By Ana Ortega, Class of ’25

The combination of social media and peer pressure may be very concerning to the mental health of those who spend lots of time on social media. While social media is a very resourceful tool, it also does have negative effects.

Social media, like TikTok and Instagram, can sometimes affect mental health, like causing anxiety or FOMO (fear of missing out) because people might compare their lives to the highlight reels they see on the internet. It can also lead to feelings of loneliness or depression if someone spends too much time scrolling and not enough interacting in the real world. Plus, the pressure to get likes and followers can be really stressful. 

Comparing your life to an influencer could make you envy their lives and pressure young people to want instant gratification. When we see celebrities or influencers on their social media channels engaging in certain behaviors or making certain choices, it can make us feel like we should do the same to fit in or be accepted by our peers. It can be tough to resist that pressure sometimes. Wanting to gain popularity because it just looks so nice on the Internet could also affect our mental health. 

We may feel peer pressured to have a certain body image that we see so often on social media. Social Media shows the good side of people’s lives, and what they choose to put out in the public. Over analyzing your own body image is just going to cause insecurities and negative thoughts.

People may take advantage of being behind the screen to cyber bully, online abuse, and even scam people from around the world.