How Is Social Media Affecting Adolescents?

Social media and social networking have a large impact on the world. Some view it as a way to connect with family and friends. Others may think that it is a way for predators to victimize children and media as another way for kids to get bullied. The way people, especially adolescents, communicate and interact has changed during the past several years because of a more frequent use of Social Networking Sites (Pantic). Social media and social networking can adversely affect adolescent mental health, physical safety, and cause behavioral changes.
Many do not know the difference between social media and social networking and often get the two confused. Social networking has to do with more social websites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and anything alike. It is used to connect with other people with common interests. Where social media is a way to connect with someone one-on-one. Interacting with someone on a more personal level. Social media also includes TV, newspapers, and magazines. Although the two are different, they both affect society in negative ways.
An exponential amount time spent online by a person leads to less family communication and a decrease of one's internet social circle. This leads to loneliness and even a growth of feeling depressed. Publications later stated that computer use has a negative effect on an adolescent's social development (Pantic). Being online puts a child at risk if they do not have adult supervision. This gives online predators a chance to harm a child, in a mental or even a physical way. It also put the child at danger in being a victim of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a form of harassment. Females and the LGBT community are more likely to be victimized by this kind of bullying ("Social Media Use and Adolescents: A Guide for