Teens spend a vast majority of their time on social media apps, which promote and showcase violent content, throughout the day. Photo by Ron Lach via Pexels.
Over the past couple of years, social media has become an essential aspect of teenage life based on how it is shaping the way teenagers think, communicate, and behave. Several notable platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Discord are continuing to grow tremendously, but their influence is no longer based on memes or videos; rather, it is influencing teenagers to partake in behaviors without a sense of acknowledging the consequences that come with it.
Social media, especially for teens, has become a place where they are normalizing violent behavior and engaging in different types of threats online. Statistics and research validate what many teachers and parents already know: social media platforms and their content are severely impacting the way teens view violent content and how they perceive it. They are exposed to this type of content on social media so often, they have normalized behaviors associated with it and even partake in these behaviors themselves.
According to a 2024 report by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), 70% of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 have encountered real-life violent content online in the past year. Additionally, one in four teens reported that the violent content they see was through different types of algorithms, such as TikTok’s “for you” page or Instagram’s “stories,” and not the teens searching up the violent content. What this indicates is that teens are continuously exposed to violent content on these social media platforms, whether they actually want to see the content or not.
The content that is shown plays a significant role in shaping teens’ perception of the world. Over half of surveyed teens, 56%, reported watching footage of physical fights, while 35% saw weapon-related content. Among those teens who visibly saw weapons online, 74% saw knives, with 34% encountering “zombie knives” or machetes. This type of exposure doesn’t just disturb teens, but also affects how it changes their behavior since the violent content is constantly shown.
The same YEF report found that 39% of teens who saw weapons online said it influenced them to carry a weapon themselves, while 58% said it made carrying weapons seem like a “normal part of everyday life.”
The amount of content that is constantly shown impacts teens in the way they see it, and it’s becoming more normalized amongst them. This indicates that teenagers will be likely to condone these dangerous behaviors without acknowledging the consequences of it.
It’s not just about what teens are watching, but it is also about the constant videos that teens see and the repetition that influences them to normalize the dangerous behaviors.
A study published in “Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience” concluded that teens who are repeatedly exposed to violent content become more desensitized to the content and are less shocked by what they are watching. Scientists and researchers conducted experiments to view how the orbitofrontal cortex declined as the participants viewed violent content repeatedly. As Dr. Jordan Grafman, senior investigator at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, stated, “continued exposure to violent videos will make an adolescent less sensitive to violence, more accepting of violence, and more likely to commit aggressive acts.”
This proves that repeated exposure to violent content leads to desensitization of an individual, blurring the line between what teens think of “right” and “wrong.” The repercussions of this can be found, nationwide and globally. Not only was Cardozo a victim of this, but places all over the country face the consequences of teens being overexposed to violence on an everyday basis.
An example of this is when a 13-year-old student was arrested in Naples, Florida, because he was posting violent threats on the platform Discord targeted at his school. Authorities mentioned that the threats were later configured as the student trying to conduct a mass shooting, which is a second-degree felony. Another case at Pleasants Lane Elementary School, located in Petersburg, Virginia, showcased a student who posted a school shooting threat on social media, as well.
These examples of incidents showcase the pattern that is prevalent amongst teens: watching violent videos on social media and then conducting dangerous behaviors themselves.
Statistics are showing the connection between social media and the impact it has on teens to conduct these dangerous actions. The YEF report concluded that teens who committed violent crimes or acts in the past 12 months, which is nearly 64%, indicated that social media had the biggest role in affecting these acts.
It is clear that social media plays a significant role in how it is affecting the way teens behave. Desensitization and algorithmic exposure are a combination that plays a dangerous role in affecting the content they see and how the content correlates to the actions they take. Teens don’t fully grasp the harm a “joke” or threat can cause. Repeated exposure to this type of content on social media leads to a desensitization to violence.
Furthermore, parents, schools, and social media platforms should address this issue more frequently to help lessen the amount of violent content that is shown to these teens to ensure a safe environment. Social media has a profound influence on teens, affecting how they act, communicate, and feel, which can impact their lives. In summary, there should be more support and advocacy to protect teens online.