Social Media and Its Effects on Girls

Today, tens of millions of Americans are turning to various social media platforms to keep in touch with loved ones, friends and coworkers during the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic adding to the legions of users around the world that have already used these services in the past. In fact, current estimates indicate that nearly 4 billion people use at least one social media service and experts predict that at least half of the world’s population will be using these services by mid-2021 (Kemp 2020). Although people of all ages and genders are using social media, young people in particular have embraced these communication platforms in a major way, with a majority of these consumers using social media systems on daily basis. Against this backdrop, identifying and explicating the effects of social media usage on girls has assumed new importance and relevance as described in the statement of the topic which follows below.
Statement of the topic
In response to its increasing ubiquity, there has been growing interest among policymakers and health care practitioners alike concerning the effects of social media use on various population groups, including young females. This interest has been fueled in large part by the fact that the use of social media platforms by girls has become especially pervasive. In addition, current trends indicate that this usage will continue to increase well into the foreseeable future to the point where there are more users of social media services globally than there are not (Reinberg 2019).
Furthermore, a large majority of young female consumers are already using popular social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook (Reinberg). Moreover, the competition between these major social media services and upstarts such as Instagram and Snapchat has intensified in recent years in ways that have further added to the debate over the effects of social media use on young people today. In this regard, Valkenburg and Piotrowski emphasize that, “These developments raise a great many questions. Does the use of social media lead to superficial relationships and loneliness—or does it boost self-esteem and social skills? What effects does extensive media multitasking have on youth? Does it make them lose their ability to concentrate and contemplate?” (218). These timely issues also directly relate to the research questions that guided this study which are set forth below.
Research question
This study was guided by the following overarching research question: “What are the positive and negative effects of social media use on girls? In addition, the following four supporting subquestions also guided the research.
Four subquestions and key words and how their evolution into their final form
1. What are the most common negative effects of social media use on girls?
2. What are the sources or causes of the negative effects?
3. What are the most common positive effects of social media use on girls?
4. What are the sources or causes of the positive effects?
For the purposes of the analysis that follows below, “girls” are defined as any female that has not yet reached the age of majority in the jurisdictions in which they reside.
Relevant keywords for this study included “adolescent,” “girls,” “social media,” “Facebook,” “Twitter” and “YouTube.” In addition, serendipitously identified research materials that were relevant to the above-stated research questions were also consulted and the results of this review are provided below, beginning with an overview of the current situation, followed by an analysis of the negative effects and then the positive effects of social media usage on girls today.
Literature Review
Background and Overview
While the controversy over the precise effects of social media on young females continues, there is no debate that such usage has increased significantly over the past several years. Indeed, according to the most recent estimates, the number of Internet users increased by nearly 300 million new users (an increase of about 7%) in January 2020 compared to a January 2019, bringing the global total to around 4.54 billion people (Kemp 2020). Of these Internet users, approximately 3.80 billion are also regular social media users and these numbers continue to grow (Kemp).
Throughout the mid-20th century, American parents were concerned about their children spending too much time watching television, but this concern pales in comparison to the amount of time that the average young person spends online at present. In fact, current estimates indicate that the average Internet user already spends nearly 7 full hours online each day, meaning that young people in the United States are investing about 100 days of their lives each year online (Kemp). More to the point, Kemp also stresses that, “We currently spend more than 40 percent of our waking lives using the internet. What’s more, the world’s internet users will spend a cumulative 1.25 billion years online in 2020, with more than one-third of that time spent using social media” (3). Taken together, it is reasonable to posit that spending this amount of time online in general and using social media platforms in particular will have a number of profound effects on young users, and these issues are discussed below.
Social Media’s Negative Effects on Girls
The negative effects of social media use on girls can be generally grouped into three categories: (a) body image pressures; (b) online bullying; and, (c) adverse responses to anthropogenic and natural disasters, including global pandemics and each of these effects is discussed in turn below.
