social media should be abolished

By Leeor Messulan ‘26
Social media has become a critical factor in the growth of adolescents. Its balanced positive and negative traits beg debate and discussion regarding whether or not social media is beneficial for developing youth. To understand this debate, it is important to comprehend how and why many kids, tweens, and teens engulf themselves in the isolating world of social media. 

A study conducted by the University of Minnesota declared that 85% of American teens consistently use social media platforms Over the past two years social media use has increased by 17%, some experts claim that the increase may be due to the pandemic. They believe that because of the consistent solitary state, people rely on their phones to an extreme.
The negative effects of adolescents being on social media include addiction, distraction, misinformation, sleep disruption, impaired social skills, cyberbullying and overall mental health issues. Social media companies target modern youth and try to profit from their downfall through grooming addictions when social media posts and platforms are often much too graphic and advanced for the eyes of children. Yet, they are getting addicted just the same as adults.
The never-ending hole that is scrolling through an Instagram feed impairs children’s sleep. Parents are having trouble putting their kids to bed because they are frightened by what they may stumble across on social media. Moreover, parents are struggling to get kids to turn in their phones before bedtime. Children claim that they need their devices to fall asleep and often throw tantrums when denied that privilege. 
 Play-based childhood has transformed into phone-based childhood. It is becoming increasingly rare to find board games and decks of cards in the average child’s bedroom. Kids aren't socializing in public, they are too busy on social media that they forget how to communicate effectively. While phones allow for efficient communication, there is nothing that combats one-on-one and face-to-face time, it is core bonding memories that teach children how to be loving, caring, and affectionate. 
Additionally, kids are prone and apt to believe everything they watch and learn, leading to an abundance of misinformation. 
Junior Hannah Zoller said, “I once believed that Celcius drinks were becoming banned in the US because I saw it on TikTok. Of course it turned out to be untrue.” 
Social media also leads to Cyberbullying, which can change the way a child perceives their self-image. 
Junior Leam Bilik explained, “It was only until recently that I realized how bad bullying can get online. I didn’t know how damaging something can be through a screen.” 
Cyberbullying through social media platforms can be the root of insecurities, ego complexes, and serious mental health issues. 
Some may not realize it, but “catfishing” is a form of cyberbullying as well. Catfishing is when an online troll pretends to be someone they are not to lure in children or significant others. Often, these catfishes speak in abusive ways and truly are predators. 
Social media should be banned for adolescents considering that it has become more and more common for influencers to receive hate comments on apps such as TikTok, Instagram, X, and more. This can make posting less of an outlet, and more of a stressor. ​