VOX ATL has been visiting North Springs High School this semester and giving their teens an opportunity to share their thoughts on a number of topics and have them published. Among them has been the impact that social media is having on teens’ mental health. Check out what some of them had to say.

Social media has been the absolute worst thing in my life ever since I joined it. And yet, I’m still on it even after years of using it. It’s a vicious cycle of finding a cool website, laughing at a few memes, seeing a dead body, getting horrified, and leaving. At least, until you come back immediately after because all your friends are on that website. The blatant disregard you see from every single big social media platform is genuinely sickening. The internet doesn’t care about you, it just wants to keep you around long enough for it to make a profit off of you. – Carson Mayeske, 14

I think that social media is toxic because every time a person gets online it’s rarely about anything positive. It’s mostly about drama that people make for attention and money half the time or they just bring awareness to non-important things and drama, for example like the whole Chrisesn and Blueface thing, blog pages like The Shade Room and The Neighborhood Talk constantly post about the show that the “couple” made together and all they promote is the toxicity of the relationship and the show and it’s not okay because some people really believe that being in a toxic relationship like theirs is ok when it’s not. They should be promoting positive things and positive relationships that people can look up to and learn from. – Harmony Hines

I think social media is very toxic. Overall, it is ruining the lives of young teens and everyone in general. It has increased mental illness and bullying. – Madison Whitlatch

I think that social media is toxic. I think that people think that social media is a way of living and it’s really not, and that’s what really raises the mental health and cyber bullying. – Jada May

We all know that social media can be very toxic, with examples such as body shaming, or being homophobic or just insulting someone minding their own business. But my biggest problem with social media aren’t the platforms and apps, but the people on these websites. The people on social media are very toxic and immature kids that think everything is a joke and take nothing seriously if it’s not benefiting them or not happening to them. These types of people tend to gaslight the younger generations into being like them and doing the same things they do, which can form an endless cycle of toxicity and influence even more people into becoming toxic, and the part that gets me angry is that they are openly admitting what they are doing and people still accept it and even defend this. I’m usually on TikTok and I see these things happen;  when I question it, I get insulted with the most non-original, stale and very lame jokes that make absolutely no sense, but yet people eat this up and side with that not based on their argument on why I disagree. This brings me to something that really makes my blood boil and its when someone can’t accept an opinion. These people had hour-long conversation on why I should accept their opinion but when I list mine they start to repeat the same weird and tasteless joke again and again over and over like they’re robots programed to say these things. Social media is very toxic and I honestly hate it. – Andrew Whyte

Social media can be toxic depending on how you use it. Social media is often used to keep in touch with friends and share joy over happy posts, like a wedding announcement, which can make life even fuller and is definitely not toxic. It becomes toxic when you begin to spend hours on it instead of being productive, or begin comparing yourself to those you see in posts. It is important to notice if you are using social media in a negative way, so you limit your use of it and break the harmful cycle. It can have severe mental health consequences and lower your self-confidence, so be sure to acknowledge these potential downsides when you open a social media platform. – Sarah Meiselman
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Social media is overwhelmingly toxic. It is a platform that encourages young people to have insecurities if they do not look a certain way, and encourages people to lie and pretend who they are and how they live to impress others. It has made society so dependent on likes that many people can’t feel confident unless they are liked by others. It has made people seek acceptance in others instead of seeking acceptance internally. Even though social media has its positives, it has become far more dangerous than beneficial. – Marien Brown

Social media is very toxic now with all the bullying, and I’m sure has affected people’s mental health in big ways. – Breaunne Malloy
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Social media is very toxic. Since it allows the users anonymity, they can say what they want without receiving repercussions for it. There has been multiple cases where it has harmed people greatly. – Ashley Williams
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Social media can be toxic. It can be toxic and affect people’s lifestyles. Mental health can be ruined by having social media. Not only ruin teenagers, but anyone between all ages. It isn’t reality as how people make it seem. Social media feeds instant gratification. It can be all a lie, and people will believe it or feel the need to be a certain way. – Tala Hadid

Social media is a place where toxicity is the only constant. No matter what platform you go on, there is someone there trying to make others feel bad about themselves. – Elizabeth Peddi
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Social media has become a platform where people tend to spread negativity and bring down others. Social media can be resourceful and entertaining, but it can also be addicting and intoxicating. People even hack others’ accounts and try and get people’s information and location. – Lauren Smith