Adolescence and Social Media: A Double-Edged Sword

A recent wave of concern has swept through schools and homes in the wake of the Netflix film Adolescence, reigniting urgent conversations about the powerful, and often invisible, impact of social media on young minds. While the film presents a dramatic lens, it echoes what many educators and parents are quietly witnessing — a generation of adolescents navigating an alternate digital reality that often feels more real than the physical one. The fragile situation of adolescence and social media can be best described as a double-edged sword. 

Adolescence, by design, is a time of transformation. It’s a phase marked by identity exploration, emotional turbulence, peer validation, and a hunger for autonomy. Into this volatile mix, we’ve introduced the constant presence of social media — a space where teenagers perform, record, and measure their worth in reels, stories, and posts.

Effect of Social Media 

According to the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI), more than 65% of internet users in India are between the ages of 12 and 29. With teens spending 4 to 5 hours online daily, it is no surprise that the World Health Organisation has flagged social media addiction as a growing mental health concern — one where users struggle to disengage, even when faced with clear negative consequences. Brain scans now show that the addiction to likes, comments, and views lights up the same reward pathways as substance use.

Significance of School Cinema

At School Cinema, this is a reality we’ve long been trying to bring to the classroom. Through the medium of film, we’ve addressed the nuances of adolescence with empathy, honesty, and cultural sensitivity. We created a beautifully animated film on puberty for both boys and girls — and also made a version for adults, helping parents and educators engage in this delicate conversation with clarity and confidence. One of our standout films, Mooch (meaning moustache), explores the journey of adolescence for boys and the social cues tied to masculinity and growing up. Across multiple other films, we’ve consistently touched on the emotional and psychological challenges of adolescence, aiming to replace silence with storytelling.

This is just the beginning.

The issue of social media and adolescence cannot be solved by bans or blind restrictions. Prohibition often drives behaviour underground — it intensifies interest rather than eliminating it. What we need is a multi-layered response rooted in education, policy accountability, and open communication.

Drawing from over two decades of experience as a life skills facilitator, I’ve seen firsthand how adolescence is a tender, formative phase that must be handled with love, patience, and presence. What teenagers need most are open channels of communication and trusted mentors they can turn to — not judgement or control, but empathy and guidance. This has been the single most powerful learning in my journey working with young people.

Platforms must be made accountable. Remember the recent petition that forced Spotify to take down misogynistic content by Andrew Tate? It took 90,000 voices to make that happen. This is the kind of pressure we must continue to apply. At the same time, schools must embed digital literacy into the curriculum — not as a standalone topic, but as a way of seeing and engaging with the world.

And at home, we need to move from control to conversation. Adolescents don’t need us to police them — they need us to understand them.

Conclusion

Social media isn’t inherently dangerous. Like fire, it can warm or burn, depending on how we teach our children to handle it. As educators, parents, and content creators, we have a responsibility to shape a culture that balances freedom with awareness. Let’s keep telling stories. Let’s keep creating spaces for reflection. And let’s not stop — because adolescence doesn’t pause, and neither should we.