The Dual Impact of Social Media on Teenagers' Self-Expression and Mental Health

Abstract

With the development of Internet technology and short video platforms, social media has become an important part of teenagers' daily life. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and other platforms not only provide entertainment for teenagers, but also become important spaces for their self-expression, identity exploration and social interaction. Social media can help teenagers express their emotions, gain peer support, get in touch with different cultures, and promote the development of identity to a certain extent. However, social media may also have negative effects, such as overfocusing on self-image, social comparison, online conflicts, exposure to harmful content, and increased risk of anxiety and depression. This article believes that social media is not the only cause of psychological problems among teenagers, but is more like an “amplification mechanism” that will strengthen the existing psychological state of adolescents. The mental health of adolescents is affected by many factors such as family environment, school relationships, peer support, individual characteristics and the use of social media. Therefore, to understand the impact of social media on teenagers, we need to see its positive effects and potential risks at the same time.