Youth have unparalleled access to digital information across a variety of platforms, including smartphones, tablets, desktops, laptops, and gaming consoles, making the media landscape wider and more diverse than ever. One essential element of this landscape is social media  (Nesi, 2020).

Nesi, Jacqueline, (2020) conducted a study on ‘The impact of social media on Youth Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities’ and concluded that Peer experiences throughout adolescence are essential to the development and upkeep of psychopathology. Increased frequency, immediateness, and intensity of peer interactions are possible in the social media context. A modest but significant percentage of the over 400 kids who were admitted to a mental hospital due to risk to themselves or others reported accessing internet material that encouraged suicide (14.8%) or self-harm (16.6%) in the two weeks before their admission  (Nesi, 2020).

Anjali Popat and Carolyn Tarrant, (2022) conducted a study on ‘Exploring adolescents’ perspectives on social media and mental health and well-being – A qualitative literature review’ the objective was to explore their perspectives, focusing on adolescents aged between 13 and 17. The finding of the study revealed that Adolescents said that using social media may promote self-expression. They designed their profiles to showcase their "best selves". Females had greater social media expectations, but they also had greater privacy concerns.

The study highlights that Adolescents commonly discussed how important and prevalent online contact was in daily life. Adolescents encountered issues with family dynamics when phone use was prioritized above in-person communication. Adolescents discussed how social media could enhance wellness by fostering social interaction and facilitating access to peer support. Despite the advantages of social media, teenagers commonly reported being exposed to bullying and hazardous information, which could have a serious detrimental influence on their mental health and wellness  (Anjali Popat, Carolyn Tarrant, 2022)

Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland, Viktor Schønning, Randi Træland Hella, Marius Veseth, and Jens Christofer Skogen, (2021) conducted research on ‘How do Norwegian adolescents experience the role of social media in relation to mental health and well-being: a qualitative study the objective was to investigate adolescents’ lived experiences of using social media, focusing on both negative and positive aspects, using a qualitative approach. They concluded that Adolescents reported a variety of negative opinions, attitudes, and experiences with social media. The adolescents expressed a desire to be less engrossed in social media and a challenge to maintain a balance between it and real life.

 The results of the current study indicate that teenagers believe social media to have a variety of detrimental effects on their mental health and well-being. The study highlights that Teenagers today encounter several unique obstacles that were not present in earlier generations. Their behavior may become permanent and retrievable because so much of their social lives and self-expression take place online, which could be worrying and embarrassing  (Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland, Viktor Schønning,Randi Træland Hella, Marius Veseth,Jens Christofer Skogen, 2021)

Michelle O’Reilly, Nisha Dogra, Natasha Whiteman, Jason Hughes, Seyda Eruyar, Paul Reilly, (2018) conducted a study on ‘Is social media bad for mental health and wellbeing? Exploring the perspectives of adolescents’ the objective was to investigate empirically how social media is viewed in terms of mental well-being by adolescents themselves. The study revealed that the participants were unanimous in their belief that social media was harmful to adolescent mental overall wellness, primarily referring to others' mental health rather than their own They observed possible detrimental effects of social media, including stress, depression, low self-esteem, and suicidal thoughts. Social media is increasingly a necessary component of adolescent life. Although there may be advantages and threats to mental health, these are not fully known.

The results showed that individuals believed social media was a direct cause of mental health problems like despair and suicidal thoughts were addictive and exposed users to practices like cyberbullying that had a negative influence on their emotional well-being. Studies have demonstrated that people can and do suffer from internet addiction and sleep deprivation 90 of adolescents use social media both during the day and at night with 37% failing to sleep as a result  (Michelle O’Reilly,Nisha Dogra,Natasha Whiteman, Jason Hughes,Seyda Eruyar,Paul Reilly, 2018).

Jasseer Jabbar, Shibu Dharmarajan, Ritu Priya Raveendranathan, Devanand Syamkumar, Alisha Jasseer,( 2022) conducted a study on ‘Influence of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health’ the objective was to investigated the correlation between social media use and mental health among adolescents. The finding of the research revealed that adolescents who use social media improperly exhibit signs of depression, anxiety, stress, and aggression. Studies have shown that social media use is positively correlated with depression.

The study also finds that Cyberbullying is an antisocial action meant to cause hurt, boredom, and behavioral imbalance in adolescent internet users, which is a common problem. Cyberbullying affects adolescents' well-being significantly and is widespread. The study concluded that One of the most difficult and demanding times in a person's life is adolescence. Adolescents engage in a variety of recreational activities to relieve or avoid such stress. In today's society, social media is the main entertainment zone of these folks  (Jasseer Jabbar, Shibu Dharmarajan Ritu Priya Raveendranathan, Devanand Syamkumar, Alisha Jasseer, 2022)

Walton B, Rizzolo D, (2022) conducted a study on ‘The Effects of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health’ the objective of the study was to help providers effectively evaluate social media use in adolescent patients and provide guidance on its use to help preserve or improve their emotional well-being. The result of the study revealed that in addition, hospital admissions for female non-fatal self-harm grew by 62% in those aged 15 to 19 and by 189% in those aged 10 to 14 in the eight years after 2009. Male suicide mortality among those aged 15 to 19 increased by 31% in men and 113% in women from 2007 to 2015. According to the WHO, depression will rank as the fourth most common disease and disability among people aged 15 to 19 worldwide in 2020.

The study concluded that because adolescents spend more time on social media and have worse mental health than their male classmates, social media use by some girls can be alarming. It was discovered that adolescents with SCFS exhibited greater levels of depressive symptoms in longitudinal research involving 816 individuals. On the other hand, the study finds that Adolescent users of social media have the opportunity to experience social connection, amusement, humor, identity exploration, and creative expression  (Walton B, Rizzolo D, 2022). 

The finding is an integral part of any study which is been carried on as it gives a general understanding of the topic that has been studied. From the preceding literature review, the following analysis can be drawn out regarding the impact of social media on the mental health of adolescents.

1. Social media platforms are interactive websites where individuals and groups may exchange, discuss, collaborate on, and edit user-generated content. In the environment of social media, peer contact may be more frequent, immediate, and intense.

2. Adolescents, s had higher expectations for social media, but they also had higher privacy concerns. Teenagers claimed that social media may encourage self-expression. Teenagers frequently spoke about the significance of the prevalence of internet contact in daily life.

3. Teenagers think social media negatively impacts their mental health and well-being in a variety of ways. Adolescents today face several distinct challenges that did not exist in prior generations.

4. The negative impacts of social media, such as stress, despair, low self-esteem, and suicidal thoughts. Social media was hazardous to adolescents' mental overall wellness because it focused more on others' mental health than their own. Addictive and exposing users to behaviors like cyberbullying that harmed their emotional well-being, social media was a direct cause of mental health issues like depression and suicidal ideation.

5. Adolescents that misuse social media show symptoms of despair, anxiety, tension, and violence. Social media use is associated with depression favorably, according to studies. Teenagers participate in several recreational pursuits to manage or avoid such stress.