Social media, especially among the youth, is growing exponentially in our world today as more people gain access to the internet. However, the sharp increase in social media usage has led to concerns about mental health and overall well-being. While social media can be valuable for staying connected with friends and being informed about the world, it can also bring about a multitude of problems, especially among the youth. This paper aims to examine available research on the relationship between social media and issues such as depression, anxiety, and cyberbullying among adolescents. Furthermore, it will explore how childhood maltreatment can affect how an individual interacts with social media. This paper not only explains how social media could have a negative effect on adolescents, with many of the aforementioned problems being linked to social media usage, but also how social media could also bring about some benefits. However, further research is needed to better understand the complexity of youth’s relationship with social media.
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