Adolescent and Young Adult Social Media Use: Using For a Purpose, but Resulting in Unexpected and Negative Side Effects

Running head: Adolescent and Young Adult Social Media Use
Adolescent and Young Adult Social Media Use:
Using For a Purpose, but Resulting in Unexpected and Negative Side Effects
Samantha Hauck
Western Oregon University

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Adolescent and Young Adult Social Media Use
Abstract
As of May 2018, 95% of adolescents reported that they have access to a smartphone, and 45% of
those adolescents said that they were on social media sites almost constantly (Anderson & Jiang,
2018). When it comes to possible influences that are leading to the sudden increase in
smartphones and social media use, some argue it is because adolescents and young adults are
becoming addicted narcissists, and others argue they are using social media for specific
purposes. This paper argues that although most adolescents and young adults appear to be
addicted to social media, they are actually using it for specific purposes such as connecting with
others and expressing their identity; however, social media use is still leading to negative and
unexpected side effects, and there are solutions to overcome these side effects. Side effects from
social media use will be explored and possible solutions to overcome these side effects will be
suggested as well. The purpose of this paper is to show adolescents use social media for specific
purposes, and that they are not addicted to social media or becoming narcissists.

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Introduction
As of May 2018, 95% of adolescents reported that they had access to a smartphone and
45% of those adolescents said that they were on social media sites almost constantly (Anderson
& Jiang, 2018). These numbers have grown since the last Pew Research Institute survey in 2015
where 73% of adolescents reported that they had access to smartphones and 24% reported almost
constantly being on social media sites (Lenhart, 2015). This is a 22% and 21% increase in just
over three years. When it comes to possible influences leading to the sudden increase in
smartphones and social media use, some researchers argue it is because adolescents and young
adults are turning into narcissistic social media addicts who want to show off their “perfect” lives
(Malcolm, 2015; Jarrett, 2017; Kardaras, 2015; Meyers, 2018). These researchers believe
adolescents and young adults use social media to brag about their lives, and that they are as
addicted to using social media as some people are to cigarettes. Others argue adolescents and
young adults are not addicted to social media nor are they narcissists (Przybylski, 2017; boyd,
2014; Jarrett, 2017; Freitas 2017). These researchers believe there are specific reasons and
purposes as to why adolescents and young adults are using social media.
Although most adolescents and young adults appear to be addicted to social media, they
are actually using it for specific purposes such as connecting with others and expressing their
identity. However, social media use is still leading to negative and unexpected side effects, and
there are solutions to overcome these side effects. My own view is that social media is creating
some negative effects in the lives of adolescents and young adults. However, I do not believe
they are all addicted to social media, because research shows that many of them are using social
media to connect with others and explore their personal identity (Przybylski, 2017; boyd, 2014;
Jarrett, 2017; Freitas 2017). The purpose of this paper is to show that adolescents use social

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media for specific purposes and that they are not addicted to social media or becoming
narcissists. Before diving deep into why adolescents and young adults use social media, it is
important to learn about the history of social media and define the term.
A Definition and History of Social Media
Social media, also known as social networking sites (SNS), have been defined by boyd &
Ellison (2007) as
a web-based service that allows individuals to (1) construct a public or semipublic profile
within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a
connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others
within the system ( p. 211).
In other words, social media sites allow people to create a profile online that they can put out in
the public for others to see. By creating a profile, a person is able to connect with personal
friends, family, and others who share the same interests as they do. This connection is different
from traditional face-to-face interactions because social networking allows for a person to
connect to others in different ways and form new networks or groups of people based on a
common interest (Greenhow and Robelia, 2009; Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe 2007;
Haythornthwaite 2005). So, how exactly did social media get started?
Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) were created in 1978 and were the first form of social
media on the Internet (Shah, 2016). This system “allowed users to communicate with a central
system where they could download files or games…and post messages to other users” (Shah,
2016, p. 4). In other words, Bulletin Board Systems were the first sites that allowed society to
connect with one another over the Internet instead of just face-to-face. In the ’90s, AOL
(America Online) was created, and everyone was racing to get a computer (Hendricks, 2013).

