The psychological and physical well-being of teenagers online is threatened by the rising levels of hate speech spread on social media and aimed at specific individuals and the acknowledgment of the widespread presence of online hate as a major challenge for the social media industries has taken place. 

During a United Nations interview, hate speech was discussed as a situation covering threatening expressions or written content that conveys prejudice against particular groups such as race, religion, or sexual orientation. They often study the mental issues and personality traits of those who bully or harm others online. 

When people deal with online hate crimes, they usually use outdated ideas that don’t really fit well with today’s social media, so many ignore or fight back, which causes more negative speech to be used and has now turned into a fight, and they don’t know when enough is enough. 

Cellphones and being actively online nowadays are a source of comfort and approval to modern day teenagers. School Counselor Melissa Fournier is trying to bring attention to this type of addiction. 

“Unfortunately, it’s a constant need to look at their socials to see what other people are engaging in and saying about them. I think because of this addiction, its affecting the student’s way in communicating person to person with other people instead of being able to go say what they want online because it doesn’t affect them as much as it does when said person.” stated Fournier 

Like cyberbullying, this tends to overlook the social aspect of social media, where user reactions, opinions, and feedback can influence how offenders perceive their actions, fostering interactivity among online users. 

“I think social media can be useful, it can be a positive tool but for our youth, sometimes doesn’t have the willpower to say, “I shouldn’t be looking at it” and “When do I stop” when I know it doesn’t have a positive impact on my well-being.” replied Fournier. 

According to Help Guide, social media does not have the same psychological benefits as face-to-face contact, there are still many positive ways in which it can help you stay connected and support your wellbeing. Social media enables you to communicate and stay up to date with family and friends around the world. 

While social media can be detrimental to teenagers, it can sometimes be used as a tool. “It can absolutely bring a positive side towards it. You can gain valuable information, news interest, mental health awareness, positive aspects like those but only from the right people you see and follow online. It will only do us good if we can acknowledge that we should only look at it some parts of the day instead of the entire day.” said Fournier. 

Social media personalities like celebrities and influencers are renowned for their quality and engaging content. Their positive impact is felt in areas such as mental health awareness, where they highlight its importance and offer people a platform to talk and vent their emotions. These accounts make comforting or down-to-earth posts to provide their followers with a safe space and to where the people can relate and come together online. 

Despite positive interactions, there is always one person who can ruin it all. Indeed, exposure to online hate speech has been shown to be associated with lower levels of psychological well-being and higher levels of depression.  

A 2022 study by the international journal of environmental research and public health looked directly at this. They did a meta-analysis of 21 cross-sectional studies, 5 longitudinal studies across 55,000 participants and they examined the relationship between time spent on social media and depression in adolescents. “Risk of depression increased by 13% for each hour increase in social media usage.” 

It’s a nearly impossible to get a generation who grew up with technology, off of it. Up to 95% of teenagers reported to at least one social media platform, nearly two thirds of teenagers using social media every day and one third report using social media “almost constantly.” according to US department of Health and Human Services. 

“Too much exposure to the online world can increase the impact on their mental health, and as a counselor I see more anxiety which can affect their performance in school if they feel like their isn’t a positive comment or there isn’t that many likes on a post they made, then it changes their mental state by causing that anxiety and even depression.” noted Fournier. 

The verdict on whether social media is beneficial or detrimental to your health has been divided, and the few companies that own the platforms Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, platforms that most of the world now use to communicate have the responsibility of deciding what content should be censored and how. Domestic laws impose restrictions on these activities and can help prevent violence against minorities and prevent prejudice against themselves in modern democracies.  

These major technology companies announced that they were taking unprecedented action against the hate speech and harassment that had long flourished on their platforms. Social media companies use a mix of user reports, artificial intelligence, and employees referred to as content moderators to enforce their policies about what constitutes proper content.  

Social media companies do not distribute their resources fairly among the different platforms they offer. Some platforms receive more attention and resources than others, even if the issues are similar across all platforms. This causes hateful comments to remain on a person’s post which can continue to remind the person of that feeling associated with the comment. 

“Hate isn’t the right word, but I feel like you are going to have people that are ill-willed, no matter what. They choose to put negative ugly comments about a person or even a group of specific people. But the question is, are these young adults ready to internalize and interpret how to handle that situation presented. But, Is hate spread? Absolutely, but what actually matters is how you can handle it.” replied Fournier. 

Social media can offer positive experiences when used appropriately. However, it’s essential to acknowledge that some teenagers may develop dependencies on the validation they receive through likes, followers, and positive comments. But a single negative comment has the potential to significantly affect their experience online.