Social Media Brain Maturation and Behavior

Social Media Brain Maturation and Behavior

During the adolescent phase, the male and female child undergoes pubertal changes. They become aware of these changes, making them very sensitive about their bodies. Boys and girls desire the best looks possible and may begin to be picky about their clothes. Also, at this stage, peers’ comments about their appearance matter to them so much (Feldman, 2022). This state is what drives adolescents to begin using methods of enhancing their appearances. For instance, young male adults will engage in sports and physical exercises to improve their appearance. Also, the adolescent’s behaviour is influenced by brain maturation, which is characterized by complex thinking and a lesser focus on self-centred concepts (Feldman, 2022). Teenagers at this stage can make personal decisions and think of global concepts like justice. This level of development causes the teenager to want their privacy and to resist control from their parents or guardians. They also can give brilliant arguments, primarily resulting in disagreement with their parents.

Social media, on the other hand, influences adolescents mainly because they spend most of their time on these platforms. This trend leads to risky behaviour, especially because social media intensifies peer pressure and self-identity. According to Finley et al. (2018), some common risky behaviours encouraged by social media are the use of drugs and substances, risky sexual behaviour, and driving while under the influence. Nesi (2020) has confirmed this by explaining that many young people are influenced by social media personalities who engage in such risky habits. Finley et al. (2018) add that the transfer of wrong information is likely to occur because not everything on social media is filtered, and not every culture acquired on social media is accepted in some societies.

Inarguably, doing away with social media use in society would be impossible. Notably, social media has merits and demerits. Therefore, it is important to guide teenagers on the appropriate use of social media. Parents, teachers, and guardians can monitor the use of social media by the youth as a way of guiding them through this time. Also, parents and guardians can advise the youth to filter the information they get on social media. Additionally, teachers can encourage the use of this media for learning purposes.

References

Feldman, R. S. (2022). Child development (9th ed.). Pearson.

Finley, C., Suellentrop, K., Griesse, R., House, L. D., & Brittain, A. (2018). Stakeholder education for community-wide health initiatives: A focus on teen pregnancy prevention. Health Promotion Practice, 19(1), 38–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839917734521

Nesi J. (2020). The Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities. North Carolina Medical Journal, 81(2), 116–121. https://doi.org/10.18043/

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Whether your teenage years occurred a few years ago or even decades ago, there is a strong chance you remember the excitement and challenges of being a teenager. During adolescence, your parents may have begun treating you differently and offering you greater independence. You may remember feeling unsure as to whether you were a child or an adult. The changes to your body were likely both exciting and scary. During this same time, there were also many changes occurring that you could not see. Your brain was continuing to develop in important ways. If as a teenager you ever felt your emotions were overwhelming, or you felt compelled to take risks, this may have been why.

Social Media Brain Maturation and Behavior

Now consider the teenagers of today. Do the teenagers you know spend endless hours on their cell phones texting, tweeting, and posting to social media accounts? Do they get anxious if they cannot respond quickly enough to friends when their parents request that they put their cell phone away during mealtimes? Were there similar technology related challenges when you were a teenager? Rapidly changing technology impacts the experiences and development of teenagers in important ways and presents unique challenges to parents and caregivers.

For this Discussion, you will analyze the effect of ongoing physical maturation on adolescent behavior. You will also examine the impact of social media on adolescent development.