Social media has become ingrained in the daily lives of teenagers in the modern world. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube provide a space for teenagers to socialize, share content and keep up with friends and influencers. The rise of social media use among teenagers has also raised several public health concerns. A growing body of research links increased social media engagement among teenagers to risks of poor mental health, low self-esteem and loneliness.
This paper aims to examine the relationship between social media use and teenage mental health through a comprehensive review and analysis of existing scholarly research. Self-presentation and social comparison are inherent aspects of social media engagement that can negatively impact how teenagers view themselves (Vannucci et al., 2017). Teenagers tend to curate highlight reels of their lives on social media, selectively sharing happy moments, accomplishments and flattering photos (Frison & Eggermont, 2016). This unrealistic portrayal of peers’ lives fosters social comparison, whereby teenagers internally compare their own lives unfavourably to the idealized online representations of others (Choukas-Bradley et al., 2019). Such constant social comparison through social media leads to depressive symptoms, poor body image and low self-esteem among teenagers, especially teenage girls (McLean et al., 2015; O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Additionally, the highly curated nature of social media influences teenagers’ perceptions of their own imperfect lives in comparison, diminishing their satisfaction with life accomplishments, relationships, physical appearance and overall quality of life (McDool et al., 2019).
Excessive social media engagement displaces real social interaction that is integral to positive teenage development. Teenagers who spend more time passively consuming social media have reported higher levels of loneliness compared to teenagers who opt for in-person social interaction (Primack et al., 2017; Woods & Scott, 2016). Additionally, the online medium of communication lacks the verbal and non-verbal social cues that instill confidence and emotional intelligence during formative adolescence (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011; Rosen et al., 2013). The fear of missing out, or FOMO, evoked through social media perpetuates negative beliefs among teenagers that their peers lead more exciting lives (Abel et al., 2016; Przybylski et al., 2013). This leaves many teenagers constantly checking social media and experiencing anxiety, distress or dissatisfaction with their own more mundane lives (Pantic, 2014; Shensa et al., 2017).
Altogether, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive literature review analyzing how social media platforms may negatively impact the mental health and well-being of teenagers through mechanisms of social comparison, perfectionism, low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, loneliness and fear of missing out. The review will consider multiple peer-reviewed empirical studies and meta-analyses that have examined this issue over the past decade through quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method approaches. Gaps in current understanding will also be identified to propose avenues for future research. By examining this important public health issue through an in-depth analysis of scholarly literature, this paper hopes to further understanding of how best to support teenagers’ mental wellness in the digital age.