In “How Smartphones Are Hurting Our Kids”, Jonathan Haidt says “In the beginning of 2012, five years after the iPhone and two years after Instagram debuted, anxiety and depressive disorders went up with a sharp increase. Since then, incidents of self-harm and suicide rates among teens have more than doubled.” This data shows that it is undeniable that ever since teens traded their flip phones for their smartphones, teens’ mental health has declined and problems increased. Teens use social media every day, and this generation was the first to have access to social media. On social media, we can chat with anyone, view anyone’s personal stories, and share about our lives. Many teens can face multiple mental health problems, including substance …show more content…
On top of that, she suggests that the reason for feeling depressed after spending too much time on the internet has to do with comparison. She states, “When viewing someone else’s curated life online, it’s easy to see their perfect pictures and think their lives are better than yours.” Many people end up feeling lonely after comparing their lives on social media to other people, and that can make them feel even more depressed. When people view other peoples' stories on social media and see that they are excluded from an activity, that can affect their thoughts and feelings. People who use social media more than talking to people in real life can be deprived of connections, making them feel isolated. Another reason why social media is risky is because it is easy to get addicted to, and people don't realize it. “Just like gambling or substance addiction, social media addiction involves broken reward pathways in our brains,” says Kelly McSweeney. When people are addicted to something, like gambling or substances, it harms their