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From there, sites such as MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn started popping up,
giving society more chances to connect with one another in deeper and more meaningful ways
(Shah, 2016; Hendricks, 2013). These social media sites became increasingly popular with
adolescents and young adults because the sites allowed them to connect and “hang out” with
their school friends while at home. They were now able to explore the world and meet new
people (Shah, 2016). After social media sites came the introduction of the “fourth screen”
(smartphones and tablets), giving adolescents and young adults more opportunities to connect
with others online (Shah, 2016), and also creating serious worry in adults about what social
media was turning their kids into.
Are Adolescents and Young Adults All a Bunch of Social Media Addicted Narcissists?
When adults discuss their worries about adolescent and young adult social media use,
narcissism and addiction are the two topics brought up most often, and they also have the most
controversy around them (Malcolm, 2015; Jarrett, 2017; Freitas, 2015; boyd, 2014). Some argue
social media is turning adolescents and young adults into addicts and narcissists (Malcolm, 2015;
Jarrett, 2017; Kardaras, 2015; Myers, 2018). Others insist these claims are blown out of
proportion and do not reflect the majority of adolescents and young adults using social media
(Przybylski, 2017; boyd, 2014; Jarrett, 2017; Freitas, 2017). The following section will argue
that adolescents are not becoming narcissists nor are they addicted to social media.
They Are (Not) Narcissists
A narcissist is defined as “an extremely self-centered person” (Merriam-Webster, 2019).
In other words, the person only cares about what is going on in their life, including their physical
appearance. Recently, adolescents and young adults have been labeled as the “Me Generation”
by many researchers due to their constant posting of selfies and self-related items on social

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media (Malcolm, 2014). This new generation of adolescents and young adults being labeled as
the “Me Generation” has led many to believe social media is turning the next generation into
narcissists.
Twenge and Campbell (2010, as cited in Malcolm, 2014) argued that the current
generations were more narcissistic than previous ones. In order to support their argument, the
two researchers came together to create a study to see if the more recent generations scored
higher on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, which was created in 1988, than previous
generations (Malcolm, 2014). The Narcissistic Personality Inventory consisted of 40 statements
such as “Modesty doesn’t become me/I am essentially a modest person, I prefer to blend in with
the crowd/I like to be the center of attention, and My body is nothing special/I like to look at my
body” (Raskin & Terry, 1988). One of these statements would be narcissistic while the other was
not, and the respondent would have to agree with one of the statements. This means by using the
test, researchers could tell if a person is a narcissist based on the statements they agreed or
disagreed with. Twenge and Campbell (2010, as cited in Malcolm, 2014) analyzed data from
15,000 American college students who took the test before 2006 and found that the narcissism
scores were significantly higher compared to those who had taken the test in the 1980s and 1990s
(Malcolm, 2014). This study was done again with a 2009 cohort and showed “almost two-thirds
of undergraduates were more narcissistic than the cohort average from 1982” (Jarrett, 2017, p.
9). This suggests that adolescents and young adults are more narcissistic than previous
generations.
One researcher who argued that adolescents and young adults were not growing more
narcissistic than generations before them was Arnett (2013, as cited in Jarrett, 2014). Arnett’s
biggest problem with Twenge and Campbell’s study was that it only involved undergraduate

