Effects of social media on teenagers- tips for dealing with online addiction

For more information on social media effects on young people and how to stop being addicted to it, we spoke to May Abu Kalbin, a blogger and a journalist student at Edinburgh Napier university.

▲Woman using her phone. Photograph: Pexels

Communication and information technology have changed massively over the past decade with the emergence of social media. From posting to texting, sharing images, blogging and more, young people are getting addicted to using social media platforms more than ever before. What are the recent statistics on young people using social media? And what impact can this have on their lives?

According to Talkwalker Quick Search, the vast majority of social media users in the UK are between the ages of 18 and 34, making up 76.5% of all users. In 2021, the UK had 53 million social media users and 39 million of these people use social media through mobile devices.

Surprisingly, just 67% of the UK population uses social media despite the fact that more than 95% of the UK population uses the internet. However, The UK's number of social media users, at 66%, is higher than the average for the global world which is 45%.

May Abu Kalbin, a blogger and a journalist student, has been active on social media platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok for over five years with more than 6,000 followers on Instagram and around 156 thousand followers on Tiktok. She shares her experience of her influence on people through the use of social media platforms as well as the effects this has on her life. She also shares tips on how to avoid overusing social media.

The latest social media statistics and facts in 2022, discovered that 30% of all Instagram users in the UK are between the ages of 25 and 34, making up the majority of users. In addition, despite TikTok being relatively new, it has a powerful growth tendency in the UK, particularly among children and those between the ages of 18 and 24. According to Statista, TikTok is anticipated to have 12.5 million users in the UK by 2024.

May said: “I began blogging when I was 15 years old. I make a wide range of entertainment that anyone can enjoy regardless of faith, beliefs, or skin colour. In addition, I believe that people need to see creators who reflect their own experiences and values. I try to influence my followers by sharing positive and trending news about politics, activism, mental health, diversity, and other topics. I post through video, sometimes scripting what I have to say if there is a lot of information to unpack. The inspiration for my videos frequently comes from popular trends, dates, and events.

An example of this would be during the climate change movement demanding that fossil fuels be phased out and that Western countries pay for the damage caused by climate change. I feel that discussing such topics is crucial even if all it does is inform my audience, it makes a difference either way. I spend a few hours a day on social media, though I do not produce content daily and sometimes there are days that I do not produce any at all, but I always try to reply and engage with people including other content creators.”

Social media can help people in a variety of aspects. For example, according to BMC Public Health, social media is fundamentally social because it is used to interact with others, either through direct conversation or through the creation, consumption, and feedback of content. SMU may therefore have significant effects on building connections between people. This keeps people engaged and aware of the world’s news and events.

May said: “The benefit of being active on social media is that I receive a ton of support which I appreciate, and it pushes me to continue to speak my mind on social media. Furthermore, social media helps to boost my creativity by allowing me to come up with original ideas and goals and then share them with a huge number of audiences and receive feedback, which can enhance my self-esteem and confidence.”

Social media has significantly changed how young people spend their time, share information, and communicate with one another. This has resulted in considerable concern about its potential negative influence. Even after years of research, there is still a lot of doubt regarding how social media affects happiness. The researchers investigated a link between estimated social media use and reported life satisfaction. They identified important youth phases where social media use was connected to a subsequent decline in life satisfaction and discovered that teenagers who initially expressed less life satisfaction later used more social media.

In addition, according to BMC Public Health, social media disconnects people from their families or friends and make them rely on the Internet to keep in touch with everyone. It also has negative health impacts, such as anxiety and depression due to a lack of sleep. This can affect their mental health negatively and lead to Low self-esteem and stress. In some cases, it can cause vision impairment if people stay on the Internet for a long time.

May said: “Some of the negatives of being active on social media are that I receive a lot of hate, especially being accessible to anyone in the world who may discriminate against you for no reason except who you are. Social media can also give young people high standards for beauty and life expectations which are not healthy.

“In addition, being a creator means you hold much more responsibility than people are willing to accept as you are seen by impressionable youngsters and others. So you must always have a clear mind and the right intention whenever you post. Not many people consider this, it's important to also just be yourself. People follow you because you have something great to offer and I think that's incredible and requires responsibility.”

There are various ways to deal with online addiction to protect teenagers from overusing social media and its negative effects. The International Psychology Clinic suggests the following tips:

Firstly, to resolve any problem is to get out of denial and admit it by verbalising your concern, you become honest with yourself and bring clarity to the situation. It also makes you realise how harmful internet use is to your health.

Secondly, limit your mobile use. When you realise that internet addiction is terrible for you and that it is taking control of your life, you can begin to distance yourself from it. You can set a time limit of 30 minutes for your online session. You can establish restrictions for not using the internet beyond a specific time each day. This will keep you all under control and managed.

Thirdly, share some real-life stories. Invite your friends over for some enjoyable activities. Make time for your loved ones and get out more often. Spend time with them, do what you enjoy, and prioritise your real-life relationships over your online ones.

finally, A schedule helps you to be more organised and manageable. If you've been spending your life aimlessly and without a schedule, you need to change that. Time management is essential for overcoming internet addiction. Along with accessing the internet, you must create a schedule and make time for other activities. This will eliminate the desire to check your phone at regular intervals. You can also set a time for internet use, but it will be part of the routine.

May added: “A routine keeps you organised and in control. Time management is the key to combating internet addiction. Along with using the internet, you should develop a timetable and set out time for a variety of other activities. This eliminates the desire to check your phone at regular intervals. You can use the internet whenever you want, but it will become a part of your regular routine.

Social media enables us to reach out to people no matter where we are in the globe, and it is critical that we embrace the benefits it provides. With many people spending so much time on social media platforms like Instagram and Tiktok, my suggestion is to remember to set and pursue your own life goals. If you are highly passionate about your goals in addition to social media, try to bridge the gap and allow it to work in your favour. Your future is in your hands."