By J1 Reporter Abby Else

Scroll, watch, like, repeat is the cycle many teenage girls find themselves utilizing with many social media platforms. For teenage girls, social media can be used as both a negative and positive outlet.

Merion-Mercy, an all girls school in Pennsylvania, similar to Marian, shares a startling statistic with their parents on their website: “One-third or more of girls aged 11-15 say they feel ‘addicted’ to certain social media platforms and over a half of teenagers report that it would be hard to give up social media.”  

This alarming statistic is a representation of the potential toxicity within the youth population on apps such as: Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

“It is a distraction especially when I am trying to do homework and I find myself scrolling,” sophomore Kaitlyn Bendon said.  “I think people use it as an escape from reality but then it causes them to fall behind in school.”

The endless hours of scrolling through social media can dangerously affect teen girls’ mental health. Teen girls show signs of depression and anxiety when they are isolating themselves to only their screens.

We all know social media has potentially dangerous consequences, but let’s look at what the expert has to say.

Smart Gen Society, an organization to enhance digital safety, says that most contributing factors of experiencing mental health problems on social media are anxiety, depression and distress. Their interventions have drastically helped teens’ mental health from areas like fear of missing out (FOMO), anxiety, depression, self-esteem, loneliness and overall mental health. 

“Social media can have a negative impact on mental health by fueling depression and anxiety. It can also lead to low self esteem and a sense of loneliness. It is common for teenage girls to get FOMO when they see their friends hanging out without them or other girls their age living life the way they dream to,” Bendon said.

Stepping out of this mind rut can be increasingly difficult the more one lets it go on, but making the change to do so could seriously improve the mental health of teen girls.

However, if teen girls are using social media for all the right reasons, there might not be any changes they need to make. Social media has a positive aspect to it as well. 

Many teen girls use it to express how they feel, connect with new peers and find inspiration. Social media platforms allow teenage girls to want to achieve or do something alongside others who do the same. 

“It can help people become motivated to set goals for themselves,” sophomore Ava Ellis said. “It’s a good outlet for social expression and there are others to connect with who feel the same way. You can find supportive people on social media.” Social media can provide users way to find people who enjoy the same things as they do.

“I feel connection when people comment on my videos or reply to my comments on things,” Ellis said.

Ellis says that she believes it is easier to be the realest version of yourself online and that you can open up to others about your thoughts, struggles, and feelings without feeling judgement.

It can be an positive way to connect with others you have recently met, especially for the newest class here at Marian. “It helped me to see what kinds of things my classmates are into and the things we have in common,” freshman Isabella Dorman said. 

Social media can also help teen girls with exploring ideas for their futures. Teen girls can search and watch videos on TikTok or YouTube providing resourceful information on a career they might be interested in, how to start their own business or any useful videos for their futures. Dorman believes that educating oneself on the good and bad of social media is important. “It is important because it can help you stay safe and help you to be more aware when the bad shows up,” Dorman said.