Student Research Guide WQ25/ How Instagram is Impacting the Minds of Adolescents

Brain Development

• Adolescence is a critical period for brain development and growth, making teens more vulnerable to the harmful content circulating on Instagram.
• The adolescent brain is still maturing, particularly in lobes like the prefrontal cortex (which is responsible for decision making and emotional regulation). Too much Instagram usage can stunt growth in these areas, leading to slow maturation of the brain.
• Instagram was designed for compulsive usage, ultimately leading to addiction within its young users. Social media addiction can alter brain structure, causing difficulties in behavior control.

Cognitive Functions

• The constant exposure to quick forms of media on platforms like Instagram can lead to shortened attention spans.
• Instagram usage can negatively affect academic performance by causing increased distraction and procrastination in teenagers.
• Over-reliance on digital engagement can weaken interpersonal communication skills and reduce face-to-face social interactions.

Body Image

• Instagram promotes unrealistic beauty standards, leading teens to feel pressure to meet these unattainable goals. 
• Teens are constantly exposed to content that normalizes unhealthy behaviors like under-eating and over-exercising.
• Constant comparison to edited and glamorized photos can cause body dissatisfaction. This could potentially result in eating disorders for many young girls and boys. 

Self-esteem

• Teens often seek validation through likes and comments, and the lack of online recognition can lead to feelings of low self-worth.
• Constant comparison to others’ idealized lives can cause self-doubt and diminished self-esteem.
• Having a fear of missing out (FOMO) contributes to teens feeling inadequate or less-than.

Anxiety and Depression

• Excessive social media use has been linked to feelings of depression, reduced life satisfaction, and negative moods.
• Exposure to cyberbullying, online harassment, and other harmful content on Instagram increases anxiety among adolescents.
• The constant pressure to meet social media expectations, along with fear of missing out (FOMO), contributes to heightened anxiety and stress.

Advice for future researchers:

• Check your sources! Be careful with online articles or blogs that aren't necessarily credible. Some may lack evidence or even be biased so cross-checking sources is important. In my research, I found that not all the data matched up. Some websites had completely different data sets and percentages than those with more authority. 
• Social media is an umbrella topic (it covers a wide variety of related topics). Instagram and many other social media platforms happen to fall under this umbrella. Since my research topic was specifically focused on Instagram, it was important that I found sources mainly geared towards that one platform, not the whole category. Different social media platforms may have distinct impacts on mental health, so avoid grouping them all together if you have a similar topic. 
• Make sure you check how current your sources are. It is better to use data and resources that are more recent. Older studies may no longer be relevant due to the constant advancements done in technology, medicine, and other fields. 
• When using databases, try to be more broad and general when you search. These tend to bring up more results than specific ones. Or try and use one specific term rather than multiple in the same search. 

Reflection on research experience:

As I began finding sources for my research, I realized how many options I had to choose from. There were plenty of sources with information, but not all of them had what I needed. They were either not credible enough for my liking, or they didn't provide the information I was hoping to find. I found myself bookmarking way too many sources and ending up only using a couple in my actual analysis. The hard part was definitely the searching. Databases made it difficult to find exactly what I was searching for, but internet searches often didn't provide the most scholarly results. I did end up finding some really good sources that helped with my analysis. The best part of this process was seeing the research actually come together. It was also really interesting to learn about brain development and how it can be affected by social media. As someone who uses social media myself, I can definitely agree with what the research shows. Overall, I had fun exploring this topic in-depth and I would definitely be curious to learn more in the future!