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college students. Twenge and Campbell’s study was not a good representation of the generation
as a whole because only one specific group was being looked at, thus making the data gathered
from the study questionable. Arnett also questioned the validity of the Narcissistic Personality
Inventory because “the supposedly narcissistic option on the inventory could sometimes actually
be a measure of benign, or harmless confidence – he points to examples such as ‘“I am assertive”
versus “I wish I were more assertive”’ (Arnett, 2013, p. 6). Arnett argued some of the statements
that were supposed to be the narcissistic option were actually ones that promote confidence and
high self-esteem, which was not a hindrance or sign of narcissism.
Arnett’s view of the “Me Generation” is completely the opposite of Twenge and
Campbell’s view. When talking about the younger generations, Arnett noted they’re “an
exceptionally generous generation that holds great promise for improving the world” (Arnett,
2013, p. 5). This is illustrated by data that shows younger generations are more likely to
volunteer, and they are also more accepting of diversity in their lives, which greatly contradicts
Twenge and Campbell’s study (2010, as cited in Jarrett, 2014). Furthermore, another study done
by Roberts (2017), a personality expert, and his team showed narcissism among younger
generations had been declining since the 1990s (2017, as cited in Jarrett, 2014). Roberts and his
team used the same inventory test that Twenge and Campbell used and got completely different
results. In a 2013 article for the New York Times, Twenge “called social media a “narcissism
enabler” but conceded that there is little evidence to show that social media actually causes
narcissism” (Jarrett, 2014, p. 18). Social media may not be turning the younger generations into
“Me Monsters,” but some argue that it is turning them into social media addicts (Kardaras, 2017;
Klass, 2011; Myers, 2018; Przybylski, 2017).

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They Are (Not) Becoming Addicts
Social Media addiction has become a hot topic in the last decade with some claiming
social media is more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol (Myers, 2018; Przybylski, 2017). In
his book Glow Kids, Kardaras, Ph. D., an addiction expert, pointed to several studies which
indicate that screen time, not just social media time, has a dopamine-activating effect as well as
“increase in clinical disorders such as ADHD, aggression, mood disorders, and…psychosis”
(Kardaras, 2017 p. 19; Klass, 2011; American Academy of Pediatrics, 2009; Careaga; 2012).
Social media and screen time use also triggers adrenaline and dopamine levels to rise, and this
creates an addictive combination (Kardaras, 2017). This supports the argument that social media
is turning adolescents and young adults into addicts who rely on glowing screens to feel good
just like drug addicts who need drugs to feel good. Kardaras (2017) also pointed to a study done
by the Pew Research Institute in 2015 where they found that “texting has increased dramatically
over the past 10 years,” and many teenage texters share addict-like symptoms and behaviors (p.
89). These addict-like symptoms include "loss of sleep because of activity, problems cutting
back in it and a tendency to lie to cover up the amount of time they are doing it" (p. 89). In other
words, teenagers who engage in excessive texting develop addiction-like symptoms that are
similar to those of drug addicts. This all sounds downright frightening, but other researchers
argue that social media is nothing like drugs.
Przybylski (2017), an Associate Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the University
of Oxford, argued, “there is no scientific evidence to support such extreme claims” (p. 1). In
other words, Przybylski claimed that determining whether social media can turn someone into an
addict is far more complex than studies have made it seem. Przybylski (2017) explained, “it is
very difficult to predict how social media will affect any specific individual – the effect depends

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on things like their personality, type of social media use and social surroundings” (p. 2). In other
words, everyone, especially maturing adolescents and young adults are all different from one
another, so it is hard, and unfair, to do a “one size fits all” when talking about social media
addiction with adolescents and young adults (Kardefelt, 2017). In an interview with Business
Insider (2018), Przybylski explained the biggest problem with most of these studies was they
were too small and most researchers were going into a study with an already created hypothesis
they wanted to support (Brodwin, 2018). Przybylski (2017) attempted to recreate many of the
studies already done concerning social media addiction with a larger population and found either
no link or a very small one. He failed to find the same results as the other studies, which means
social media does not necessarily cause addiction (Brodwin, 2018). In other words, Przybylski’s
recreated studies found no significant links to social media causing addiction.
boyd, author of It’s Complicated, (2014), argued, "being "addicted" to information and
people is part of the human condition: it arises from a healthy desire to be aware of surroundings
and to connect to society" (p. 92). In other words, as people, we constantly want more
information and to connect with others, and one way to do this is to be on social media, which is
making adults assume adolescents and young adults are addicted to the sites and apps.
Adolescent and young adults may not be developing into social media addicted narcissists, but
they are using social media for specific purposes.
What Are Adolescent and Young Adults Using Social Media For?
In their books, Freitas (2017) and boyd (2014) both agreed adolescents and young adults
were not social-media-addicted narcissists, and instead argued that there were specific reasons as
to why adolescents and young adults were drawn to social media. Two of these reasons include
socializing and connecting with others (boyd, 2014; Kardaras, 2016; Frontiers, 2018; boyd,

