Opinion: "Perfect" looking people on social

media make teens anxious

By Ana Veciana-Suarez, Tribune News Service, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.31.19
Word Count 539
Level 790L

Anxiety is now the most common mental health disorder in the U.S., affecting nearly one-third of adolescents and adults. It’s also the most
common reason students seek counseling in college. Photo by: Prasit/Getty Images

We live in anxious times, and I'm not talking about politics.

I'm referring to the anxiety many teens feel. It's the kind of nervousness that makes you bite your
nails before a big test. We spend more time online than we should. We feel good about ourselves --
or bad -- based on how many Likes and Followers we get on social media. Young people are
developing a false view of life.

Social Media Looks Better Than Real Life

On the screen, we see what people want to show us. People usually only post photos where they're
looking their best. They are surrounded by friends and seem like they are having a great time.
Check social media if you don't believe me. In the virtual world, life isn't messy or boring, and
everything seems better than it really is. Parties are fun, friends are loyal, clothes are always in
style, and vacations are awesome. No one seems sad or lonely. In short, life is fabulous.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Real-life problems usually don't show up on Facebook or Instagram.

There's a lot of make-believe on screens. Sooner or later, our young people compare their real lives
to it. They find that theirs doesn't seem as fun or exciting and grow worried that they may be
missing out.

Students Feel "Overwhelming Anxiety"

No wonder teachers are reporting more anxious students. The American College Health
Association reported that a lot more college students feel "overwhelming anxiety." The percentage
jumped from 50 percent in 2011 to 62 percent in 2016. A newspaper article showed that high
school administrators are seeing more anxious students in school, too.

Anxiety is now the most common mental-health problem in the U.S. It affects nearly one-third of
teens and adults.

Striving For Success

Certainly, we can't blame it on social media alone. Kids were anxious before Facebook or YouTube.
We expect too much from our kids and a lot of these expectations aren't reasonable. Their
schedules are packed with sports and clubs and homework. They don't have enough free time. We
want them to shine so much that some parents pay for private tutors or sports coaches. We want
our children to succeed, and we don't care how much it costs.

For a long time I agreed that today's teens were too protected and too scheduled. They didn't seem
to be able to handle it when things didn't go well. I blamed overprotective parents, but now I
realize this was too simple. These kids live at a time when technology is changing everything at the
speed of light.

Parents Need To Find More Balance

As parents, we must have more balance. On one hand, we push too hard, and on the other, we
make life too easy for kids. We try to rescue them, instead of making them learn for themselves. It
isn't always clear what to do, and I am speaking from own experience. We shouldn't -- and can't --
promise our children that they'll always be happy. We shouldn't try to protect them from the
problems of everyday life.

Maybe we also need to remind kids that posts on Instagram and Snapchat aren't real life. They are
about as real as monsters and fire-breathing beasts.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Quiz

1 Why is the author of the article critical of social media?

(A) because it gives children a misleading view of life

(B) because it causes children to waste a lot of time

(C) because the people who use social media have perfect lives

(D) because the people who use social media lie too much

2 According to the article, what is the relationship between social media and anxiety?

(A) Anxiety causes people to use phones and computers too much, which can lead to too much social
media use.

(B) Social media causes people to use phones and computers too much, which can lead to anxiety.

(C) Social media makes people feel bad that their lives aren't as good as others', which can lead to anxiety.

(D) Anxiety makes people feel bad that their lives aren't as good as others', which can lead to too much
social media use.

3 What is the author's MAIN purpose for including information about young people's schedules and the pressure on them?

(A) to show that children should not work so hard in school

(B) to show that parents are responsible for anxiety in children

(C) to show that social media is the main cause of anxiety

(D) to show that social media isn't the only cause of anxiety

4 Which statement would the author of the article be MOST LIKELY to agree with?

(A) Young people will be less anxious if they get more friends on social media.

(B) Young people will be less anxious if they spend less time online.

(C) Young people will be less anxious if they put less time and effort into school.

(D) Young people will be less anxious if they stop lying on social media.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.