Research Paper

Research Question: What impact does daily use of Facebook have on the mental health of young people under 18?

Social media has taken the world by storm in the past decade. Smartphones were launched in 2007, and by 2015, 92% of American teenagers and young adults have smartphones. A survey in 2018 found that 95% of teenagers have smartphones, 97% of teenagers use at least one popular social media platform, and 90% of teenagers go online several times a day. Other countries are similar. The popularity of smart phones and the popularity of various applications have completely changed the entire social interaction model. The most famous social media in the world, Facebook, have become an important part of our life, especially for teenagers. Facebook, may make teenagers lonelier, even staying at home, completely isolated from the world. More and more studies have found that the negative impact of social media is often greater than the positive impact.

Thesis: Teenagers who are immature in their minds are extremely sensitive but do not have enough experience and knowledge, and they are hungry for attention and recognition but are unable to resist bullying. This is their most vulnerable and dangerous threshold.

Facebook makes it easier than ever to hurt others. It is much easier to stay in your own home and send someone a hateful message than to say it in person, just use your fingertips. In the past, to bully others, at least you need to be in the same space as the victim. Now, you do not need to see the victim at all. For many people, being unable to face the victims eyes is one of the reasons why they do not harm others. Modern technology has eliminated this concern. It has become so easy to harm others without having to face the consequences of their own evil. The most excessive is that some network organizations on Facebook encourage self-harm or even suicide. The latest data from the CDC show that from 2007 to 2017, the suicide rate among teenagers increased by 56%.