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2016) and expressing their identity (boyd, 2014; Hodkinson & Lincoln, 2008; Greenhow &
Robelia, 2009).
Socializing and Connecting
As humans, we have a built-in desire to connect and socialize with people (Kardaras,
2016; Frontiers, 2018). Social media sites and apps directly feed into that desire making them the
perfect places for adolescents and young adults to go to, to connect with others. Many
adolescents and young adults turn to social media as a way to connect with their peers and
socialize with others because it is the only way they can do so (boyd, 2014). boyd (2014)
explained many teens have little time to socialize and connect with their peers because their
parents and adult figures have them participating in "afterschool activities, jobs, religious
services, and family expectations" (p. 88). In other words, teens are so busy throughout the day
that they do not have time to socialize with their friends and peers outside of school.
Other teens, also interviewed by boyd (2014), stated their parents held tight restrictions
about where teens can go and socialize based on their own experiences as teenagers, making it
difficult for teens to connect with each other (p. 86). For some teens, the only way they could
have a social life and connect with friends was by being on social media. For these teens, social
media is not an addiction: it is a way to connect to their friends and the real world. boyd (2014)
explained social media allowed “them to engage in networked publics to magnify their voices,
gather audiences, and connect with others on a larger scale” (p. 205). In other words, with social
media, adolescents and young adults are able to connect with others from around the world and
share their ideas, thoughts, and opinions, which would not be possible otherwise (Frontiers,
2018). Social media is giving adolescents a platform to be heard and connect with like-minded
individuals, but parents and adults become worried and assume their kids are addicted to social

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media when parents and adults are the ones who have driven their kids there in the first place
with all of the commitments and fears of the outside world (boyd, 2016). Social media feeds
adolescents’ and young adults’ desire to be social and connect with others, and it also helps them
express their identity.
Expressing Their Identity
While some teens use social media to socialize and connect with their peers, others use it
as a way to express their identity (Boyd, 2014; Hodkinson & Lincoln, 2008; Greenhow &
Robelia, 2009). Turkle (1997, as cited in boyd, 2014) and Sundén (2003, as cited in boyd, 2014)
both found adolescents and young adults use social media to work through their identity and
express their identity to others. Turkle found the online identity an adolescent or young adult
created corresponded to their psyche, the human soul, mind, or spirit. She noted the Internet also
allowed them to become a better version of themselves through fictitious identities (boyd, 2014).
Some adolescents interviewed in boyd’s book stated they were able to find out who they were by
adopting these fictitious identities (boyd, 2014). These adolescents and young adults mean no
harm when they create their fake identities. They are just trying to figure out who they are in the
world. Some will create avatars and identities that look like themselves, while others will create
them to look like what they want to be (boyd, 2014). It is all a part of adolescents and young
adults discovering who they are.
Greenhow and Robelia (2009) looked at how high school students use MySpace to form
their identity, and they found the social networking site “allowed students to formulate and
explore various dimensions of their identity” (p. 119). In other words, students were able to use
social and technical features of MySpace to engage in self-discovery and self-presentation
(Greenhow & Robelia, 2009). A participant of the study named Tiffany explained “all of us use

