Is Social Media Harmful for Teen Mental Health?
With 95% of youth between ages 13 and 17 and 40% of children between 8 and 12 using social media, concern is growing about the impact it’s having on their mental health. Here’s just a few of the numbers that are raising the alarm for parents and researchers alike:
- 1/3 of young girls (ages 11-15) feel “addicted” to social media
- Over half of teens say it would be hard to give up social media
- In 2021, 8th & 10th graders spent an average of 3.5 hours a day on social media
On the surface, this might not seem like a big deal. Billions of people worldwide use social media, and for many, it has been part of our lives since the early 2000s. Most of us have at least one account on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Reddit, and many more spend an average of two and a half hours a day on these platforms. It’s not surprising that children and teens are following the example we’re setting, especially when popular social apps like Roblox are being marketed to them.
Social media has been shown to have negative impacts on adult mental health, and this impact is magnified in children and teens. This is because they are in a sensitive period of brain development where risk-taking behaviors peak, mental health challenges begin to present, and their well-being fluctuates the most. Adolescence is a time where they are forming their identities and self-worth, and the formation of these core belief systems is especially affected by social pressure, external opinions, and comparison to their peers.
One comprehensive review found that social media isn’t just designed to be addictive – it actually is. Features like notifications, autoplay, infinite scroll, popularity indicators, and algorithms culminate in an addictive experience that pulls us in and makes it easy to “doomscroll” the day away. It overstimulates our brain’s reward center, and at excessive levels, this can create new neural pathways and structural changes similar to those seen in individuals struggling with substance use and gambling addiction.
All of this is just a glimpse into how influential social media can be on the minds of children and teens. In this article, we want to explore the potential risks and benefits of letting teens use social media, along with how parents can help their children have healthier relationships with these platforms.
Biggest Risks of Social Media for Teens
The impact that social media has on your teen is formed by many factors, such as how long they spend online, what kind of content they’re exposed to or enjoy, and how disruptive it is to their daily life. This means that the risks we mention below are not applicable to every young person.
That being said, here are some of potential consequences of excessive social media use in teens, along with links to studies where you can learn more.
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Lower Life Satisfaction & Well-Being
Social media use in adolescents is predictive of decreased life satisfaction, especially for girls 11-13 and boys 14-15. This risk and the others below are all elevated for girls and young women, as well as those with pre-existing mental health issues.
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Depression & Anxiety
One unique study tracked depression and anxiety rates across 359k college students as a social media platform was introduced on their campuses. The introduction of this app was associated with 9% and 12% increases in depression and anxiety. The researchers concluded that this platform contributed to more than 300,000 new cases of clinical depression.
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Eating Disorders & Body Image Issues
There is a strong link between disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, and social media usage. 46% of adolescents in one survey said that social media made them feel worse about their body image, 40% said it made them feel neither better nor worse, and a slim 14% said it made them feel better.
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Poor Sleep Quality
Getting the right amount of quality sleep is critical for our physical and mental health. Poor sleep is connected to excessive daytime sleepiness, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, and chronic disease. More than 70% of teens don’t get enough sleep as it is, and excessive social media use (especially in the hours leading up to bedtime) can be detrimental to their sleep cycle.
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Cyberbullying
59% of adolescents have encountered cyberbullying, harassment, or aggressive behavior online. Cyberbullying on social media has been linked to depression in children and adolescents, with girls and LGBTQ+ youth more likely to be exposed to this.
Benefits of Social Media for Teens
Despite the negative ways that social media can impact teens, there are benefits to these platforms, too – especially when teens have limits in place!
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Creating Community & Connections
At its best, social media is a place where teens connect with like-minded peers who share their interests and passions. Many teens make online friendships that can have the same benefits as ones in real life. Racial, ethnic, and sexual/gender minority youth particularly benefit from this, as there are many more opportunities to connect with their diverse peer groups on social media than in their daily life.
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Forming Identity & Self-Expression
Teens and adolescents are at a critical stage of developing their identity. Social media can potentially benefit them in this growth by giving them a tool to experience other opinions and broaden their understanding of the world.
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Civic Engagement & Empowerment
Social media is a space for many to voice their opinions about critical topics and situations in our world today. Even though teens aren’t old enough to vote, they can use their social media platforms as an opportunity to speak up, share petitions, and raise funds for causes that matter to them.
How Parents Can Lower Risks of Social Media
There is no recommended age for teens to access social media, but regardless of what you decide, the following suggestions can help your teen have a more positive online experience.
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Start the Conversation & Keep It Going
Before your teen gets social media, have a foundational conversation with them about boundaries and check in regularly to keep the lines of communication open. AAP has some fantastic ideas to facilitate these conversations in a way that leaves both you and your teen feeling heard.
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Keep Phones Out of the Bedroom
Using a phone before bed or when you wake up at night can negatively impact your teen’s ability to fall and stay asleep. Keeping their phone in another room while they’re getting ready for bed and trying to sleep is a great way to help with this, since having it in the same space can be too tempting.
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Enforce Time Limits
Risk can be lowered by simply reducing the amount of time that a teen spends on social media. For example, college students who limited their social media use to 30 minutes a day for three weeks had significant improvements in their depression severity. Another study had young adults deactivate social media for four weeks, and found that their happiness, life satisfaction, depression, and anxiety improved. Similarly, teens and young adults who reduced their social media use by 50% for several weeks felt better about their weight and appearance.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has some suggestions on how parents can set and enforce social media limits with your teen – check it out here!
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Follow Your Own Rules
As a parent, you’re a role model. If you create rules and limitations for social media for your teen, but don’t abide by them yourself, you may find your teen resenting the situation and feeling like it’s not fair. It’s not easy to put our phones away, but it’s important to create a space where your teen is supported!
Takeaways & Further Reading
Biggest Risks of Social Media for Teens
- Lower Life Satisfaction & Well-Being
- Depression & Anxiety
- Eating Disorders & Body Image Issues
- Poor Sleep Quality
- Cyberbullying
Benefits of Social Media for Teens
- Creating Communities & Connections
- Forming Identity & Self-Expression
- Civic Engagement & Empowerment
How Parents Can Lower Risks of Social Media
- Start the Conversation & Keep It Going
- Keep Phones Out of the Bedroom
- Enforce Time Limits
- Follow Your Own Rules
