I am researching the effect social media has on mental health and self-esteem in teenagers and young adults. The popularity of social media is growing at an exponential rate, and most of it is due to teenagers and young adults. Even young children and the elderly are beginning to use social media, but teenagers and young adults are the leading social media users. Parents are exposing children to smartphones and social media at a very young age. There are many positive effects of social media, but there are also many negative aspects of social media especially in teenagers. Negative aspects of social media include Cyberbullying, sexting, depression, reduced self-esteem, and privacy issues.

One article I am planning on using is “Social Media and Adolescent Health” by Maggie R. Guinta and Rita M. John. They talk about both the benefits and the detriments of social media on adolescents.