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Teens feel a constant pressure to keep up with social media trends in order to remain relevant amongst their peers. We challenge you to ask your teen if they liked a picture of an egg, and why or why not? It’s interesting to think that many people liked the image simply because it was trending, and they wanted to feel like they were a part of something. This is a culture that we are accepting in our lives and in the lives of our teens. However, we (as rational thinking adults), understand where to draw the line, whereas teens become in to a world of unrealistic expectations all too easily. Nowadays, teens – and girls in particular – are so over exposed to specific ideals that it can take a hit on their self-esteem.
More time on social media links to lower life satisfaction. Overconsumption and addiction to social media is a very real problem. According to research, when people post, share, or ‘like’ something on social media, they get a rush of dopamine. Meaning, our brains “get high” from the immediate gratification that social media allows for. Receiving likes and recognition makes us feel good about ourselves. However, the opposite is also true. Not enough ‘likes’ leads to a hit on our self-esteem, and this is where this fun little game of sharing and liking becomes not-so-fun anymore. Teens are likely to delete their posts if it does not receive enough attention!