Body image pressures. Despite efforts to address this issue by promoting a healthy body image rather than a thin one, young women in the United States are still under an enormous amount of pressure from the mainstream media, their intimate partners and their peers to conform to an idealized body image that remains elusive for many. In fact, in their quest to achieve and maintain a “Barbie doll” appearance, many young women succumb to various eating disorders that threaten their long-term health (Shahtahmasebi and Cassidy 2019). These elusive body images are further reinforced on social media in ways that make countering their effects especially problematic. In this regard, Shahtahmasebi and Cassidy report that, “There exists an ever widening gap between healthy body shapes and society's idealized body shape. It is this gap between information and social expectations and perceptions that may be responsible for some modern illnesses such as eating disorders” (79).
Unfortunately, the combination of an increasingly sedentary lifestyle together with unhealthy eating behaviors has further exacerbated the prevalence of obesity among girls and negative messages continue to proliferate on social media sites concerning the idealized but largely unrealistic body shape for young women (Shahtahmasebi & Cassidy, 2019). In sum, Shahtahmasebi and Cassidy conclude that, “It is reasonable to assume that, on average, compared with men, women are more adversely affected by the negative feedback from the social idealization of body shape, resulting in anxiety, eating disorders, and depression” (80). Although many of these powerful messages are not specifically intended to induce a sense of failure on the part of girls to achieve an ideal body image, other social media uses such as online bullying do in fact target girls for this very reason as discussed further below.
Online (cyber) bullying. In some ways, this is perhaps the most serious negative effect from social media use on girls today. Although combating bullying has been the focus of a number of national initiatives in recent years, these types of threatening and even violent behaviors have morphed with the introduction of social media platforms. The causes of cyberbullying are similar to traditional bullying, but social media services provide users with virtual anonymity which seems to promote or even encourage these types of antisocial behaviors among young and even some older people. Cyberbullying behaviors may be difficult to differentiate from other types of free give-and-take that occur in computer-mediated forums, but in most cases that are distinguished by being intimidating or threatening in nature (Chukwuere and Chukwuere 2017).
The propensity to engage in cyberbullying behaviors against and among young girls may have widely varying sources. There is a growing body of evidence, though, that cyberbullying on social media platforms can have a profoundly deleterious effect on girls irrespective of the motivations behind these activities. Moreover, an inordinately high percentage of cyberbullying victims are females, especially young girls. While there is no universal definition for these online behaviors, Chukwuere and Chukwuere provide some definitional clarity by reporting that, “The kind of bullying that is influenced by the Internet is called ‘cyber bullying’ which is bullying via electronic media that is a deliberate act or behavior carried out by a group or an individual” (9984).
In addition, other childhood development authorities note that other types of online behavior rise to the level of cyber bullying. For instance, according to Redden (2018), cyber bullying can also involve “spreading rumors with the intention of damaging another's social status [which] is a purposeful and covert form of bullying that acts to cause harm to others through social exclusion, public humiliation, and personal rejection” (375). In other words, a wide array of behaviors and actions that are intentionally harmful in nature can be subsumed under the cyber bullying umbrella.
It is also noteworthy that a majority of cyberbullying victims do not know the identity of their attackers since even gender identification in computer-mediated forums is usually difficult or even impossible. As Chukwuere and Chukwuere conclude, “Most victims have no knowledge of the person responsible for their act [and] such victims are likely to be female making cyber bullying a category of the risks faced by women and girls online” (9985). The foregoing issues make it clear that cyber bullying represents one of the most negative effects of social media use on girls at present, but there is a final category of negative effects that must also be examined, particularly in view of the ongoing Covid-19 global pandemic and this negative effect is discussed below.
Social media and disasters. It is reasonable to suggest that many young people are anxious about their current social distancing predicament in general and their future given nation-wide public school closures in particular, making them especially vulnerable to the negative effects of social media usage. The daily relentless swirl of unfounded rumors, conspiracy theories and fake news concerning the serious effects of Covid-19 and anecdotal reports about how the coronavirus is inexorably spreading throughout American society are enough to scare the bejabbers out of anyone, but young people in particular appear to be susceptible to these negative effects (Hutchinson 2020). In fact, there is also a growing body of evidence which indicates that stress and anxiety can be exacerbated by extensive media coverage to the point where it manifests as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Goodwin and Hamama-Raz 2015, 254).
