How Can Social Media be Beneficial and Destructive?

            When adolescents use social media it is very easy for them to adopt or worsen depression. Social media use can also cause a decrease in friendship closeness among teenagers. A study mentioned in an Article in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found a correlation to social media use and a later appearance of depression. This article suggested that one reason why depression may increase when using social media is that adolescents are substituting their time when they engage in healthy behavior for time they can spend on social media. An example could be scrolling through social media and missing out on time spent with family. A reason why social media can worsen depression is that a teenager with depression may turn to friends and users on social media for a means of positive support. This can cause a downward spiral as social media makes the young adult more dependent on feedback, which increases overall use of social media and exposure to its negative effects. A Journal Article in Developmental Psychology explained that when adolescents form expectations on how many likes or positive comments they should receive they can become upset with their friends for not responding to their posts quickly or at all. This can lead to a decrease in friendship closeness. This article suggested another way that social media can cause a decrease in friendship closeness among adolescents is that they will spend time using social media instead of spending real quality time with their friends in person. 40 percent of adolescents affirm this idea that teenagers are spending time on social media that could be spent with their friends. Another way that social media can both decrease friendship closeness and increase depression is by showing adolescents posts of friends at gatherings that they were not invited to. Social media platforms have the potential to be very destructive by worsening or forming depression among teenagers and decreasing the closeness of friendships.