The media can be very harmful to teens’ self-esteem. Young people are constantly comparing themselves to Instagram models, influencers, and other unrealistic body types. It’s important to focus on loving the body that we are in, as hard as that sounds. Lots of people have admitted to having anxiety from the media. Ken Kurson, who works in media and publishing, knows that the spotlight can be hard to handle. Lots of people, especially younger audiences, are constantly searching for things that are wrong with them. The news displays this ‘ideal’ persona that everyone is growing up thinking they have to look like them. Yet, it’s quite the opposite. Sometimes, taking a break from social media is healthy. Many celebrities do it after false accusations arise or if they are having trouble handling a PR issue.
Addiction to media can cause a lack of sleep and a disconnect from emotional connections. Many live persons online that are nowhere near who they are in reality. It can be harmful to them in the long run, but sometimes people need to learn from their mistakes to grow. Online harassment is also something that can occur to teenagers during there developmental stages. They shouldn’t have to worry about peers posting unjustified content or anything that could negatively impact them. However, in this day and age, all people, of all ages, worry about false accusations online. Ken Kurson has always suggested that getting fresh air, learning a new craft, or spending time with family are very beneficial to getting away from media. The constant negative comparisons teens are making to those online is getting out of hand. Losing sleep over something that can easily be fixed by taking a break from media doesn’t make any sense. It’s important to step back and focus positive energy on something else like family or friends.