Moreover, the intensive concentration of especially grim news by various media sources, including social media platforms, can result in even more severe effects that actually witnessing a traumatic event firsthand. In this regard, Goodwin and Hamama-Raz emphasize that, “Media amplification has been used to explain post-traumatic stress responses well away from the ‘bullseye’ of any event, with media exposure even more strongly associated with stress than direct exposure” (254). Because many young people trust the information that is shared on social media platforms more than they do the mainstream media, it is little wonder that any alarming misinformation will be further exaggerated after it is shared with millions of others. For instance, according to Goodwin and Hamama-Raz, “Social media is seen as having a more direct, personal impact on risk assessment, with recent data suggesting a greater amplification of anxiety by social rather than traditional media” (255).
While additional research concerning the various effects of social media following a natural or manmade disaster is needed, the studies to date underscore the severity of the reactions that can occur when girls spend significant amounts of their daily lives using social media attempting to obtain reliable information about what they can expect in the future. In fact, Goodwin and Hamama-Raz caution that, “Clinicians and therapists might consider advising vulnerable clients about the potential deleterious impact of social media [and] emergency responders should be aware of the use of such media and its associations with distress and anxiety” (255).
This type of guidance is especially valuable and timely at present since studies have shown that excessive use of social media platforms following traumatic events in their lives. In this regard, Granello and Zyromski (2018) emphasize that, “Social media use has adverse effects on adolescents; specifically, that large amounts of social media use, especially by adolescent girls, lead to increased depression and suicide” (37). As discussed further in the section that follows below concerning the positive effects of social media use on girls, these online resources also have the potential to provide girls with the supportive resources they need to cope during and following traumatic events in their lives.
Taken together, the numerous negative effects that are associated with social media use b girls should serve as a wake-up call to policymakers and parents alike concerning the need for additional research in this area and the implementation of aggressive interventions where they are needed. The proliferation of social media platforms continues to increase and a majority of American girls today are already suffering from these numerous adverse effects. It is also important to note, however, that there are some positive effects that can accrue to the use of social media as well that must be taken into account, including improved academic performance and, properly administered, healthier responses to manmade and natural disasters as discussed further below.
Social Media’s Positive Effects on Girls
Most young people today have grown up using online resource to help them with their schoolwork, and they want and expect to continue to use these tools in their coursework as their academic careers progress. In this area, social media platforms have become an important part of many girls’ educational resources which continue to evolve and expand in content and availability. Notwithstanding the prevalent usage of social media services by young females for entertainment purposes, some experts suggest that the majority of time they spend using Facebook and other social media platforms is devoted to academic pursuits and healthy socialization activities. In this regard, Ali (2018) reports that, “Teenagers mostly use social media for educational and communication purposes which not only helps them to acquire better academic grades and new social connections but also, it helps them to build their self-confidence and spirit of team-work” (3).
Beyond the foregoing positive impacts, social media use by girls has some other important effects as well. For example, Ali adds that, “Social media enable them to share and receive information rapidly through blogs to enhance their knowledge and writing skills” (4). In addition, the research to date also indicates that social media use by young people can help improve their satisfaction levels with academic policies since they are able to learn the rationale behind them and discuss them with their peers (Ali). Empirical observations also confirm that girls can “blow off steam” by venting with their social media friends and associates in healthy ways about the many issues that are bothering them that might not be available to them otherwise.
These positive effects are especially important at present given the fundamental uncertain nature of humanity’s future and what the current pandemic means for them and their future personally. Although anyone is vulnerable to the powerful stressors that are caused by the coronavirus, young people in particular are susceptible to these effects since they have far fewer life experiences to draw upon in their analyses. As Hutchinson (2020) points out, “All stressors related to Covid-19 may likely result in a myriad of negative feelings such as depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder” (4).
The foregoing considerations mean that social media usage during this period in history actually represents a dual-edged sword for many young people since over-use can result in anxiety, depression and even suicide. For example, according to Hutchinson (2020), “Research suggests that there are two main predictors to how well a person will respond in a crisis (like a pandemic). The first is how vulnerable they were in their own lives before the crisis. The second is how much news they consumed during the crisis. Chronic news exposure may create vicarious trauma and PTSD” (7). Conversely, under-use or non-use of social media platforms may result in unhealthy behaviors such as violating stay-at-home orders or social distancing guidelines (Hutchinson).
