to have the most negative overall effect on young people's mental health. The popular photo sharing app negatively impacts body image and sleep, increases bullying and “FOMO” (fear of missing out), and leads to greater feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.
Young adults tend to be the most affected by social media addiction. It is significantly higher amongst young single women. 90% of people aged 18-29 use social media in some form. 15% of people aged 23-38 admit that they are addicted to social media.
20 These results are in accordance with our study whereas, the results of a study conducted on the students of the university of Sharjah showed contradiction to our results concluding that males (49.6%) were more addicted to social media as compared to females (32%).
A Nielsen study shows that women spend nearly 10 minutes social networking through the mobile web, or through apps every day, whereas men spend a little less than 7 minutes.
With 13.4 million Australians now spending 18.8 hours per day online, and New South Wales leading this trend, Australia's internet addiction is operating at high speed. And it is not just us. People worldwide are finding it difficult to unplug.
Looking at social media in bed can make it harder for you to fall asleep. It can also reduce the amount of time you sleep for and leave you feeling unrefreshed the next day. Try to limit (or stop) social media use a couple of hours before bedtime, to allow your body to wind down and prepare for sleep.
Studies have also shown that social media can be addictive, leading to decreased productivity and decreased face-to-face social interactions. Moreover, social media has been blamed for the spread of fake news and misinformation, which can have serious consequences for public health and safety.
Limiting chat functions, especially among strangers, and limiting exposure to adult content is also recommended. Particularly for younger teens, parents may consider allowing social media use only when children are at home so that parents can keep a closer eye on their online activities.
Whether it's connecting with potentially dangerous strangers, the risk of pornographic content or other threats to young consumers, there is a reason that most social media apps require a minimum age of 13 for their users.
The message from the surgeon general is clear: Regular social media use can dangerously alter kids' brain development, even children who meet most platforms' minimum age requirement of 13. “I certainly don't think anyone under 13 should be using it,” Dr.
As well as affecting children's outside image, social media also affects children's mental health. Those who grew up on social media are more susceptible to anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders.