Afghan teenager urges for better social media use among peers

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n Afghan teenager is encouraging her peers to use social media wisely and to be aware of the negative impact of social media on young people and their mental health.

In today’s world, around 54% of the population – around 4.3 billion people – owns a smartphone. With developments in technology, more and more people are able to connect to online platforms and access social media. In particular, social media has become a part of the day to day lives of young people, with platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube being frequently used to connect with people and engage with the world politically. According to a 2024 survey by GeoPoll, 61% of Afghans use social media platforms daily. And a study found a significant amount of young Afghans spend a considerable amount of time on online platforms, with Facebook being the most popular platform and the majority of its participants spending one to three hours daily on social media. Although social media platforms provide an interactive space for teenagers to share common ground, its use has also brought about changes in their lifestyles and mental health. Among the problems they face, mental health and behaviour challenges have been raised as a result of their daily social media use. Naderah, 18, from Afghanistan shared her concerns about Afghan teenagers spending their time on their phones and on social media. While she said there are funny things on social media that young people like her see, the amount of time wasted is a “worrying problem”. She takes a very strong opinion on the issue and says that parents of young people addicted to their phones, should “break them” for the sake of them being more productive with their time or to prevent it from negatively impacting their mental health. Though social media and increased access to phones presents problems, it also provides many benefits such as access to education and resources for young Afghan girls like Naderah, who are also able to connect with friends and family around the world and to see and hear about other cultures. Naderah encourages young people to use social media “correctly”, emphasising the need for them to meet friends face to face.

She added: “Parents cannot control their children’s virtual activities, if you have free time that is fine but if it becomes more than a while you are wasting your time”.

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