The use of social media has significantly increased over the past three decades. A study reveals that almost 95% of teenagers have a device that accesses the internet. Lenhart, Madden, Smith, Purcell, & Zickuhr (2011) states that out of the 95% of teens 80% have social media sites. Fortunately or unfortunately, social media has become one of the primary sources of communication among adolescents as it plays a definitive role in their lives. The internet does not include only the teenagers but also every other section of the demography. The exposure of these relatively young adults on social networks has reared both merits and demerits. The debate as to whether social media is exclusively evil or beneficial is still ongoing, as a lot of controversies has emanated as a result. Social media possesses both vices and myriads of benefits to the mental health and well-being in adolescents.
Risks and Opportunities of Social Media Use on the Psychosocial Development of Adolescents
Critics have argued that although social media has displayed positive implications on the youth, the majority of teenagers have displayed unfavorable effects. Social media imposes a certain pressure on adolescents which causes individuals to question their personality and whether they fit a specific status quo usually upheld by a majority of other teens on social media. Social media has thus become a robust underlying force that has consequently increased peer pressure amongst adolescents (Lenhart, Madden, Smith, Purcell, & Zickuhr, 2011). However, social media can also be positively applied by an individual to better oneself depending on the character of the individual. For instance, social media may be used to connect youths from different parts of the world and facilitate the sharing of innovative ideas. Consequently, these connections may result in the spread of bad habits amongst the adolescents.
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In the recent days, adolescents have been observed to embrace technology fully. Studies conducted reveal that the most significant number of social media users is comprised of adolescents and youths. It is hence presumed that adolescents begin and end their day by logging into their social media accounts. With the young age comes impulsive behavior that can be steered into rather destructive paths with the help of some compelling pressure (Mubarak & Mubarak, 2015). Social media presents a formidable force that coerces many teenagers into habits that cause more harm than good. For instance, bullying in schools has been discovered to be orchestrated by culprits on the various social media platforms. Cyberbullying has equally detrimental effects as traditional bullying such as students committing suicide.
Most relationships amongst adolescents involve trust, loyalty, and self-disclosure. Relationships formed through social media lack credibility, unlike childhood relations which are formed through interactions and shared interests or activities (Reid & Weigle, 2014). Internet use and social media could, therefore, provide additional avenues for support and communication which are vital to the development of adolescents. Social media has also become one of the most effective education tool used by adolescents to learn skills and traits applicable in various fields of study and generally life. Also, adolescents may enhance skills already possessed through sharing with their peers from diverse backgrounds. Social media admittedly facilitates intercultural communication and understanding promoting understanding and room for personal development.
The Motivations behind the Disclosure Processes of Adolescents on Social Media and its Influence on Identity Development and Relationships with Parents and Peers
Social media permits users to post anything on the various platforms. Adolescents have been discovered to be the group that is most thrilled by the absence of restrictions on many social media pages. The lack of restrictions implies that users may share photos, videos, addresses, locations, and other details used in identification. Self-disclosure refers to the revelation of one’s personal information. Mubarak & Mubarak (2015) elaborate that, “Self-disclosure means any information exchange that refers to the self, including the personal states, dispositions, past events and plans for the future.” However, the concept uniquely applies to the adolescents as members of this group may be unaware of the various privacy policies and the abilities to disclose personal information.
Although relationships with parents are monumental, for adolescents, the relationship with their peers becomes more valuable with time. Adolescents develop an obsessive behavior of impressing one another or in other words, “belonging” (Reid & Weigle, 2014). Due to the need to fit in and peer pressure, information shared by adolescents on social media platforms may be discredited. If an adolescent is more prone to influence, then they are more likely to share false information which may be used negatively (Lenhart, Madden, Smith, Purcell, & Zickuhr, 2011). Self-disclosure impacts an individual’s self-identity on social media which is regarded as necessary by the adolescents. As a result, relationships with peers and parents are affected by the amount of personal information shared on these sites.
Social media has both positive and negative implications on the adolescents. Given the various aspects, social media influences the psychosocial development of adolescents and determines the relationships formed amongst peer members. Social media is thus neither good nor bad but can be used as a tool to progress oneself or if an individual is prone to social influence, as a destructive mechanism. Equally, the internet cannot be blamed for the actions of individuals. Self-disclosure on social media refers to the sharing of personal identification information. Adolescents tend to share their personal information which may at times be exaggerated to conform to peer pressure. Social media although purposed to be beneficial to the adolescent’s psychosocial development has been utilized negatively by a majority of adolescents.
References
Lenhart, A., Madden, M., Smith, A., Purcell, K., & Zickuhr, K. (2011). Teens, kindness and cruelty on social network sites: How American teens navigate the new world of digital citizenship. Pew Research Center Internet & Technology .
Mubarak, S., & Mubarak, A. R. (2015). Online self-disclosure and wellbeing of adolescents: A systematic literature review. Australasian Conference on Information Systems , 2-9.
Reid, D., & Weigle, P. (2014). Social Media Use among Adolescents: Benefits and Risks. Adolescent Psychiatry , 4 (2), 73-80. doi:10.2174/221067660402140709115810
