Why I Walked Away From Social Media: My Daughter's Point of View

I was worried about not having a social media presence when starting this blog, but then I realized if God wanted this blog to be read by others, He would make it happen. 

Having been on and off social media for years, I ultimately decided to walk away.  The driving force behind this choice? My determination to shield my kids from its influence. When I explained my reasons to my daughter, she questioned, 'Why do you have it then?' Her insight hit home. Realizing the need to lead by example, I took a step back, and the result was remarkable – she chose to follow on her own.


She not only abstains from social media platforms, with Pinterest being the exception, but she also crafted an essay for the FBI Youth Leadership Program. In her essay, she identified social media as the foremost factor influencing teenagers today. Her contribution earned her the title of 'the successful candidate for South Dakota,' marking the next stage with a panel interview. With her consent, I am excited to share her essay here, filled with immense pride for her accomplishments.

Her Essay:

Social Media: A Prison

    Imagine social media as the puppeteer extraordinaire, expertly manipulating our digital marionettes' loose and withered strings with a grin. Social media is one of the most significant factors facing teens today. Social media, such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest, are spreading dangerous lies that could potentially be life-threatening, putting teenagers at risk. Furthermore, social media can contribute to issues such as human trafficking. After doing some research and conducting interviews with teenagers, it is apparent that social media affects a teenager’s susceptibility to addiction, low self-esteem, and faltered beliefs.

“Social media is more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol.” - Gary Vaynerchuck

    I spoke with ten teenagers- seven girls and three boys aged between eleven and seventeen. Turns out 100% of the teenagers I interviewed mentioned they spend more than two hours a day on social media. In addition, 60% stated that they spent more than four hours, and 40% more than six hours throughout various platforms.

    Did you know that social media triggers the release of dopamine in the brain? (Newport Academy, 2023) This is why we keep coming back for more and more. The likes and shares on these platforms activate the reward center in the brain, resulting in a high- not unlike the one people feel on drugs. Crazy, right?

    Now let's say a teenager decided to quit social media. Just like any type of drug, they will begin to have withdrawal symptoms. Social media withdrawal can be very difficult for a teenager. Remember how I said social media triggers the release of dopamine to the brain? Well, if you withdraw from social media, those dopamine releases stop. This results in loneliness, anxiety, and depression. These dangerous side effects can make people, such as teenagers, cause self-harm and even suicide (Hamilton, J., 2021).

    Social media addiction and withdrawal have become so serious that there are now helplines for American citizens to call and Institutes for them to go to (Newport Institute, 2022). Here is what one teenager I interviewed had to say, “I think it’s sad, but I feel like everyone is kind of in that situation. They might delete one app, and then get addicted to another social media platform. It’s a never-ending circle.”-L.F.

Self- Esteem

    Comparison is driven by desire, which affects our self-esteem. One of the biggest downfalls of social media is how it leads people to compare themselves. 60% of the people I interviewed expressed that their self-esteem had been harmed. Why is that? Each person I interviewed had one thing in common, Snapchat. Now, how can Snapchat affect a person's self-confidence? Well, I've only got one answer for that, the filters. In the second week of January, I asked some friends a question about Snapchat:

Question- “How would you say the filters on Snapchat affect your self-confidence?”

Answers- “I would say I find some of them damaging and force my face into society’s ideal standards. They make me feel like something I don’t need to be when I look as perfect as I am. I try to avoid them because they greatly damage my self-esteem and reflection of myself.’’- M.

“Some of the filters with facial differences kind of make me insecure” -K.C.

” It made me have a lower self-confidence.”-L.F.

    As you can see, filters affect teenagers. They distort how a person looks at themselves. Fuller lips, clearer skin, whiter teeth, and bigger eyes, are just some examples of what the filters do. Through these filters, Snapchat is influencing teenagers to perceive their bodies as less than perfect, or to quote what M. refers to as "society's ideal standards." This is one of the many ways social media is damaging our youth, by influencing them into thinking they're not good enough.

