SECTION B
Essay
125 marks
Social media is triggering 'Fear of Missing Out' amongst the youth, precipitating depression and loneliness.
WRITE IN
90 min
1,000–1,200 words
Reading the topic
The topic claims that social media creates a fear of missing out among young people, as they compare their lives with curated feeds of others, and that this fuels depression and loneliness. The examiner expects a balanced, evidence-based essay that examines how platform design, adolescence and social change interact, the benefits of connection, and what families, schools, companies and the state should do.
ThesisSocial media's design for constant comparison and engagement does deepen anxiety and loneliness among many young people, but the answer lies in healthier design, digital literacy and offline community rather than blanket blame of technology.
Dimensions to cover
- 1Psychology: curated highlights from peers invite constant upward comparison, so ordinary lives feel inadequate
- 2Technology: infinite scroll, notifications and algorithmic feeds are built to maximise time spent, keeping users anxious about missing updates
- 3Family: parents absorbed in their own screens may miss signs of a child's withdrawal and distress
- 4Society: online connection can replace face-to-face friendships, increasing loneliness even among the highly connected
- 5Governance: child data protection and age limits are emerging as states respond to platform risks
- 6Benefits: for isolated, disabled or LGBTQ youth, online communities can reduce loneliness and offer support
Counter-view
- Some researchers argue the evidence linking social media to depression is mixed and that other pressures like academic stress matter more. The essay should acknowledge mixed evidence and multiple causes, while showing that design features which exploit adolescent psychology still justify safeguards
Open and close
- Open: Open with a college student scrolling through photos of a party she was not invited to at 2 a.m., while forty unread messages sit in her family group
- Close: Conclude that the goal is not to pull young people offline but to make online spaces humane and offline life rich enough that missing out no longer frightens them
Where marks usually go
- Writing a one-sided attack on technology and ignoring benefits and mixed evidence
- Using invented statistics on suicides or screen time without a credible source
- Missing the roles of platform design and regulation and blaming only youth or parents
Examples that fit
- CaseThe US Surgeon General's 2023 advisory warned that there is not enough evidence to conclude social media is sufficiently safe for children and adolescents.Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The US Surgeon General's Advisory (2023)
- ThinkerJonathan Haidt argues that the shift from play-based to phone-based childhood in the early 2010s coincided with rising adolescent anxiety and depression.The Anxious Generation (2024), Jonathan Haidt
- CaseAustralia passed a law setting a minimum age of 16 for holding accounts on major social media platforms, with enforcement beginning in December 2025.Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, Australia
- CaseIndia's data protection law requires verifiable parental consent before processing children's personal data and bars tracking and targeted advertising aimed at children.Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, Section 9
- CaseIndia launched the Tele-MANAS national tele-mental health helpline in 2022, offering free counselling that young people can reach by phone.Tele-MANAS, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare