News stories often come out telling us that Instagram has a bad influence on young people.
They describe the adverse effects Instagram has on young people. However, there are also
many positeive effects of Social media. I am going to discuss the effects of Social media on
young people in my presentation. I did my final school research project about the effect of
social media on teens. So I already did a lot of research about it. And since I am going to
study pedagogy, I like to do research about the development of children and teens.
To begin with, Instagram has a positive impact on the development of social skills. Instagram
helps you learn how to be considerate of everyone. Because of all the different opinions,
cultures, norms and values, you learn how best to convey something without making people
feel hurt.
In addition, Instagram is an easy way to connect with other young people. Creating an
Instagram account is free and is very accessible. There are many young people who have
difficulty connecting with other peers. Moreover, Instagram is a suitable platform to stay in
touch with existing friends as well.
Instagram provides an opportunity for expression. Research shows that young people share
their emotions with others online. This also involves intense emotions, such as young people
who are considering suicide. Young people often find it more pleasant to talk with strangers
about their feelings and problems. This provides a sense of non-judgmentalism and
anonymity. They also seek out professional counselors more quickly and easily. It is easy and
anonymous, and many young people find that a safe feeling.
Another positive effect is that Instagram increases the accessibility of the art of
photography. Because the app is free, it becomes more accessible. Through Instagram,
artists can quickly reach a large audience.
Besides sharing art, emancipation movements also use this platform to spread their
message. There are large Instagram accounts that advocate for women's rights, nature's
rights and the rights of black people. For example, the Instagram account "feminist" has
almost 6.5 million followers.
Since the people who are on Instagram are very diverse, this also helps young people find
their own identity. Seeing a lot of different people and hearing opinions makes you think
about what you want and what you stand for. Instagram can therefore have a positive
influence on the development of young people and the search and expression of their own
identity.
Besides, Instagram keeps them up to date on current topics. They are more aware of what is
going on at the moment. They don't watch the news that often anymore, but they still get
important information via Instagram. Some important issues are discussed by influencers.
There are also a lot of negative effects of social media. It is increasingly talked about on
social media and other platforms.
First, spending too much time on it is often seen as a negative effect. By spending a lot of
time on social media, you have less time for social contacts in real life. You might also get
poorer language development and poorer learning performance. This can happen because,
for example they practice reading less. In addition, social media can be hugely distracting
with homework. Young people are more likely to reach for their phones to check social
, media and put off doing homework. Often this happens unconsciously, and they don't realize
how quickly time passes.
Next, too little rest is also a negative effect. Young people need about eight to ten hours of
sleep a night. The brain of young people is not yet optimally developed. To be able to
function optimally during the day, it is important to get enough rest. The screen of a
telephone emits blue light. This type of light can disturb sleep. Sleep deprivation can also
eventually lead to physical and mental problems.
Another problem that is increasingly being discussed is the increase in insecurity due to the
influence of social media. Especially as a young person, you are often still very concerned
about what people think of you. You want to belong somewhere and are still busy
developing yourself and discovering your own identity. Instagram often gives a wrong
impression of reality. A photo of a female influencer for example in bikini on a beach, looks
perfect. This is often because a proper position is taken and from a certain point of view the
photo is taken. The problem is that you only see the final result. Young people are more
likely to feel insecure because they feel they have to look the same. Fortunately, these days
there is more and more discussion about this perfect picture that does not exist in real life.
Social media can also be harmful to your health. Anxiety disorder and depression seem to be
much worse because of social media use. With anxiety disorder a person may experience
panic over a certain situation or out of the blue. This makes it difficult for people with an
anxiety disorder to go to public places. These disorders can be exacerbated by the use of
social media. This can be due to the distorted view of reality on Instagram, which makes
young people very self-conscious and insecure. There is also the term FoMo which means
‘Fear of Missing Out’. This term is especially familiar among young people. The rise of
Instagram has only made this a bigger problem. With FoMO, you feel like you constantly
want to know what other people are doing. Depression also seems to have gotten worse
since social media. This is also due to an unrealistic image of reality and insecurity.
Another negative effect is sexual abuse. Instagram makes it much easier to spread things and
reach people. My sister who works with children told me, she increasingly comes into
contact with young girls who are looking for attention from older men, including a girl of 11
years old. It is incredibly easy to get in touch with people via Instagram, anonymously. In this
case, the girl sought the contact. but there are also enough cases where young people are
threatened to do certain things without wanting to. Especially young children often do not
yet know what they are doing or see the danger of these type of things. On social media
people can easily pretend to be someone they are not.
Lastly, a negative effect is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is bullying through or on social media.
Bullying is a big problem among young people. Social media makes it even easier to bully
someone. Bullies can create an anonymous account and scold and harass someone without
revealing their identity. Thus, bullying only becomes easier for young people.
