Abstract

This paper critically examines the impact of social media and online communities on the mental health of Australian teenagers. Collecting crucial findings from scholarly research and secondary data, this paper explores both positive and negative effects of belonging to an online community with the rise of social media. This essay also reveals how digital identity formation, online gaming and social activism shape young people’s psychological wellbeing. The discussion has been supported using theoretical frameworks such as Social Identity Theory, Social Capital Theory, and Self-Presentation Theory. Finally, the paper suggests practical strategies for minimizing the negative impacts of social media with the aim of imposing more resilient mental health practices among teenagers.

Rise of social media and online communities has become a significantly important topic of concern in recent years, specifically in relation to the mental wellbeing of Australian teenagers. In this essay, I’m going to explore how being part of online community can impact the mental health of Teenage Australians both, positively and negatively. The young demographic of Australia uses social media for numerous causes which manoeuvres their mental health critically and I’ll argue that by sharing the information collected after researching on a range of scholarly sources and secondary data. This paper highlights how having a digital identity and belonging to an online community shape young people’s psychological well-being. I have examined the relationship between social media and online community with mental health and supported my argument by relevant theoretical frameworks. By focusing on Australia-specific data and insights, this essay aims to address existing knowledge gaps in the literature and offer a detailed perspective on the broader implications of social media usage.

Social media, nowadays, is considered an integral part of people’s life. According to researchers, social media offers numerous benefits to people, such as connection, knowledge sharing, and facilitating communication (Santos, Oliveira, & Chaves, 2021, p. 351). The use of social media is increasing day by day by global people and Australians as well. The social distancing measures at the time of COVID-19 pandemic has fuelled the use of social media as people started using social networks to cope with the isolation and loneliness during social distancing. Similar to other nations, Australia implemented social distancing to prevent the pandemic from breaking out. Social networks offer a multitude of convenience that positively affect various aspects of their lives. People can make personal connections and gain professional opportunities by using social media (Jain, Sahoo, & Kaubiyal, 2021, p. 2157). Some major advantages of social media usage are communication and enhanced connectivity, awareness and access to information, and business opportunities. Though social media provides the opportunity to improve people’s lives, there are various negative impacts of “social media” on people’s “mental health”.

In Australia, there is a continued increasing trend in the population who are actively using social media for different purposes (Hughes, 2023). According to the report of 2022, nearly 82.7% of the population in Australia are active social media citizens compared to 58% of the population in 2015. The most popular “social media platform” in the nation was Facebook, as per the report of 2019 (Hughes, 2023). General Australians use social media for a variety of activities. The most common use of social media is communication. More than half of the users use “social media” to send private messages, and 50% of users use it to comment on social media posts. Active social media users share videos and pictures. Over 90% of Australian people are using social media, who belong to the age group 12 to 55 (Hughes, 2023). The statistics prove that most Australian teenagers use social media.

Teenagers are vulnerable to mental health problems because of the use of social media. Nowadays, adolescents cannot imagine a life without social media (Gupta et al. 2022, p. 1). These people have an easy access to social media via multiple gadgets such as tablets, smartphones, desktops, and gaming systems. The excessive use of social media has created a complicated horizon for teenagers. The media environment has created several hazards and threatens the mental health of teenagers. Studies have indicated that social media”can influence young people to adopt unnatural behaviours and convey unusual attitudes. Mental health problems such as depression and the use of social media are correlated (Gupta et al. 2022, p. 1). Excessive use of social media can increase the exposure of teenagers to self-harm behaviour, decreasing empathy, loneliness, and other issues. Teenagers use social media for viewing and lurking on social media. A binary distinction can be observed between passive and active users, which do not expose a specific behaviour which is goal-directed or suggests procrastination.

Teenagers prefer to communicate with like-minded people. On social media, it is a common phenomenon that people with similar mentality often create a community where they can share their feelings. YesFam community is a famous online community in Australia and all around the world where teenagers engage with each other. The community believes that friends need to be treated as their own family because they can choose their friends (YesTheory, 2025). This type of online community often presents idealised versions of people and their lives. The community members may feel inferior and inadequate when they are compared to other people. As a result, they become unsatisfied with their lives and often start to desire a utopian world free from despair and agony. Gradually, teenagers become detached from reality and continue to dwell on imagination. They start to experience loneliness and depression in their mind, which leads to severe mental problems.

Apart from online communities, online gaming is also responsible for the deteriorating mental health condition of teenagers. Online gaming is viewed negatively as drinking addiction and gambling (Purwaningsih & Nurmala, 2021, p. 260). Since the “commercial introduction” in the 1970s, these games have become an inseparable part of people’s life that uses those as leisure and entertainment activities. Online gaming communities are formed by online gamers who play online games. The negatives effects of excessive online gaming among adoloscents have been seen as aggressive behaviour, impulsivity, and a tendency to self-harm. Stavropolous’ research indicates that the adverse effect of gaming is internet gaming disorder (Purwaningsih & Nurmala, 2021, p. 261). During adolescence, teenagers go through psychological stresses and significant mental challenges. For teenagers, dysfunctional stress management is added to the “Practical problem-solving strategies”. Online game addiction refers to the compulsive and excessive use of online video games. Such addiction leads to social and emotional problems. Teenagers invest an increasing amount of time and effort in video games, which deteriorates their mental health.

Online gaming is a popular leisure activity in Australia. The number of users playing online games in the digital media market in Australia is estimated to grow by 1.2 million users by 2027 (Statista, 2025). The number is forecasted to reach 11.82 million users by 2027. This is a concerning matter as an increased share of the teenage population in Australia will be vulnerable to mental health problems. Gaming addiction can lead to sleep deprivation and sleep deprivation (Shehzadi & Akhter, 2024, p. 30). The “blue light” coming from mobile or computer screens and the compelling nature of online content can cause poor sleep and disturbed sleep patterns among teenagers. Games are designed with features that promote addictive behavior and result in excessive use.

Online gaming and online communities, on the other hand, may be beneficial for treating mental health problems of teenagers. The application of gamification in mental health promotion is a new approach that needs special recognition (Gkintoni et al. 2024, p. 1). However, the development of these gaming platforms must be appropriate and convenient for users for teenagers. Several gamified interventions can promote changes in behaviour of people and improve mental health outcomes. According to “Social Capital Theory”, people share knowledge to bridge cultural boundaries and generate trust levels (Van Bakel & Horak, 2024, p. 263). Social platforms can intervene in the creation of online social communities and create social capital. These interventions leverage intrinsic motivation in teenagers and adolescents. While playing appropriate online games, teenagers can socialise with others and improve their socialisation skills. Gamification can be used to push teenagers towards the adoption of healthy behaviour.

Online networks work as a significant catalyst for social change in the era of digital technologies. The interconnected attributes of the internet and social media platforms have empowered teenagers and online communities. According to some scholars, social networks amplify moral outrage and bring changes to society (Brady et al. 2021, p. 1). Moral outrage is an emotion which promotes social cooperation, punishes moral transgression, and catalyses collective actions that bring social change. Moral outrage in teenagers is criticised for creating social ills such as political polarisation, destruction of democracy, and the spreading of fake information. Young people are demotivated by the false information shared by people and they tend to believe that information. Political parties use social networks to influence young people and spread hate and indifference. Again, social networks provide opportunities for young people to organise campaigns and protests.

Identity and online advocacy are other aspects which need to be addressed. Teenagers engaging in online advocacy are a way to publicly express their opinions and core values. Online advocacy manifests people’s accounts of how they are present on social media to accomplish their goals (Schermuly, Petersen, & Anderson, 2021, p. 2). Teenagers are still developing self-identity, therefore, intense engagement with online advocacy can lead to over-identification. It can overshadow teenagers’ aspect of identity development. Continuously experiencing the opinions and counter-opinions of other people can make teenagers feel compared and undermined. The discrepancy between the online identity of a teenager and their online experience can cause conflict in their personalities. “Self-presentation Theory” entails that people like to present their identity and beliefs on social platforms to create desired impressions (Gordon, 2023). Teenagers carefully develop their online identity and how they communicate with other people aligns with their online advocacy.

Australia is the home for indigenous people who have experienced intergenerational trauma of feeling violated via television, news, and social media. Racism is associated with overall “negative outcomes” for “mental health” among indigenous people in Australia (Kairuz et al. 2021, p. 2). The online diaspora of indigenous people helps them connect with people who live outside their territories and use social networks to keep up with their cultures, festivals, and languages. Social network offers a great convenience to facilitate and strengthen the online diaspora by mitigating the geographical barriers. However, indigenous people expressing their diaspora online experience discrimination and hateful behaviour from the mainstream society. Unequal access to social media and digital literacy is a significant barrier to many indigenous people. According to Social Identity Theory, people derive parts of their identity by forming membership in social groups (Guan & So, 2022, p. 1). Indigenous people tend to create and maintain social identity by being a part of the online diaspora.

The recommendation for teenagers who are experiencing mental health deterioration is to encourage their self-awareness. Teenagers have to identify the factors that trigger them and make them feel low. For example, they can feel triggered when someone criticises their idol, favourite football clubs, or players. Self-awareness can be noted as the multiplicity of views and thinking (Carden, Jones, & Passmore, 2022, p. 142). They have to be encouraged to consider the physical signs of stress that are generated when they are using social platforms. By setting time limits, teenagers can refrain from the overuse of social media and engage in creative activities. Some times in the day should be considered as social media free times, such as before sleeping, while eating food, and while talking to friends and family. The hateful content on social media must be avoided because those can trigger negative emotions among teenagers. Schools must take steps to stop social media addiction among students. 

In this paper, it has been examined how social media and online communities can affect the mental health of teenagers in Australia. The analysis showed that digital space participation impacts young people’s psychological health through both beneficial and harmful effects. Although, social media delivers connection and support to teenagers, it also creates mental health issues including anxiety, depression and identity conflicts. The argument was validated using current Australian social media usage statistics and theoretical approaches including Social Identity Theory and Self-Presentation Theory, while also drawing evidence from case studies like the YesFam community and online gaming platforms. The discussion about gamification, advocacy, and online diasporas showcased the dual roles of social media as both a harmful and healing force. This paper showed that even though teenage lives heavily depend on online platforms today, their psychological effects require careful understanding and management through education and self-awareness together with targeted interventions to protect the mental health of future Australian generations.

References

Brady, W. J., McLoughlin, K., Doan, T. N., & Crockett, M. J. (2021). How social learning amplifies moral outrage expression in online social networks. Science Advances, 7(33), eabe5641. https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.abe5641

Carden, J., Jones, R. J., & Passmore, J. (2022). Defining self-awareness in the context of adult development: A systematic literature review. Journal of Management Education, 46(1), 140-177. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1052562921990065

Gkintoni, E., Vantaraki, F., Skoulidi, C., Anastassopoulos, P., & Vantarakis, A. (2024). Promoting physical and mental health among children and adolescents via gamification—A conceptual systematic review. Behavioral Sciences, 14(2), 102. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/2/102/pdf

Gordon, K. O. (2023). Toward a Full Embrace of Goffman’s Dramaturgy within Self-Presentation Analyses. In Social Media in Sport (pp. 163-176). Routledge. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kiernan-Gordon/publication/376450966_Toward_a_full_embrace_of_Goffman’s_dramaturgy_within_self-presentation_analyses/links/6578c0216610947889bf4ed5/Toward-a-full-embrace-of-Goffmans-dramaturgy-within-self-presentation-analyses.pdf

Guan, M., & So, J. (2022). Social identity theory. The international encyclopedia of health communication, 1-5. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mengfei-Guan/publication/369140764_Social_Identity_Theory/links/640b51f892cfd54f84eede82/Social-Identity-Theory.pdf

Gupta, C., Jogdand, S., Kumar, M., & Jogdand, S. D. (2022). Reviewing the impact of social media on the mental health of adolescents and young adults. Cureus, 14(10). https://www.cureus.com/articles/109723-reviewing-the-impact-of-social-media-on-the-mental-health-of-adolescents-and-young-adults.pdf

Hughes. C., (2023). Active social media users as percentage of the total population in Australia from 2015 to 2022. Retrieved on: 29the March 2025, from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/680201/australia-social-media-penetration/

Hughes. C., (2023). Use of social networking sites in Australia as of March 2018, by age. Retrieved on: 29^th March 2025, from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/729928/australia-social-media-usage-by-age/

Jain, A. K., Sahoo, S. R., & Kaubiyal, J. (2021). Online social networks security and privacy: comprehensive review and analysis. Complex & Intelligent Systems, 7(5), 2157-2177. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s40747-021-00409-7.pdf

Kairuz, C. A., Casanelia, L. M., Bennett-Brook, K., Coombes, J., & Yadav, U. N. (2021). Impact of racism and discrimination on physical and mental health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples living in Australia: a systematic scoping review. BMC Public Health, 21, 1-16. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12889-021-11363-x.pdf

Macur, M., & Pontes, H. M. (2021). Internet Gaming Disorder in adolescence: investigating profiles and associated risk factors. BMC public health, 21, 1-9. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12889-021-11394-4.pdf

Purwaningsih, E., & Nurmala, I. (2021). The impact of online game addiction on adolescent mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences (OAMJMS), 9(F), 260-274. https://repository.unair.ac.id/123624/1/C11_Full_Text.pdf

Santos, R. F., Oliveira, M., & Chaves, M. S. (2021). Are you getting full benefits from the use of Social Media? A review combining the concepts of Social Media, Social Capital and Knowledge Sharing. Revista de Administração da UFSM, 14(2), 349-368. https://www.scielo.br/j/reaufsm/a/956Jnn465bnrqTcKXMdScbC/?format=pdf&lang=en

Schermuly, A. C., Petersen, A., & Anderson, A. (2021). ‘I’m not an activist!’: digital self-advocacy in online patient communities. Critical Public Health, 31(2), 204-213. https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=sc-research

Shehzadi, K., & Akhter, S. (2024). Exploring the interplay in gaming addiction, social behavior, sleep deprivation and academic performance among university students. PAKISTAN ISLAMICUS (An International Journal of Islamic & Social Sciences), 4(03), 29-36. http://pakistanislamicus.com/index.php/home/article/download/149/153

Statista, (2025). Number of users of mobile games in Australia & Oceania from 2018 to 2027. Retrieved on: 29^th March 2025, from: https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1301048/mobile-gamers-australia-and-oceania

Van Bakel, M., & Horak, S. (2024). Social capital theory. In A Guide to Key Theories for Human Resource Management Research (pp. 261-267). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sven-Horak-2/publication/377150511_Social_Capital_Theory/links/672162b177b63d1220cb69be/Social-Capital-Theory.pdf

YesTheory (2025). MEET THE YES THEORY COMMUNITY. Retrieved on: 29the March 2025, from: https://yestheory.com/community/#community