Sowmya Pellakur ENGL 105 In today s time social media has become a very crucial part of the lives of early teen girls Platforms like Instagram TikTok Snapchat and Twitter have all had an impactful influence on teens in the specific age range of 12 15 which is why understanding the effects of social media on adolescent development is important While social media offers opportunities for self expression connection building and information sharing it also introduces room for negative outcomes such as comparing body image ideals cyberbullying peer pressure and online validation seeking Studies have shown that Instagram had been one of the more popular social media platforms which also showed relevant results of early teen girls facing anxiety and depression Whitworth 2023 This topic is relevant to research because it can contribute meaningfully to ongoing discussions that have been aimed at supporting the healthy development of adolescents in the digital age APA 2023 The harmful effects of social media on teen girls Trails Carolina 2023 March 21 https trailscarolina com blog harmful effects social media teen girls text Adolesce nts 20were 20starting 20to 20report not 20social 20media 20more 20broadly Cleveland Clinic 2024 February 19 How social media can negatively affect your child https health clevelandclinic org dangers of social media for youth American Psychological Association n d Keeping teens safe on social media What parents should know to protect their kids American Psychological Association https www apa org topics social media internet social media parent tips Katella K 2024 January 8 How social media affects your teen s mental health A parent s guide Yale Medicine https www yalemedicine org news social media teen mental health a parents guide Gerson J 2023 September 14 The complicated ties between teenage girls and social media and what parents should know The 19th https 19thnews org 2023 09 social media teenage girls mental health body image