Introduction

Social media has become a defining feature of modern life, especially among young people. It provides unparalleled access to information and global connectivity, yet its influence on mental health, behaviour, and social development has sparked increasing concern. By relying on dopamine driven engagement mechanisms and fostering artificial relationships, social media platforms are shaping how the next generation thinks, behaves, and interacts with the world.

The Dopamine Loop

Social media is designed to keep users hooked. Every like, comment, notification, or new follower acts as a micro-reward, triggering the release of dopamine in the brain. This reward cycle encourages repetitive checking, reinforcing dependence on external validation.

Key dopamine triggers include:

• Likes
• Comments
• Notifications
• Shares
• New followers
• Subscriptions

While seemingly harmless, these engineered features prioritise screen time and engagement over user well-being. As users spend more time online, platforms harvest more data and generate more advertising revenue, creating a system that benefits corporations but often undermines users’ mental health. Over time, this cycle can diminish real-world experiences and relationships, while fostering a fragile sense of self-worth rooted in digital approval.

Artificial Relationships and Influencer Culture

The rise of influencer culture has further blurred the boundary between reality and performance. Young people often form parasocial relationships, one-sided connections where they emotionally invest in influencers who are unaware of their existence.

Subscription based platforms intensify this dynamic, as fans not only dedicate time and attention but also financial resources to influencers. This creates a heightened sense of closeness and dependency, sometimes replacing genuine human connections. The curated perfection of influencers’ lives can lead to unrealistic expectations, feelings of inadequacy, and unhealthy comparisons.

The Copycat Effect: Mimicking Influencers’ Actions

One of the more troubling outcomes of influencer culture is the tendency of young people to mimic what they see online. Whether it’s fashion, beauty routines, fitness trends, or viral challenges, social media often acts as a stage where actions are imitated without full consideration of the risks.

In many cases, this mimicry is harmless dances, makeup tutorials, or harmless pranks. However, recent trends have revealed a darker side. Dangerous stunts, risky “challenges,” and misinformation driven health practices have led to serious injuries and, tragically, even deaths. Young people, still developing critical thinking skills, may struggle to separate entertainment from reality, assuming what they see online is safe or aspirational.

This highlights the urgent need for media literacy, the ability to question, critique, and contextualise content before imitating it. Without these skills, social media can amplify risky behaviours with life threatening consequences.

The Impact on Young Minds

The combined effects of dopamine driven engagement, artificial relationships, and risky mimicry are reshaping how young people perceive themselves and others. Prolonged exposure to curated perfection, constant comparison, and viral trends can result in:

• Increased rates of anxiety and depression
• Body image issues and self esteem struggles
• Heightened FOMO (fear of missing out)
• Reduced critical thinking due to echo chambers and algorithmic filtering

These pressures not only affect mental health but may also limit the development of well rounded, resilient individuals capable of navigating a complex world.

Moving Forward: A Call for Awareness

Addressing the negative impacts of social media requires more than simply warning young people about the dangers it also means offering healthier alternatives that can redirect online energy into positive, fulfilling activities. Instead of platforms that exploit dopamine loops and artificial lifestyles, we need digital spaces that educate, entertain, and reward creativity without manipulation.

Education and Digital Literacy

Schools and community programs should place stronger emphasis on digital literacy. Teaching young people how to critically evaluate online content helps them distinguish between genuine expression and manufactured lifestyles. By understanding how algorithms and influencers shape their feeds, they can approach online spaces with awareness rather than passivity.

Parental Guidance and Role Modelling

Parents and guardians play a vital role in steering children toward healthier digital habits. Encouraging conversations about online behaviours, setting boundaries around screen time, and modelling balanced use of technology can help young people develop resilience against addictive patterns. Just as importantly, parents can guide them toward platforms that nurture learning and creativity rather than endless consumption.

Healthy Online Alternatives

New approaches to online engagement are beginning to emerge, offering meaningful replacements for “doom scrolling.” For example, OSQA has been developed to challenge the attention economy by rewarding creativity, wellness, and self-expression rather than dependency on influencers:

• OSQA Fanuit (Fantastic Fruit): A fun, interactive app that helps users build a healthier relationship with food and exercise. By turning wellness into an engaging journey, it replaces unhealthy comparison with self-improvement and positivity.
• OSQA Crea-8: A platform designed to encourage young people to become storytellers, artists, and creators. With built-in AI assistance for text and art, it promotes imagination and skill-building while rewarding originality over imitation.
• OSQA SSID Manager: A parental tool that helps families guide online time responsibly.    
• • Time Management with Rewards: Young people earn points by completing real-world activities, which can then be converted into internet access.
  • Simple Control Tools: Parents and guardians can easily toggle internet access on or off for each child.
  • Automated Scheduling: Internet access can be automatically managed based on task completion, fostering responsibility and healthier digital habits.

These types of platforms demonstrate that social media doesn’t have to exploit users. Instead, it can become a tool for growth, exploration, creativity, and balance empowering young people to engage online in healthier, more intentional ways.

Platform Responsibility

Finally, tech companies must be held accountable for how their platforms shape behaviour. Prioritizing wellbeing means designing features that promote mindful engagement rewarding learning, creativity, and authentic connection rather than endless scrolling and unhealthy mimicry.

Summary

Social media has become deeply woven into the fabric of young people’s lives, offering opportunities for connection and self expression but also exposing them to significant risks. Its reliance on dopamine driven features, the rise of artificial relationships with influencers, and the tendency of young users to mimic online behaviours have all contributed to growing concerns about mental health, self-esteem, and even physical safety.

While some mimicry remains light hearted, the spread of dangerous viral challenges highlights the life threatening consequences of uncritical engagement. At the same time, the constant pressure to compare oneself to curated lifestyles can undermine confidence and distort reality.

The path forward lies not only in raising awareness and promoting digital literacy but also in providing healthy alternatives that shift the focus from passive consumption to creativity, growth, and wellbeing. Platforms such as OSQA Fanuit, which encourages healthier food and exercise habits, and OSQA Crea-8, which fosters storytelling and artistic creation, demonstrate how technology can empower rather than exploit.

By guiding young people toward platforms that reward imagination, wellness, and authentic expression and away from those that depend on addiction and imitation we can help shape a healthier digital future. With awareness, education, and intentional choices, social media can be transformed into a tool that supports the minds of tomorrow rather than undermines them.