Positive and Negatives Outcomes of Social Media in Adolescents

Research is only just emerging pertaining to adolescents and social media (Ahn, 2011). Even still, popularity of adolescents using social media is rising (Pujazon-Zazik & Park, 2010). Social media can have negative impacts such as opening avenues for online harassment or harming mental health (Pujazon-Zazik & Park, 2010; Naslund, 2016; Barry et al., 2017). Social media can also have positive outcomes such as increased social networking, boosting self-esteem, and creating educational potentials (Ahn, 2011; Best, 2014; Pujazon-Zazik, 2010; Naslund, 2016). School counselors should be aware of the positives and negatives of social media in order to help students in their schools. School counselors can be proactive by creating or learning about policies or guidelines in the district, incorporating social media into school guidance curriculum, or educating families and teenagers about its potential effects and how to safely use social media