Is social media hurting your teen’s mental health?
3/2/2023
March 2 is World Teen
Mental Wellness Day. It’s a day that aims to raise awareness about the mental
health issues teenagers deal with, including the impact of social media.
According to the
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 90 percent of teens aged 13 to 18 use
multiple social media platforms, with more than 60 percent engaging with them
every day. While social media does have the ability to create social connection
and help us find other people with common interests, it may also have downsides
when it comes to our emotional well-being.
For example, studies
have linked heavy social media use with an increased risk of mental health
problems such as depression, anxiety, loneliness, negative body image and
self-harm.
“It’s important to
educate ourselves and make an effort to destigmatize teen mental health issues
that are becoming increasingly common,” says Stacie Simkins, Counselor and
Clinical Therapist - Aspirus Koller Behavioral Health. “We often fail to
understand what teenagers go through, and the stigma associated with mental
illness can make teens reluctant to ask for help.”
Simkins suggests
looking for the following signs and asking your teen the associated questions
to spot if social media may be affecting their mental health:
- Your teen’s IRL relationships are suffering. Do
you spend more time with virtual friends than real-life ones? Do you check
social media when you're out with your social circle?
- Your teen feels envious or angry. Do you
compare yourself harshly to others on social media? Does this make you feel bad
about yourself?
- Your teen is distracted. Does social media
interfere with your work, school or home responsibilities?
- Your teen is losing sleep. Do you check
social media before you go to bed and as soon as you wake up?
- Your teen feels worse after using social media. Do
you feel more anxious, stressed, lonely or sad?
- Your teen is spending more time alone. How do
you spend your alone time and how does it make you feel? When was the last time
you took a break from screens?
“Kids and teens
require more social interaction than ever, as it’s important for their
cognitive development and for fostering a sense of social self-identity within
their peer group. If they’re reaching for their phones for distraction before
reaching out to a friend for social interaction, loneliness can build and
exacerbate any existing mental health conditions. On the other hand,
high-quality friendships and peer relationships can help protect against these
conditions,” says Simkins.
Encourage healthy social
media habits
Many aspects of social
media can be good. So, your teen doesn’t necessarily have to go cold turkey or
close all their accounts to protect their mental health. For many people, it
may come down to developing healthier social media habits. Here are steps from
AAP that you can take to help promote positive social media use for your whole
family:
- Establish a Family
Media Plan for rules about social media use. Make sure that you are
also following rules and role modeling healthy use for the family.
- Have open
communication with your kids and teens about their media use, including how
they are using these platforms. What do they like about them? Have they seen
anything concerning? Make this an ongoing conversation.
- If you as a parent use
social media, be sure to role model positive actions. For example, you can put
away your phone at important family times such as during dinner, or during
family time.
- Be cautious about
children under 13 years old using social media. Most platforms set 13 as the
minimum age to sign up.
“Unfortunately, mental
health struggles are common in teens,” adds Simkins. “Caring for your teen’s
mind is just as important as caring for their body. It’s important to encourage
open conversations and increase awareness to help teens around the world.”
For crisis
intervention support for yourself or a loved one, call 988, 911 or proceed to
your local Emergency Department. For more information on behavioral health and
counseling, visit www.aspirus.org/mental-health-treatment-counseling.
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