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it [MySpace account] so it’s kind of a way for us to input and find out information about all of
our selves and show what we do” (p. 131). For Tiffany, and many other adolescents and young
adults, MySpace was used to explore different sides and roles she took on as a sister, a member
of her family, and as an individual (Greenhow & Robelia, 2009). Recently, Facebook has taken
over as the new online platform for self-exploration. Social media allows for identity exploration
and expression, which would not be possible in a face-to-face context.
Hodkinson and Lincoln (2008) likened adolescents and young adults exploring and
finding their identities on social media to decorating a bedroom wall. The two researchers
explained “the bedroom is the first space young people are able to take ownership of and acts as
a constant presence in their everyday lives throughout their teenage years and often well into
their twenties” (p. 31), and sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Instagram allow for adolescents
and young adults to do that as well. This means adolescents and young adults are able to
customize their profiles to explore their identity and inform others about who they are just like
they would with their bedroom walls. Social media sites give adolescents and young adults a
place to chill out, daydream, relax, and be creative, which is why many use social media sites to
explore who they are becoming as people (Hodkinson & Lincoln, 2008; Greenhow & Robelia,
2009), but it is coming at a price.
The Negative, and Unexpected, Consequences of Social Media Use
The opportunity to explore identity and connect with others is an amazing experience for
adolescents and young adults, but just like in real life, not everything is as easy as it may seem.
Social media comes with its own rules, norms, and problems that many adolescents and young
adults do not know about before using social media (Freitas, 2017; Yu, 2017; Kardaras, 2016;
Bollen et al, 2017; Marsden, 2018). Many of the consequences adolescents and young adults

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experience from using social media are unexpected and negative. The following section of this
paper will explore the negative and unexpected consequences of adolescent social media use
such as the “happiness effect,” the fear of missing out (FOMO), and escaping to anonymity.
The Happiness Effect is Not Really Happy
The “happiness effect” is one unexpected and negative consequence many adolescents
and young adults have to deal with when using social media. The “happiness effect” is defined as
“the requirement to appear happy on social media regardless of what a person actually feels”
(Freitas, 2017, p. 252). In other words, people are choosing to ignore their real feelings and only
post happy things online to create the idea that nothing is wrong in their lives even though
everything might be. In a 2018 study done by the Pew Research Institute, researchers found that
“it is much more common for young people to post about their accomplishments or family life
than to discuss their personal problems or political beliefs on social media” (Anderson & Jiang,
2018, p. 9). In other words, it is more likely a person will post positive things on social media
rather than negative. One of the first things adults tell adolescents and young adults when they
start using social media is no one wants to look at sad and depressing posts (Freitas, 2017).
Adolescents and young adults are then put under enormous pressure to appear happy and perfect
online, and their real feelings are never discussed or posted.
The same Pew Research Institute study found “around four-in-ten (young people) say
they feel pressure to only post content on social media that makes them look good to others
(43%) or share things that will get a lot of likes or comments (37%)” (Anderson & Jiang, 2018,
p. 10). In other words, young people are more likely to post things on social media that will
make them look good and get a lot of likes because they feel pressured to post only those types
of things. These types of posts end up leaving adolescents and young adults constantly

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comparing their lives to the lives of their friends and people they follow, which is leading to
what some researchers call “social comparison, ” “Facebook depression,” or “the happiness
paradox” (Freitas, 2017; Yu, 2017; Kardaras, 2016; Bollen et al, 2017; Marsden, 2018).
These three terms mean the same thing: adolescents’ and young adults’ friends on social
media will always appear happier than the adolescent and young adult looking at the profile,
making them feel sad, envious, or frustrated because their life is not as perfect as the person’s
life they are looking at (Marsden, 2018; Bollen et al, 2017; Yu, 2017). A young adult
interviewed by Freitas (2017) stated “I compare myself a lot to other people…I think, ‘Oh,
they’re doing all that, they’re just so happy,’ because no one puts anything bad on Facebook”
and that goes for the rest of social media as well (Freitas, 2017 p. 17). This young adult
explained how she, along with others, compared herself to her friends online and how happy they
were and how this was making her feel worse about her own life. Bollen (2017) did a study
about the “happiness paradox” and found that 58.5 percent of participants think they aren’t as
happy as their friends on average (Bollen et al, 2017). In other words, adolescents and young
adults may be appearing happy online all of the time, but Bollen’s team found that is not the
case. Bollen (2017) goes onto explain that the “happiness paradox” can have a negative effect on
the overall happiness and self-esteem of adolescents and young adults. The “happiness effect”
and “happiness paradox” has adolescents and young adults constantly feeling like they need to
post happy and positive things to show that their life is perfect, which results in followers and
friends feeling like they are missing out on all of the excitement.
Constant Worry About Missing Out (FOMO)
Constant worrying about the fear of missing out (FOMO) is another unexpected negative
side effect of adolescent and young adult social media use. The fear of missing out, or FOMO, is

