Written By Sarah Talukder
1.1 Introduction
As society becomes more technologically advanced, we are in a digital renaissance in which over 6.94 billion people own smartphones. We as humans have access to knowledge, the landscape of the world, and interconnectedness through our fingertips. Speaking of interconnectedness, social media websites allow people to communicate with people from all over the world and make online friendships. With social media and the digital age being predominantly formed in the 21st century, Generation Z(1997-2012) was the first generation to grow with these said devices and a digital life rather than “real life.” With this being said, there has been recent debate on how social media impacts the mental health and neurological development of adolescents today, as they are the first group of youth to grow up in the digitized world! Although social media provides social connections and “safe spaces” to many people, social media more often than not negatively impacts mental health and warps the brain development of youth and adolescents.
1.2 Reducing the structure and functionality of the brain.
As the brain of an adolescent is ever-changing and not fully developed, the toxicity that social media can offer can negatively impact the brain's structure and functionality which could affect other mediums of life and struggle coinciding with the world. According to Dr. Bender “Increased screen time can reduce the integrity of brain structures that support early literacy in pre-kindergarten students.” (Fishman) With toddlers trying to accumulate with the world around them and gain knowledge through schooling, they are more susceptible to distractions that can get in the way of their education. As devices are becoming more prevalent in the digital renaissance and the engagement of social media is riveting, addiction between the youth and media is ever so rampant which as a whole negatively affects the parts of the brain crucial for learning to read, and screen time might harm these areas in young kids. They could prevent them from getting a proper grasp and knowledge of the world. “There are many different areas impacted among adolescents with habitual social media checking. For example, the amygdala, one of the emotional centers of the brain, was preferentially affected”(Fishman). With the youth of today, mindlessly scrolling through social media as it provides us with dopamine and satisfaction, we aren’t truly aware of the permanent consequences. Although temporary engagement is tempting, this is overshadowed by the consequences such as the amygdala( the emotional center) being affected leading to a lower EQ and a harder time and more difficulty adjusting and communicating with the world at large.
1.3 Vulnerability of neurological development leads to the capitulation of social media norms and the algorithm of toxicity!
According to Dr. Ameenuddin, Social media challenges (such as the Tide Pod Challenge) work in the same way, luring kids to film themselves performing dangerous stunts in anticipation of a social reward. ( With the brain and important parts meant for emotional neurological development such as the Amagalyda being impacted, it causes the adolescents of today to be more susceptible to danger in an attempt to become popular and gain likes which boosts their dopamine levels temporarily. (Bowman)This causes fear of missing out(FOMO), exploitation of the vulnerability of adolescents, and most importantly puts the youth of today in grave danger! Brains may become more sensitive when anticipating social rewards and punishments over time with increased social media usage. By highlighting the link between social media usage and neural sensitivity to social rewards and punishments, Bowman suggests that social media may contribute to the reinforcement of certain social norms and behaviors within peer groups. Rather than relying on themselves for confidence and validation, they rely on groups of people that many are strangers which is as a whole temporary validation. This leads to a correlation between mental health between adolescents who use social media frequently. This generation's youth is seeing mental health illnesses such as depression becoming rampant with social media being a core factor. “Previous research has shown a connection between high levels of social media use and increased depression among middle and high school youth(Bender)" In the process of the amygdala(the emotional hub of the brain) being negatively impacted especially in an underdeveloped brain; mental health disorders become more prevalent! The youth becomes vulnerable emotionally and neurologically by following and capitulating to social media norms and the venomous algorithm that leads to attention-seeking and life-threatening trends that susceptible youngsters may do at home.
1.4 The Cycle of Mental Health and Adolescence Social Media Usage
According to Sperling, “In addition to providing young people with a window through which they can view missed experiences, social media puts a distorted lens on appearances and reality.” This highlights how social media can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction among young people by offering glimpses into others' “seemingly perfect lives “ which in turn distorts the adolescent perceptions of reality Although many refuse to see the negative trajectory as they are exposing themselves to content that trajects body dissatisfaction and a falsified reality, it can lead to many mental health illnesses such as anxiety, depression, EDs, low self-esteem/worth, and feelings of isolation. Adolescents should be wary of what they expose themselves to on social media. According to Sperling,” As they go through puberty, they’re tasked with establishing their identity at a time when the frontal lobes in their brains are not fully developed, and there is a lack of impulse control.”As adolescents are trying to find their identity in the world as they're going through puberty which is controlled by the frontal lobes in the brain, a connection between social media and the demise of the development of the frontal lobe can impact their ability to regulate emotions, make decisions, and cope with stressors effectively. Around puberty, these are important attributes to have or develop over time, however, if it is warped, accumulating to society would be more challenging than anticipated! It could prevent them from making bonds and communication which ties back to mental illnesses such as depression and isolation Also, this mixed in with uncontrollable impulses is a road to chaos. The best way to deal with this is to use social media healthily and positively which makes your brain healthy.
1.5 Counterclaim and Rebuttal; Safe or Unsafe environments for you and your mind?
Opponents claim that social media provides social connections and “safe spaces” to many people. According to the Facebook-based social support team,” they predicted greater positive mental health outcomes such as a decrease in depression, anxiety, and loneliness, as well as an increase in general psychological well-being. However, that could be further from the truth and research confirms negative mental health outcomes from the youth based on the implicit toxicity of social media affecting neurological development. “Our research demonstrates that checking behaviors on social media could have long-standing and important consequences for adolescents’’(Prinstein) It’s an unsafe environment when browsing and mindlessly scrolling on social media. Through the prevalence of social media in our daily lives, especially connecting Gen Z altogether as the first generation to grow up with technology and social media, we must acknowledge how it could emotionally and mentally affect us.
1.6 Conclusion
In conclusion, the pervasive influence of social media on adolescent mental health and neurological development is undeniable. As the first generation to grow up in the digital age, Generation Z faces unique challenges in navigating social media's impact on their sense of self and emotional well-being. While social media offers connectivity and opportunities for self-expression, its toxic elements can lead to detrimental effects on mental health, particularly during the vulnerable stage of adolescence. It's essential for young people to approach social media use mindfully and prioritize their mental health in an increasingly digital world.
Comments