The Effect of Social Media on Adolescent Girls

Seminar paper from the year 2016 in the subject Psychology - Social Psychology, grade: 97.0, language: English, abstract: Social media has completely transformed the way we communicate, form and nurture relationships, and interact with the people in our lives. For adolescents growing up as digital natives, social media usage can serve as a unique obstacle to their emotional and behavioral development as they continue to try to master such tasks as effective communication, emotional regulation, impulse control and identify formation in what is essentially a virtual reality. This paper examines the effect social media has on the attitudes and behavior of adolescent girls and attempts to identify some of the major concerns their participation raises. Utilizing data from peer-reviewed journals, case studies, and independent surveys, we examine some of the major impacts social media usage has on young female users including changes in self-esteem, responsibility, levels of aggression and academic performance.