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defined as “a kind of suffering that comes from witnessing the amazing times other people are
having without you, and perhaps have intentionally not invited you to join” (Freitas, 2017 p. 40).
In other words, an adolescent or young adult could be scrolling through their social media feed
and see their friends are at a fun event without them, and then suddenly this overwhelming
feeling of missing out or not being invited on purpose overtakes them: this is FOMO. Social
media allows for adolescents and young adults to always be connected to one another and see
what everyone is doing creating this constant need to check their phones for the fear of missing
out on something (BBC, 2017). BBC News School Report did a study where they had a group of
Year 11 students go without social media for a week. All students reported feeling like they were
missing out on things happening online with their friends. One student reported about a video his
friends had watched on Facebook the night before, and he reported feeling “as if I couldn't be as
engaged in the conversation as I would otherwise be” because he was not able to watch the video
(p. 10). In other words this student felt left out of his social group because he was not able to
watch a video online. All students reported they had more time to do other things, but they also
reported feeling like they were missing out and constantly worrying about what was happening
online.
Kuss and Griffiths (2017) reported FOMO caused by social media use can “cause lower
general mood, lower wellbeing, and lower life satisfaction, mixed feelings when using social
media, as well as inappropriate and dangerous SNS use (i.e., in university lectures, and or whilst
driving)” all because adolescents and young adults wanted to be involved with what was
happening online and not be left out. In other words, FOMO can leave adolescents and young
adults feeling alone and making inappropriate decisions when it comes to social media use. The
constant pressure to be online and the fear of missing out on what is happening has led some

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adolescents and young adults to take an anonymous approach to social media use.
Escaping to Anonymity
The most bizarre, but understandable, unexpected side effect of adolescents and young
adults using social media is many of them are turning to anonymous app and websites to escape
the pressures to appear happy all of the time and the constant worry of missing out (Freitas 2017;
French, 2018; Burkeman, 2014). Many of the students interviewed by Freitas (2017) reported
turning to Yik Yak because it allows for anonymity and LiveJournal because an adolescent or
young adult can create a pseudonym that cannot be traced to their personal accounts. As noted by
Grace in Freitas’ (2017) book, anonymity “enables a lot of people to be very authentic and very
genuine in expressing what they think” (p. 125). In other words, anonymity allows for
adolescents and young adults to be their true selves with others and express what is really going
on in their lives. French (2018) noted anonymous sites were “not about the number of likes,
shares, or comments in your posts,” instead it was about expressing how you really feel about
certain topics and the need to no longer appear happy and positive online all of the time (French,
2018). Adolescents and young adults are able to be their true selves. For some, however,
anonymity is not enough to escape from the expectations of being positive and the constant
worry of missing out, and more solutions are needed.
Solutions for Adolescents and Young Adults
Many adolescents and young adults have reported that they wish they had never created
social media accounts. Social media allows them to stay connected with friends and discover
who they are, however, they find they cannot give up social media even though the pressure to
post happy things and the constant worry of missing out are taking over their lives (Freitas,
2017). This pressure creates a need for solutions for adolescents and young adults who want to

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take a step away from social media. Anonymity is one great solution to overcome these pressures
because it allows the user to be authentic and real without the worry of their name being attached
to what they post, but it still involves social media, and anonymity will not work for some
adolescents and young adults. Two solutions to overcome these negative side effects that show
the greatest impact for adolescents and young adults are doing a digital detox/unplugging
(Kardaras, 2016; Freitas, 2017, Rutledge, 2016) and having a conversation about social media
use (Kardaras, 2016; Freitas, 2017; Stillman, 2018).
Digital Detox and Unplugging
Kardaras (2016) and Freitas (2017) both recommended a digital detox or unplugging
situation for adolescents and young adults who were feeling overwhelmed due to the side effects
they have experienced because of social media use. A digital detox is when a person is slowly
weaned off of their electronic devices. As Kardaras (2016) explained, "we should slowly taper
the young person down; for example, five hours of screen time should be tapered down by one
hour per day" (p. 121). This suggestion by Kardaras (2016) is about slowly weaning adolescents
and young adults off of screens in general, but it could also work for social media as well since
electronic use is a way to access social media. Each day, the adolescent or young adult weans off
of social media in the same way until they are no longer using it. Once they are no longer using
social media, it is recommended that they stay off for four weeks, but this can be adjusted
depending on the person (Kardaras, 2016).
Doctor Rutledge (2016) stated anyone doing a detox or unplugging from social media
“would have to make the decision as to where to draw the line with technology” (p. 5). In other
words, people choosing to detox or unplug need to have a specific goal before going into
treatment otherwise, their detox could fall apart. While going through a digital detox, it is