Faltered Beliefs

    The last reason I think Social Media is the most significant factor is the influencing lies and the harm it spreads. One of the lies that can ruin history as we know it is:

“The Holocaust did not really happen. Six million Jews did not die. It is a Jewish conspiracy theory spread by vested interests to obscure the truth. The truth is that there is no evidence any people were gassed in any camp. The Holocaust did not happen.” -Anon (Monsen, L., 2022)

    Sharing this kind of lie can ruin today's society, by painting Jewish individuals in a bad light and making them targets. It's like setting the stage for history to repeat itself. These lies can especially affect teenagers. They believe most everything on social media, not because they are gullible, but because they are trusting. That lie that I shared with you can not only influence a child's or teen's worldview, but also shatter it. Here are some responses I got after sharing this:

    The Holocaust did really happen. It was one of the most gruesome and terrible events that has ever happened in the entire history of the earth. since Bible times God's people, the Jews, have been targeted and attempted to be killed. There is so much evidence, from the shoes that the children wore to the ruins of the camps that are still here today. it’s truly sad that people want to pretend that such a horrible thing didn’t happen and treat it so lightly, the Holocaust was real and it is something to never ignore. -S.G.

    Another response I got that was unexpected: “How can you be so sure…I’m not denying history, I just think people are over exaggerating and making stuff up.” Now this caught me off guard, I honestly didn’t think I knew anyone who didn't believe in the Holocaust, but this is proof of the effect social media has on teens. The Holocaust is completely provable from the documents of old concentration camps to the sudden decrease in the Jewish population.

    Another lie that goes on in social media is not exactly a world-spread lie, but the private kind that will destroy our youth. In 2023, there was a 125% increase in reports of recruitment into human trafficking through Facebook and a 95% increase in reports of recruitment on Instagram, compared to 2022 (Contreras, J., & Chon, K., 2024). Social Media is growing with its users every day- and every day there is a child who is being manipulated and enslaved. There are people out there who might deny it, but it's happening.

    What if I told you there are teenage girls who are currently talking to men over social media, whom they believe to be their lovers? Or, that there are teenage boys who believe they're meeting their online girlfriends for the first time? Now what happens if their “lover” is a sex trafficker? Or his girlfriend is going to enslave him? It sounds unbelievable, but it happens and will continue to happen unless someone does something about it. This is one of the many reasons I aspire to be an F.B.I. agent.

Conclusion

    I’ve been to 45 states total in the last two years and I’ve met a whole lot of kids. Honestly, I can see the difference between teens who own social media and don't, just by the way they carry themselves or how they talk. Isn't it terrifying to know that our health, and confidence can go down the drain just with one thirty-second video? Social media has the potential to reshape our history and is involved in issues, such as human trafficking, addiction, and promoting low self-esteem. Therefore, social media is not only the biggest factor in a teenager’s life, but the biggest prison.

References

Contreras, J., & Chon, K. (n.d.). Technology’s complicated relationship with human trafficking. Administration for Children & Families. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/blog/2022/07/technologys-complicated-relationship-human-trafficking

Monsen, L., (2022) Holocaust denial and distortion must stop. SHAREAMERICA. https://share.america.gov/holocaust-denial-distortion-must-stop/

Teen Social Media Addiction and Mental Health (2023), Newport Academy, https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/mental-health/teens-social-media-addiction/



Hamilton, J., (2021). Social Media use and prospective suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adolescents at high risk for suicide. Pub Med. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34533227/

Bible Verse of the Day

Proverbs 22:6

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.

My Reflection

• Fear that homeschooling my children would not allow them the same opportunities other kids get has been put to rest by God in so many ways. Part of directing our children means surrendering them to God, their safety, health, education, experiences, friends, and future. 
• Another part of directing our children is to become a good example for them, not accepting things you wouldn't want them to accept, and to be open and honest with them. I am realizing just how far this goes- especially with teenagers.
• Finally, directing them means to love them, care for them, nurture them, and meet their needs. 
  
  
  
  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, 

I surrender everything to you, including my children. I know you love them even more than I do and that your will for them is perfect. I pray that I will not get in your way, that you will make right what I mess up, and that you will do everything I can't for them. I thank you that you entrusted me to be their parent. Please keep them safe in every way- mind, body, and soul. I know you are faithful to your word, so I ask that you will help me to direct my children onto the right path, so they will not leave it.

In Jesus' name, Amen

I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences, feel free to leave a comment below. 

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