The effects of social media on mental health can be both positive and quite destructive – but which one depends on how your adolescent uses it. With up to 95% of 13-17 year-olds consistently using at least one social media platform, it’s an easy way to stay in touch with their peers and entertained. Though, it does come with its own concerns. Read on to see how social media can help or hurt your adolescent and our tips on how you can help them develop healthy social media habits.
The Benefits of Social Media
Like all things, there are both positive and negative effects of your adolescent or teen using social media. Some of the benefits of social media involve building their community, creativity, and coping ability.
- Community: Social networking platforms are a great way to find a community of individuals with similar interests or backgrounds, helping your child to find a virtual peer support network that makes them feel they belong.
- Creativity: Social media can be an open space for creativity and self-expression. Whether your child is sharing their art or music or being inspired by someone else’s, it serves as a creative outlet and can help build self-confidence.
- Coping: After a difficult day, social media can also help your child by acting as a buffer from the stress. With plenty of calming content such as autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), crafting, baking, and more, it can provide soothing stimuli to help your adolescent decompress and cope with the stress in their lives.
When using social media in moderation, it can be beneficial for your child. But when their usage becomes excessive, the negative effects of social media mental health start appearing.
The Negative Effects of Social Media
While the impact of social media has on mental health depends on a variety of factors such as what content they are seeing, who they are talking to, how often they are on it, and more, the effects of social media on mental health have caused many parents to be concerned that too much time on it can be dangerous. Some of these dangers of social media include:
- Social Comparison: With so many people sharing elements of their lives, it is easy to compare yourself with others on social media. For adolescents who are especially vulnerable to social pressures and the opinions of their peers, social comparison on social media can hurt their self-esteem and self-worth.
- Social Media Addiction: Since new posts and updates are constantly being posted by friends, family, and influencers across all social media platforms, not being online can cause the fear of missing out on what’s new. Not only does this trigger anxiety and feeling isolated, but it also makes social media addicting.
- Cyberbullying: Over 50% of teens have experienced cyberbullying or some form of harassment online. This number increases among those who spend significant amounts of time on social media.
- Sexual Exploitation: Social media is also a place where adolescents are particularly vulnerable to harassment and exploitation of sexual predators and human trafficking. With the ability to lie about their identity to manipulate young users into trusting them, adolescents can unknowingly find themselves in unsafe and unhealthy situations.
- Excessive Use: If you are wondering, “how much time should a teenager be on their phone?”, studies have shown that adolescents who spend more than 3 hours per day on social media double the risk of their social media causing depression and anxiety symptoms.
Tips to Minimize the Effects of Social Media on Mental Health
While the only way to completely prevent social media from negatively impacting your child’s life is for them to not use it at all, there are steps you can take to help minimize the risks.
- Waiting to Create an Account: Though most platforms require users to be at least 13 years old, almost 40% of children ages 8–12 use social media. By having your child wait before starting to use social media, they can avoid experiencing negative social pressure before they are equipped to handle it.
- Decreasing Screen Time: By spending just 30 minutes less on social media every day for three weeks, you can significantly improve symptoms of depressions.
- Challenging Yourself to Disconnect: If you notice your child is starting to be negatively affected by social media, challenge them (and yourself) to disconnect from it all. This is a great way to step back into the real world and reset.
- Keeping the Conversation Open: Having open and respectful conversations about how to balance social media and mental health is a great way to educate your adolescent about the negative effects of social media. It can also reassure them that you are there to help and encourage them to talk to you about any future mental health challenges or uncomfortable situations they may face.
- Following Your Own Rules: Regardless of what rules and restrictions your family decides to place on social media use, don’t forget to lead by example. While it may be difficult to also take a step back from your screen, following your own rules can help to keep the peace and benefit your mental health, too.
By understanding the effects of social media on mental health and the ways you can help your adolescent develop healthy habits, you can teach them ways to reduce the risk of negative effects of social media. To learn more about our mental health services can help your child along their mental health journey, visit our website or contact us today.
In the case of a mental health crisis, please call our crisis line at 844.274.7472, text MN to 741741, or call 988.