Notes for social media and teens

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https://www.psycom.net/social-media-teen-mental-health

Focusing on likes: The need to gain “likes” on social media can cause teens to make choices they would otherwise not make, including altering their appearance, engaging in negative behaviours, and accepting risky social media challenges.

Cyberbullying: Teens girls in particular are at risk of cyberbullying through use of social media, but teen boys are not immune. Cyberbullying is associated with depression, anxiety, and an elevated risk of suicidal thoughts.

Making comparisons: Though many teens know that their peers share only their highlight reels on social media, it’s very difficult to avoid making comparisons. Everything from physical appearance to life circumstances to perceived successes and failures are under a microscope on social media.

Having too many fake friends: Even with privacy settings in place, teens can collect thousands of friends through friends of friends on social media. The more people on the friend list, the more people have access to screenshot photos, Snaps, and updates and use them for other purposes. There is no privacy on social media.

Less face time: Social interaction skills require daily practice, even for teens. It’s difficult to build empathy and compassion (our best weapons in the war on bullying) when teens spend more time “engaging” online than they do in person. Human connection is a powerful tool and builds skills that last a lifetime.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2018/09/13/new-report-most-teens-say-social-media-makes-them-feel-better-not-worse-about-themselves/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0c9dc8dd5220

https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/

and according to Caroline Knorr of "The Washington Post" in September of 2018, 89% of teens have their own phones and from Monica Anderson (expertise in technology of Technology) and Jingjjing Jiang (Research analyst) in may of 2018, 95% of teens have a phone or have access to them. which compares with 41% of teens having their own phones in 2012

https://www.psycom.net/social-media-teen-mental-health

Psycom shares a study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine which shows that the more time young adults spent on social media, the more likely they were to have problems sleeping and report symptoms of depression.

Psycom also shares that while teens can use social media to connect and create friendships with others, they also confront cyberbullying, trolls, toxic comparisons, sleep deprivation, and less frequent face-to-face interactions, to name a few.

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/social-media-mental-health-negative-effects-depression-anxiety-addiction-memory-a8307196.html

While social media platforms can have their benefits, using them too frequently can make you feel increasingly unhappy and isolated in the long run.

The constant barrage of perfectly filtered photos that appear on Instagram are bound to knock many people’s self-esteem, while obsessively checking your Twitter feed just before bed could be contributing towards poor quality of sleep.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/asi.21540

A conference paper by Karpinski (2009) received much media attention with findings that college Facebook users have lower GPAs than students who are not users of the site

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-unmotivated-teen/201806/social-media-could-be-harming-your-teens-mental-health

The recent deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain have thrown a spotlight on the rising suicide rate in this country: according to the Center for Disease Control it is up 30 percent since 1999, and may be even higher for teens. Loneliness and depression are risk factors for depression. Consuming social media can make these feelings worse

https://parents.au.reachout.com/skills-to-build/wellbeing/social-media-and-teenagers

Like any form of social engagement, social media comes with risks. Some of the most common risks include:

spending too much time online and being disconnected from the real world

being the victim of online bullying

damaging your online reputation

having your personal information shared online

being harassed or annoyed by someone you do not want attention from

being the victim of an online scam

having reduced self-esteem (for some teenagers).

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/12/social-media-and-teen-anxiety

Recent studies have noted a significant uptick in depression and suicidal thoughts over the past several years for teens, especially those who spend multiple hours a day using screens, and especially girls. But many of the pressures teenagers feel from social media are actually consistent with developmentally normal concerns around social standing and self-expression.

Many experts have described a rise in sleeplessness, loneliness, worry, and dependence among teenagers — a rise that coincides with the release of the first iPhone 10 years ago. One study found that 48 percent of teens who spend five hours per day on an electronic device have at least one suicide risk factor, compared to 33 percent of teens who spend two hours a day on an electronic device.

https://www.bphope.com/kids-children-teens/teens-negative-effects-social-media/

Poor concentration

It is common for teenagers to do tasks that require concentration, such as schoolwork, while simultaneously interacting on social media with friends. Many are even proud of being able to multitask. However, studies have found this constant disruption is actually making attention issues worse and reducing learning and performance.

Decreased activity

When teenagers are spending an excessive part of their free time on social media, it means they are spending less time on activities that would increase new mental skills, on hobbies and especially physical movement. When we exercise our body releases endorphins that interact with receptors in our brain to trigger a positive feeling and help reduce depression. Because they are more sedentary, teens are not receiving these feel-good endorphins and are also not getting the benefits of improved self-esteem.

Sleep disruptions

Studies suggest more than half of adolescents are looking at social media on their phones prior to going to bed. And they’re also getting “on average an hour less sleep than their peers who don’t use their phones before bed.” It’s not only the blue light from electronic screens that’s disrupting falling asleep; it’s also the stress and anxiety of the content on social media. Teens are worrying that they’re falling behind in keeping up on what their friends are posting.

https://www.northshore.org/healthy-you/how-social-media-effects-teenagers-mental-health/

Increased time, increased risk. The more time adolescents are engaged with social media outlets, the higher the risk there is for poor sleep, low self-esteem, and increases in depression or anxiety. The more emotionally invested they are in one site in particular, the more pressure and anxiety they may experience to be available and up-to-date at all times.

Poorly advised. It’s nothing new; teens have always been wary of asking parents or other adults for advice. With hundreds of friends on social media in the palm of their hands, teenagers often turn to social networks to seek advice that is often misguided.

Instigated fights. Cyberbullying has become a concern for parents of adolescents. Strangers, even friends, are able to hide behind the screen and say things they often wouldn’t be able to face-to-face. Teens often encounter fights on Facebook, subtweeting on Twitter and hurtful comments on Instagram – tactics often used just for the purpose of putting down others.

Skewed perceptions and social comparison. It is common for teens, especially girls, to experience pressure to appear “perfect” online. The need to appear to have perfect hair, to look skinny or fit, to have the perfect group of friends or the need to get the right amount of likes can consume teens. Not meeting these invisible standards can cause self-loathing and self-doubt. Social comparison, loneliness and jealousy can result when friends on social media “appear” more popular and attractive or on a glamorous vacation, which can trigger depressive feelings.

graph by https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/