Looking around today’s world you constantly see other teens and even adults glued to their phones, showing you the business tactic these media companies have used to make teens addicted to their sites.

Recently, media companies such as Meta, Snap, YouTube, and TikTok have faced lawsuits. These cases involve thousands of individuals, school districts and state attorney generals who accuse the companies of making their products addictive, which are similar to the effects of cigarettes and causing personal harm.

The lawsuit contained the demand for a change on how these websites are advertised. Similarly, in 1999, major cigarette companies were hit with a massive federal RICO (law made to combat organized crime) case, finding them guilty of covering up health risks, leading to labels being needed on their packaging showing that cigarettes are an addictive substance.

These lawsuits have raised questions of how social media has affected the mental and physical well-being of youth and adults in today’s society.

The rise of social media has had contrasting effects on teenagers, influencing those who have grown up with unrestricted access differently from those whose use has been limited, shaping their social skills, self-image and health in many ways.

To thoroughly understand the personal effects of social media on teens, two groups were interviewed: teens who have had significant access to social media from a young age and teens whose social media use has been highly limited.

One teen interviewed had access to social media, but gave it up for Lent in a previous year, which revealed several positive effects.

“After that, my life started to get better. I noticed I had more joy throughout my days. I wasn’t as mean to others, and didn’t worry as much about my appearance,” The GlenOak student said. “Without social media, I have more time to focus on sports and my schoolwork.”

On the other hand, a teen who had access to social media from a very young age demonstrates the negative effects it can have.

“It’s caused me to compare myself to others in terms of appearance and body image, and it can influence my mood,” The second GlenOak student said. “Being exposed to apps like these at such a young age can be very harmful, especially when usage is not monitored.”

The one thing that each group agrees on is that social media can have both positive and negative effects.

Xavior Payne is a sophomore who does not currently have social media.

“You are able to see what your friends are doing without you and small hyper positive or negative snapshots of people’s lives which set unrealistic expectations,” sophomore Payne said.

Payne stated, “It all started when my phone broke and I had realized I was consistently happier while taking a break from it.” After a long break from his phone he got it back but continues to stay off social media

According to Nashville Mental Health, “This is called social comparison theory. It means people look at others and decide if they are better or worse than them. If someone sees pictures of people with “perfect” bodies, fancy clothes, or cool vacations, they might feel left out. They may think, “Why isn’t my life like that?” That can hurt confidence and life satisfaction.”

“Not having social media is good and bad because social media can be fun and a good way to connect with others but also can be a bad thing,” A teen also adds that reinforcing the idea that social media has both benefits and drawbacks.

Experts agree that these effects are more than just personal stories and there’s data that shows this is happening to millions of teens.

According to the American Psychological Association, “Young people may be particularly vulnerable to social media’s charms as well as its harms. During adolescent development, brain regions associated with the desire for attention, feedback, and reinforcement from peers become more sensitive. Meanwhile, the brain regions involved in self-control have not fully matured. That can be a recipe for disaster.”

Also according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2021, more than 40% of high school students reported depressive symptoms, with girls and LGBTQ+ youth reporting even higher rates of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts.

Allowing social media platforms to operate for multiple years despite evidence that they can be highly addictive raises concerns about corporate responsibility. One proposed solution by the European commision. could be adding a label that warns of the addictive side of the sites. This will let parents think about allowing their children to have these apps.