One of the more insidious aspects of social media platforms is the manner in which these services customize content for users. This means that the artificial intelligence applications that are being used to customize social media content will increase coverage of negative news items if those are the preferred articles sought by users while users that prefer positive coverage will be exposed to these types of articles. In other words, social media platforms create a sort of computer-generated self-fulfilling positive or negative prophecies for users. In this regard, Hutchinson points out that:
Mentally strong people understand how social media operates and limit their exposure. They know that social media platforms like Facebook are unofficial news channels and deliver news tailored for you (some of it fake) based on your behaviors and preferences gleaned over the last decade. Algorithms are used to give you the news that you will most likely consume, and that the news skewed toward your preferences (emphasis added). (8)
In sum, social media algorithms generate content that is geared towards users’ preferences in ways that concentrate bad news when this is what is routinely reviewed and vice versa, meaning that the tendency for young people to spread unfounded rumors and fake news is significantly accentuated (Hutchinson).
Conclusion
The research showed that social media use by girls can have both positive and negative effects depending on how these resources are used and how much time young women invest in their use. On the one hand, the research was consistent in showing that some of the negative effects of social media use included mental health issues related to an idealized female body image that is unattainable by most girls as well as being victimized through cyber bullying attacks. In addition, the potential for the negative effects of manmade and natural disasters is also intensified when girls rely on social media platforms exclusively for the most accurate and up to date information. On the other hand, though, the research also showed used judiciously and appropriately, social media platforms provide some significant positive effects as well, including academic assistance and socialization activities that would not otherwise be available to them. A particularly noteworthy finding that emerged from the research was the fact that social media platforms “learn” about users’ preferences for content, meaning that negative or positive content will be presented depending on what users routinely review. This means that girls who are already vulnerable to the negative effects of social media will experience even greater adverse effects while those users who prefer positive content will enjoy more positive outcomes. In the final analysis, it is reasonable to conclude that like eating too much of otherwise healthy foods or watching excessive amounts of television, the effects of social media use on girls is situational based depending on how these resources are used.
Works Cited
Ali, S. (2018). “Social Media Usage among Teenage Girls in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.” Global Media Journal, vol. 16, p. 31.
Chukwuere, Joshua Ebere and Chukwuere, Precious. (2017, December). Cyberbullying of female students: An exploration of literature study. Gender & Behaviour, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 9983-9991.
Goodwin, Robin, Palgi,Yuval, Osnat, Lavenda, Yaira, Hamama-Raz and Ben-Ezra, Menachem. (2015), “Association between Media Use, Acute Stress Disorder and Psychological Distress.” Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, vol. 84, no. 4, pp. 253-254
Granello, Paul F. and Zyromski, Brett. (2018, September-August). “Developing a Comprehensive School Suicide Prevention Program.” Professional School Counseling, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 37-42.
Hutchinson, Tracy S. (2020, April 19). Ten things mentally strong people do during a pandemic. Psychology Today. [online] available: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-pulse-mental-health/202004/10-things-mentally-strong-people-do-during-pandemic.
Kemp. Simon. (2020, January). “Digital 2020.” We Are Social. [online] available: https://wearesocial.com/blog/2020/01/digital-2020-3-8-billion-people-use-social-media.
Redden, Crystal V. (2018, December). “The Media's Influence on Female Relational Aggression and Its Implications for Schools.” Canadian Journal of Education, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 374-381.
Reinberg, Steven. (2019, August 14). “Here's How Too Much Social Media Can Harm Girls.” WebMD. [online] available: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20190814/ heres-how-too-much-social-media-can-harm-girls#1.
Sana, A. R. (2018, December). “Social Media Usage among Teenage Girls in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.” Global Media Journal, vol. 16, no. 31, pp. 1-5.
Shahtahmasebi, Said and Cassidy, Bernadette. (2015, July 1). “Young Women's Perception of Body Shape/weight and Health: A Measurement Problem.” International Journal of Child and Adolescent Health, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 277-281.
Valkenburg, Patti M. and Piotrowski Jessica Taylor. Plugged In: How Media Attract and Affect Youth. New York: Yale University Press, 2017.