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important for the adolescent or young adult to find and establish other healthy activities like
going outside or working on an art project (Kardaras, 2016). Sitting in a room doing nothing will
result in an adolescent or young adult checking their phone and ruining the detox process.
Adolescents and young adults who have unplugged and taken the digital detox challenge
reported not feeling the need to constantly check their social media accounts and “feeling
liberated” (Freitas, 2017 p. 212). In other words, they feel free from what is expected of them
when they are on social media. Adolescents and young adults who decide to do a detox or unplug
also find they either do not want to come back to social media, so they give up their accounts, or
they have a better relationship with social media and do not have fears about missing out or
appearing perfect (Freitas, 2016). A digital detox and unplugging situation is a great way for
adolescents and young adults to take a step away from the social media accounts they have, but
there is another solution that would tackle this problem before they even create accounts.
Having a Conversation About Social Media
Freitas (2017) stated when it comes to adolescents, young adults, and social media use
“we need to help each other to unplug,” and one way of doing this is to have an open and honest
conversation about social media with adolescents and young adults before they start using it (p.
271). Adolescents and young adults need to know people posting online are not perfect and
happy even though they may appear that way. Clayton, the host of the BuzzFeed podcast
Another Round, proved just that when she asked people to “post a picture of you that you shared
on social media where you were actually having a really tough time in life even though you look
perfectly fine in the picture” on Instagram (Stillman, 2018). In other words, Clayton wanted
people to post positive pictures of themselves on their social media platforms and then explain
what was really going on when the picture was taken. The response was overwhelming.

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People were posting happy pictures of themselves with captions of how they were truly
feeling, and it showed that just because someone looks happy and perfect on social media does
not mean they are in real life (Stillman, 2018). This dichotomy is important for adolescents and
young adults to discuss before going on social media because they will be less likely to compare
themselves to the people in the pictures once they understand that people who post happy
pictures on social media might not actually be happy (Freitas, 2017; Anderson & Jiang, 2018).
Giving adolescents and young adults a place to discuss and talk about “how they feel about
social media, how it affects their relationships with others, their sense of self, and self-esteem”
(p. 279) as well as the need to compare themselves to others before, and while, using social
media gives them the opportunity to think about what they want their relationship with social
media to be (Freitas, 2017). This means more of an effort needs to be made to give adolescents
and young adults a place to talk about all aspects of social media, so they can have a better
understanding of how to use it. Having these conversations earlier rather than later could make
an impact in the lives of adolescents and young adults using social media (Kardaras, 2016).
Conclusion
Adolescents and young adults are using social media to connect with others, to explore
opinions, ideas, interests, and topics, and to express their identities in deeper and more
meaningful ways than they were able to in face-to-face conversations. Even though social media
is granting all of these positive things for adolescents and young adults, it is also causing some of
them to compare their lives to others, resulting in frustration and anger about their own lives, and
it is putting them in a state of constant worry and fear of missing out. For some, detoxing and
unplugging are going to be needed while others can fight these effects simply by creating
anonymous accounts and talking about their relationship with social media. Either way, anyone

20
who works with adolescents and young adults needs to help them build positive relationships
with social media, so the cycle of comparing and self-hate stops before it becomes too late for
some of them. Adolescents and young adults can have a positive relationship with social media,
but they need some help getting there. As social media websites and apps are developing and
offering users more, the side effects that adolescents and young adults are experiencing will only
grow as well unless something is done.

21
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