Excessive scrolling makes teenagers vulnerable to anxiety and loss of confidence

Jakarta – Clinical adult psychologist Teresa Indira Andani, S.Psi., M.Psi., Psychologist, a graduate of the Professional Clinical Master’s programme at the University of Indonesia, has warned that excessive social media use among teenagers can trigger numerous psychological impacts, ranging from social comparison to sleep disorders.

Speaking to ANTARA on Friday, Teresa noted that one of the most common effects is the tendency for adolescents to engage in excessive self-comparison with others.

“Teenagers may feel insufficiently attractive, insufficiently popular, or insufficiently successful because they see other people’s lives, which appear perfect on social media,” Teresa said.

Consequently, continuous social comparison can influence self-worth. “If validation becomes overly dependent on likes and comments, self-esteem becomes entirely external. In other words, self-confidence depends on other people’s responses,” she explained.

Teenagers can feel anxious when they fail to keep up with the latest developments or do not participate in digital conversations with peers.

Another commonly observed impact is sleep disruption. Device use late into the night, particularly before bedtime, can diminish sleep quality and affect concentration the following day.

“Problems emerge when usage is unbalanced and unmanaged,” said the psychologist, commonly known as Tesya.

She believes that the role of parents and the environment is crucial in helping teenagers use social media in a healthy and proportionate manner.