Social media has grown over the past few years and some teens still don’t understand the true risks of it. Social media has so many pros and cons. Teens get invested in platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and many more. We can have fun making videos, talking to friends, and sharing our interests, but there’s a lot more to the algorithm than meets the eye.

One risk of social media is that it can affect teens’ sleep schedule. A survey by McMillen Health shows that ⅓ of teens sleep next to their phone and wake up to check it in the middle of the night. Some advice for this is that teens should set digital/social media curfews for themselves, a time to wind down and get ready for bed. 

The media can be very influential, bad and good. Teens have been influenced to bully, vape/smoke, drink, and do many things they wouldn’t normally do. It’s very important that if teens have social media, they keep their opinions strong and stick with their gut. 

Cyber bullying is a bigger deal than it ever has been. According to the American Psychological Association, research shows that social media platforms are formed around a number of terrible things. Cyber bullying can look like a variety of things: making a post to poke fun at someone, make fun of the way someone looks/talks/acts, etc. Cyber bullying can affect one’s mental health. This may lead to bigger and worse issues, such as suicidal thoughts. Some people may get bullied and not know how to deal with it or not know who they can talk to.

Whether you’re talking to friends, making videos, or sharing posts, remember to stay safe and not share any of your personal information.