Over the last 10 years, phones have come into the hands of kids at younger and younger ages. And with that, kids’ exposure to social media apps has risen.
Last year, the U.S. Surgeon General published an advisory on social media and youth mental health. An advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General is put out when a public health challenge needs the awareness and attention of the public right away.
WHY IS SOCIAL MEDIA’S EFFECT ON KIDS AND TEENS IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW?
Results of some studies show concerning effects that social media is having on today’s youth. These correspond to what I have been seeing in patients in my role as an emergency medicine physician. Cases of anxiety and depression in teens are increasing at a remarkable rate, and it appears that social media is playing a role in this rise.
Below are highlights from the Advisory. I found these useful to know about from the standpoint of both a physician and a parent of young children.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE U.S. SURGEON GENERAL’S ADVISORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
“There is broad agreement among the scientific community that social media has the potential to both benefit and harm children and adolescents.”
Overall, studies are showing that social media brings with it both good and bad effects.
Positive effects of social media can include:
- Forming and maintaining friendships online
- Developing social connections and building a support network
Unfortunately, frequent social media use has also been associated with:
- Poor sleep
- Online harassment
- Poor body image
- Low self-esteem
- Higher symptoms of depression
Regardless of how you feel about social media, it’s here to stay. It’s the new way of sharing information; learning about events, products and services; and keeping in touch with friends and family. It can be a great way for people to share common interests with others and to be used as an outlet for creative expression.
However, social media apps are designed to keep eyes on the platform. Negative messages are easy to find and be repeated. Bullying happens. That means a new part of parenting in this century is creating and maintaining boundaries when it comes to social media and kids.
“Limits on the use of social media have resulted in mental health benefits for young adults and adults.”
The Surgeon General’s Advisory includes results from two different studies about limiting social media use. In one, college-aged youths reduced their time spent on social media to 30 minutes a day for three weeks. This led to notable improvements in how severe their depression was.
In the other study, young adults and adults went without social media for four weeks. They reported improved happiness, life satisfaction, depression and anxiety.
“Scientific evidence suggests that harmful content exposure as well as excessive and problematic social media use are primary areas for concern.”
Social media apps make it easy for kids and teens to find content that is extreme, inappropriate and harmful. Children and teens are undergoing significant brain development, making these messages particularly risky. And for those who are already experiencing mental health difficulties, this content can be even riskier.
Unfortunately, social media content has been tied to childhood deaths, suicide and self-harm. In addition, some social media content portrays messages related to body dissatisfaction, disordered eating behaviors, social comparison and low self-esteem.
If kids see enough of these messages, they can come to believe that these are normal thoughts and behaviors. The possible effects of this normalization can be tragic.
NOTABLE NUMBERS ABOUT YOUTH AND SOCIAL MEDIA
These are a few of the figures reported in the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory:
- Nearly 40% of children ages 8–12 use social media, even though age 13 is commonly the required minimum age used by social media platforms in the U.S.
- As of 2021, 8th and 10th graders now spend an average of 3.5 hours per day on social media.
- When adolescents aged 13–17 were asked about the impact of social media on their body image, nearly half (46%) said social media makes them feel worse. Only 14% said it makes them feel better.
- Of girls aged 11–15, one-third or more say they feel “addicted” to a social media platform.
STEPS PARENTS CAN TAKE
The Advisory recommends these steps for parents to help support and protect kids when it comes to social media use:
- Create a family media plan. Such plans can outline agreed-upon rules and expectations for the whole family to follow.
- Create tech-free zones and encourage children to foster in-person friendships.
- Model responsible social media behavior. Set an example for your kids about what responsible and healthy social media use looks like.
- Teach kids about technology and empower them to be responsible online. Talk to them about the benefits and risks of social media and how to behave appropriately when they’re using apps.
- Report cyberbullying and online abuse and exploitation.
- Work with other parents to help establish shared norms and practices and to support programs and policies around healthy social media use. When families join together to set common boundaries, it can be easier to enforce them since friends are following the same guidelines.
STEPS KIDS AND TEENS CAN TAKE
And these are some ways the Advisory suggests that kids and teens can be responsible with their social media use:
- Reach out for help. Talk with your kids about contacting a trusted friend or adult for help if they or a friend is being negatively affected by social media. They can use the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for immediate help if someone they know is experiencing a mental health crisis.
- Create boundaries to help balance online and offline activities. This includes limiting screen time in general, at certain times of day (for example, during meals) and for 1 hour before bed.
- Develop protective strategies and healthy practices. Examples include tracking time spent online, blocking unwanted content and contacts, and learning about privacy and safety settings.
- Be cautious about what you share. Your kids should be aware that social media content can be stored permanently; they should be selective about what they share.
- Protect yourself and others. Tips include not keeping online abuse or harassment a secret, not taking part in it, and reporting it.
The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory also includes actions that policymakers, technology companies and researchers can take. I highly recommend reading the entire advisory statement.
With social media having both positive and negative effects, it’s essential for parents to help guide their children identify the good and steer clear of the bad.
If you haven’t already, I suggest talking about this with your family often. Keep the conversation going. Set firm boundaries and stick to them. While we can’t go back to a world without social media, we can keep informed about how best to use it. Your child’s mental health is worth it.
