Social Media has both positive and negative affects on a teen’s and tween’s self-esteem and health. It is up to our future generations to not let it take over. Social Media deprives teenagers of who they really are, but it is also up to teenagers to change their beliefs and what they are defined by.
Think about it, before social media took over the way we connected with one another, there was radio, books, magazines, television and movies. Even then low self esteem was a concern especially when young kids didn’t see anyone who looked like themselves represented in those mediums.
We can all agree that most teens love social media whether it’s Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Youtube and many of them become “overnight sensations’ because of them. However, what many teens don’t seem to understand, especially in the beginning is just how much of an impact it has on their self-esteem. With social networking, teens are worried about how many “likes” they can get, how many followers they gain and how many retweets they have, even though none of it matters.
According to the Dove Self-Esteem Project, “Social media creates an environment where disordered thoughts and behaviors really thrive,” Without a lot of “likes,” followers, or retweets, teens may see themselves as “not good enough.” They are constantly exposed to seeing this “perfect image” of who they should be on social media. Some feel if they can’t become that “perfect image,” then they’re not good enough for anyone or themselves.
My special guest, Linda Kiedi, creator of Kiesse, LLC talked about an incident that occurred before her daughter’s fourth birthday and then her inability to find diverse party supplies.
Click here to listen to the entire interview.
