Impact of Social Media on Teenage Girls of Nepal

Abstract

Social media encompasses internet-based platforms that facilitate the formation of online communities and networks, enabling the real-time exchange of information, ideas, and perspectives. Through electronic content, including text, images, audio, and video, users interact and communicate via web-based applications on devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers (Dollarhide, 2019). With platforms catering to both global and region-specific audiences, the scope of social media continues to expand. According to Chand and Zuckerman (2021), there are more than 500 social media sites worldwide, with 39 of the top 100 originating in the United States. Globally, social media is becoming an increasingly primary source of information (Newman, 2025). From an anthropological standpoint, it also plays a vital cultural role in the construction, deconstruction, and transmission of culture, from local traditions to global narratives and across generations. This study examines the impact of social media on teenage girls in Nepal, with a specific focus on a sample of 120 females aged 13 to 19 from Tarakeshwor Municipality, located in Kathmandu. The findings show that while a majority of participants perceive social media as a positive influence in their lives, nearly 70% reported encounters with fake profiles, and approximately 30% experienced some form of blackmail. These insights highlight the nature of social media: its potential to empower and connect, but also to expose users to harmful and predatory behavior, underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions to safeguard vulnerable groups.