As a child who was allowed early internet access, I definitely believe it affected my development. Since the COVID pandemic, many adolescents have been spending more time on screens. During COVID, I spent most of my time scrolling on TikTok or playing video games. I grew more attached to my phone as the time isolated ticked by. If I wasn’t messaging my friends, I was watching videos of other people with their friends. Maybe I was making isolated friends with online figures. My TikTok was filled with all of the creators I chronically watched whenever I had free time, which was all the time. What else is a bored preteen going to do while being trapped at home with my unenthusiastic family?
How do you think persistent phone usage affects us? Do you think we are completely healthy spending 5+ hours on our phones each day? Let’s figure it out.
Four in ten teens reported feeling anxious when they did not have their cell phone with them. More girls (49%) experience anxiety than boys (35%), and 25% of teens feel lonely without their phones. (acpeds.org)
We have relied on our phones excessively to the point of affecting our mental health. People have become attached to their phones because they are a stable resource that is with us night and day. Despite this, phones have been shown to make us lonelier and more anxious.
A pediatric physical therapist had this proposal: “Think about survivors of abuse- physical or sexual or emotional or financial or any type of abuse- so if all a child hears is negative or inappropriate information or content, then what are they going to be learning? Children learn from seeing and doing, and if what they are seeing and being taught to do is inappropriate, that is what they are going to learn and most likely do.” (quora.com)
There are all kinds of scary people on the internet, and harmful posts. This affects development; if you don’t learn any better, that’s the way you will continue to be and pass on.
A 45-year-old woman has seen what it looks like when these kids grow up.
“If somebody texts me and I am with other people, I make sure to say, ‘Excuse me,’ But I have noticed that younger people will just pick up the phone and start texting someone while you are in the middle of a conversation with them. It comes across as very rude. Even if they do somewhat pay attention, they don’t listen as well.” (quora.com)
Children who were exposed to the internet from a young age have developed an independence with themselves, which is good in moderation. They isolate themselves and focus on one thing only: that dang phone! We are devaluing human interaction when we should be getting more connected with each other.
“Cybervictimisation is associated with poorer life satisfaction, as well as depression, somatic symptoms, suicide ideation, self-harm, anxiety, and other psychological problems such as eating disorders, lower self-esteem, and overall poorer mental health.” (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
These are extreme and serious mental health issues. We don’t think social media has this much of an impact; we blame it on other sources. Meanwhile, these are the statistics of negative social media effects. If you are on social media, be very wary of these effects.
So what can I do if I want to protect myself from cybervictimisation and harmful effects?
Limit and be aware of your screen time. Do you even think before you go on your phone, or do you just pick it up and wait for it to entertain you? Most people don’t have an intention behind going on their phones. Usually, we say we are going to check our messages, and then we see our TikTok button. We hop on TikTok for “only 10 minutes,” which turns into 2 hours. If you are going on your phone, make sure you know what you are doing and are not mindlessly scrolling.
Delete social media or be careful of what you post. If you have noticed a huge decline in your mental health or are worried about it, delete social media! Since I’ve deleted all social media platforms, I’ve felt more relaxed and less exhausted. We waste our energy by watching meaningless videos that we are going to forget in a couple of minutes. Social media is more harmful than beneficial, which we already covered. Posting on social media can be harmful in ways you may not expect. We have all heard what a digital footprint is, and it can be harmful not only to your future jobs but also to predators. There are predators all over the internet, and they can even be your “online friends”. Don’t post things about your school, where you live, your real name, and any personal things that only you and your family should know. Even if you think you trust someone, never overshare. If any predator or friend tries to get you to do something you aren’t comfortable with, tell an adult.
A lot of things get normalized on social media that shouldn’t be normal. Some people may spread harmful information that isn’t true or can hurt you physically or mentally. Check in with yourself when you watch a video or see a post. Is this positive, true, or something you would watch with your family? If it is a no, then you shouldn’t be watching it. Scroll past or report it!
Spread this information around! Take care of yourself and others from harmful social media. Protect our mental health.