They describe the adverse effects Instagram has on young people. However, there are also
many positeive effects of Social media. I am going to discuss the effects of Social media on
young people in my presentation. I did my final school research project about the effect of
social media on teens. So I already did a lot of research about it. And since I am going to
study pedagogy, I like to do research about the development of children and teens.
To begin with, Instagram has a positive impact on the development of social skills. Instagram
helps you learn how to be considerate of everyone. Because of all the different opinions,
cultures, norms and values, you learn how best to convey something without making people
feel hurt.
In addition, Instagram is an easy way to connect with other young people. Creating an
Instagram account is free and is very accessible. There are many young people who have
difficulty connecting with other peers. Moreover, Instagram is a suitable platform to stay in
touch with existing friends as well.
Instagram provides an opportunity for expression. Research shows that young people share
their emotions with others online. This also involves intense emotions, such as young people
who are considering suicide. Young people often find it more pleasant to talk with strangers
about their feelings and problems. This provides a sense of non-judgmentalism and
anonymity. They also seek out professional counselors more quickly and easily. It is easy and
anonymous, and many young people find that a safe feeling.
Another positive effect is that Instagram increases the accessibility of the art of
photography. Because the app is free, it becomes more accessible. Through Instagram,
artists can quickly reach a large audience.
Besides sharing art, emancipation movements also use this platform to spread their
message. There are large Instagram accounts that advocate for women's rights, nature's
rights and the rights of black people. For example, the Instagram account "feminist" has
almost 6.5 million followers.
Since the people who are on Instagram are very diverse, this also helps young people find
their own identity. Seeing a lot of different people and hearing opinions makes you think
about what you want and what you stand for. Instagram can therefore have a positive
influence on the development of young people and the search and expression of their own
identity.
Besides, Instagram keeps them up to date on current topics. They are more aware of what is
going on at the moment. They don't watch the news that often anymore, but they still get
important information via Instagram. Some important issues are discussed by influencers.
There are also a lot of negative effects of social media. It is increasingly talked about on
social media and other platforms.
First, spending too much time on it is often seen as a negative effect. By spending a lot of
time on social media, you have less time for social contacts in real life. You might also get
poorer language development and poorer learning performance. This can happen because,
for example they practice reading less. In addition, social media can be hugely distracting
with homework. Young people are more likely to reach for their phones to check social
, media and put off doing homework. Often this happens unconsciously, and they don't realize
how quickly time passes.
Next, too little rest is also a negative effect. Young people need about eight to ten hours of
sleep a night. The brain of young people is not yet optimally developed. To be able to
function optimally during the day, it is important to get enough rest. The screen of a
telephone emits blue light. This type of light can disturb sleep. Sleep deprivation can also
eventually lead to physical and mental problems.
Another problem that is increasingly being discussed is the increase in insecurity due to the
influence of social media. Especially as a young person, you are often still very concerned
about what people think of you. You want to belong somewhere and are still busy
developing yourself and discovering your own identity. Instagram often gives a wrong
impression of reality. A photo of a female influencer for example in bikini on a beach, looks
perfect. This is often because a proper position is taken and from a certain point of view the
photo is taken. The problem is that you only see the final result. Young people are more
likely to feel insecure because they feel they have to look the same. Fortunately, these days
there is more and more discussion about this perfect picture that does not exist in real life.
Social media can also be harmful to your health. Anxiety disorder and depression seem to be
much worse because of social media use. With anxiety disorder a person may experience
panic over a certain situation or out of the blue. This makes it difficult for people with an
anxiety disorder to go to public places. These disorders can be exacerbated by the use of
social media. This can be due to the distorted view of reality on Instagram, which makes
young people very self-conscious and insecure. There is also the term FoMo which means
‘Fear of Missing Out’. This term is especially familiar among young people. The rise of
Instagram has only made this a bigger problem. With FoMO, you feel like you constantly
want to know what other people are doing. Depression also seems to have gotten worse
since social media. This is also due to an unrealistic image of reality and insecurity.
Another negative effect is sexual abuse. Instagram makes it much easier to spread things and
reach people. My sister who works with children told me, she increasingly comes into
contact with young girls who are looking for attention from older men, including a girl of 11
years old. It is incredibly easy to get in touch with people via Instagram, anonymously. In this
case, the girl sought the contact. but there are also enough cases where young people are
threatened to do certain things without wanting to. Especially young children often do not
yet know what they are doing or see the danger of these type of things. On social media
people can easily pretend to be someone they are not.
Lastly, a negative effect is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is bullying through or on social media.
Bullying is a big problem among young people. Social media makes it even easier to bully
someone. Bullies can create an anonymous account and scold and harass someone without
revealing their identity. Thus, bullying only becomes easier for young people.
