Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Impact of Social Media on Adolescent - Essay Example The most threatening issues related to an adolescent with regards to social media is the problem of cyber-bullying. According to Ahlfors,† Cyber-bully is a person who uses electronic means to cause emotional harm to another person. The perpetrator demonstrates a pattern of behavior of repeatedly engaging in online acts to humiliate another; either the same target or targets each time or against random, unknown targets† (Ahlfors, 2010, p. 516). It has been argued that individuals who stay away from bullying in real life tend to divert to cyber-bullying as it seems more attractive. Furthermore, the lack of supervision in online activities, as well as the feeling of being in total control, works as a fueling factor. The behaviors might revert to extremes when there is no system present which would hold them accountable for their deeds. On the other side, the people being bullied tend to be hesitant in reporting such misdemeanors because of the fear of being deprived of the m edia. In addition, according to a research conducted by CASA survey, it was revealed that young adults between the ages of 12-17, who are active social media users, are more likely to use tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana than other young adults. However, the survey also claims that the results merely show correlation, hence, social media can’t be blamed for causing such addictions amongst adolescent. Nonetheless, it provides ample evidence for parents to maintain a moderate amount of social media exposure for the young adults. It is important to limit the number of online hours allowed, moreover, sufficient supervision is also necessary to keep an eye on the media activities. Furthermore, according to a study, it was deduced that social media is also responsible for mental and psychological distress among adolescents. It has been evidenced that individuals who had a simple adolescent life went on to being mentally disturbed adults when exposed to social media. The reasons for the psychological effects have known to be the negative feedback on these social websites which lay an important role in adversely affecting an individual’s self esteem. Hence, it is important that limited personal information