Social Media: Friend or Enemy for Teen Behaviour

In today's digital age, social media has become an integral part of everyday life, especially among teenagers. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter not only serve as a means of communication, but also as a space to share experiences, express oneself, and build identity. However, with the increasing use of social media, an important question arises: is social media a friend or foe to adolescent behaviour?

On the one hand, social media can provide positive benefits, such as increasing connectivity, providing social support, and facilitating access to information. On the other hand, its negative impacts, such as cyberbullying, social pressure and mental health issues, cannot be ignored. In this context, it is important to understand how social media affects adolescent behaviour, both positively and negatively. This article will explore both sides of this phenomenon, analyse how social media can shape adolescents' behaviour, and provide insights on how to manage social media use to support healthy development.

1.      What is Social Media

According to Michael Cross (2013 in Mulyono, 2021), social media is technology that allows people to connect, collaborate, share information and interact online. Hayes and Carr (2015, in Mulyono, 2021) describe social media as an internet place that allows users to interact and present themselves to a wide or limited audience. Soetjiningsih (2004, in Mulyono, 2021) states that adolescence is a transition period from child to adult, starting with sexual maturity around the age of 11 or 12 years to 20 years. Hurlock (1992, in Mulyono, 2021) explains that "adolescence" comes from the word "adolescence," which includes development in mental, emotional, social and physical aspects.

2.      Can Social Media Be a Friend for Teens?

Social media gave a many benefits for teenagers. One of the main function is that it can be used as a guide to connect with other people and groups in society, such as social group. Social media allows us to interact, exchange information, and express themselve more. Platforms like facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp make it easy to share photos, videos, and other content. This facilities quick communication and enables them to stay in touch with others even they live in different geographical locations. In additions, social media helps teenagers develop their creativity and skills. They can write, create visual content, and explain their thoughts on internet.

Positive social media for teenagers is their ability to engage with social issues, both from domestically and internationally. With the speed at which information is available online, teenagers can easily access important topics such as gender equality, climete changes, public health, mental health, and many more. With the rise of social media, popular campaigns like "Black Lives Matter" have gained widespread attention on social media, raising awareness of racism, discrimination, and sexual harassment worldwide. However, social issues in the country include things like social campaign promotion, social mobilization, and crowdfunding to support various social activities, such as community projects, or humanitarian aid.

The next benefit of social media that we should all be able to utilize effectively is as a tool for self-improvement and education. In contrast to books that are more accessible, social media offers a variety of educational content that can be accessed at any time and from any location. Platforms like YouTube provide a wealth of informative videos that are viewed by everyone in the world. Every video is available to us, starting with tutorials, technical lessons like coding and graphic design, and even crazy lessons that are easy to access. In addition to teaching passively through videos, we can also use discussion groups to exchange knowledge and insights.

3.      Can Social Media Become a Hidden Enemy for Teenagers?

The use of social media can have a negative impact on teenagers, especially because of its addictive nature (Auliya et al., 2023). Teenagers often seek validation through likes, comments, and followers. When they receive it, their brain responds with happiness, encouraging them to continue seeking that validation. Additionally, social media provides interesting and new content non-stop, making it difficult for teens to stop scrolling. Teenagers also often compare themselves to others which can lead to dissatisfaction and fear of missing out (FOMO), causing them to stay online longer and focus more on their appearance and achievements. rather than what's important.

Social media also makes it difficult for teenagers to socialize directly (Fronika, 2019). They prefer to chat online and are quiet when they meet in person. Often, they forget important tasks, such as studying or helping their parents, because they are distracted by social media. Focusing on online attention, such as likes and comments, makes teens more selfish and less concerned about other people's feelings, leading to weaker and less sincere relationships.

In addition, social media can expose teenagers to risks such as fraud, bullying, and data theft due to their lack of awareness (Putri et al., 2016). Online bullying can have a negative impact on their mental health. Therefore, it is important for teenagers to be careful, protect their personal data, and avoid trusting strangers online. Social media can also lead to impolite behaviour, because teenagers feel anonymous and act without supervision, often forgetting to maintain politeness in interactions (Putri et al., 2016).

social media provides interesting and new content non-stop, making it difficult for teens to stop scrolling. Teenagers also often compare themselves to others which can lead to dissatisfaction and fear of missing out (FOMO), causing them to stay online longer and focus more on their appearance and achievements. rather than what's important.

So that's the explanation guys about social media. Do you think social media is your friend or enemy? We as teenagers must always be careful when playing on social media and also play in moderation. Because if we only focus on social media, then our lives can also be messy, such as being punished by the teacher for forgetting to do homework, and much more. We certainly want to live in peace without being chased by tasks at home, at school or anywhere, right guys? Because of that, we also must be smart about dividing our time, such as doing homework in the morning, or something else.

Reference

Auliya, A. A., Yahya, A. B., & Hurryos, F. K. (2023). Pengaruh Penggunaan media Sosial Terhadap perilaku remaja di Indonesia. JURNAL HARMONI NUSA BANGSA, 1(1), 57. https://doi.org/10.47256/jhnb.v1i1.297

Mulyono, F. (2021). Dampak Media Sosial bagi Remaja. Jurnal Simki Economic, 4(1), 57-65. https://doi.org/10.29407/jse.v4i1.66

Aqiilah, D., As, D. S., & Fauzi, A. (2023). Dampak Media Sosial Terhadap Tindak Kenakalan Remaja. Edu Sociata: Jurnal Pendidikan Sosiologi, 6(1), 219-225.

Putri, W. S. R., Nurwati, N., & Budiarti, M. (2016). Pengaruh media sosial terhadap perilaku remaja. Prosiding Ks, 3(1).

Fronika, W. (2019). Pengaruh Media Sosial Terhadap Sikap Remaja. Fak. Ilmu Pendidik. Univ. Negeri Padang Email, 1-15.

Aulia, N., Nurdiyana, N., & Hadi, S. (2022). Pengaruh Media Sosial Terhadap Perilaku Sosial Siswa. Journal of Education and Culture, 2(1), 64-70.