Sociala mediers integration i den verkliga världen : En kvalitativ studie om sociala mediers påverkan på ungdomar

Sammanfattning: Social media is today a part of daily life for adolescents, at the same time the mental illness is increasing among young people. The aim of this study is to examine high school students' experiences of how social media affects their self-esteem and mental health, the purpose is also to examine how counselors help adolescents who feel bad as a result of social media. A qualitative method was chosen where four adolescents aged 18-19 and two counselors were interviewed. The three theoretical starting points applied in the studies are the glass-self theory, dramaturgical analysis and social comparison theory. The results of the study showed that adolescents' comparisons with others on social media can affect self-esteem negatively, connected to adolescents' self-confidence and mood. The results also showed that adolescents' mental health was affected both positively and negatively by social   media. Contacts, communication and unity such as social media was considered to have a positive effect on the mental health of young people. As young people's comparisons with people on social media that they thought were prettier, more fun or had a better lifestyle compared to themselves contributed to mental illness. The young people's dependence on and constant connection to social media as well as the demands that the young people experience on social media also had a negative effect on mental health. The results also showed that the counselors work a lot with conversations and in more serious cases the involvement of the principal, parents or the police may be needed.