Social Media

The negative power and effect that social media has over the youth is a growing pandemic, and, without proper guidance and consideration, it could become either the biggest dream come true, or the world’s worst nightmare.
The surge of social media use has increased more than seven-fold since 2005. In 2005, 10% of Americans were recorded to be registered on at least one social media website, compared to the data in 2015, where 76% of Americans are on social media. With this sweeping increase of statistics, rises in cyber-bullying, low self-esteem, identity issues, negative body image, dieting behaviour, behavioural issues and violent attitudes have followed.
Being a teenager, we experience rapid changes in the way we feel about our bodies; things start to alter faster than we could ever imagine. With the changes in hormones, our bodies also undergo a change in aesthetic. Some people gain weight whilst others lose it. However, the portrayal of the “average body” according to the media definitely begins to take a toll on how we view ourselves. Having a flat stomach, small thighs and a pretty face becomes an obsession to young girls, and having big muscles becomes an addiction for young boys. Eating disorders have become ever more prevalent in this generation as boys and girls alike find no other way to achieve the “perfect look” than by starving themselves. Although this rise in negative body image can be linked to the misrepresentation in the media, the fashion industry and magazines are very reluctant to create a diverse atmosphere in order to lead the youth down the right path. Instead of personifying the phrase “all bodies are beautiful”, they are set on presenting beauty as bones and average as anorexic. The root of the problem is at the heart of these fashion industries.
Following on, this bad representation of the ordinary has led to teenagers developing an inferiority complex. Everywhere you look, there is a chance for envy to bloom. The constant,...