Social Media And Mental Health in Young People
Throughout history, human beings have needed social connections for mental well-being. In our modern age, social media has been able to offer more connectivity through online platforms than ever before. With this modern form of social engagement, the social connection we need as humans can be accessed seemingly in seconds through the internet. For most of us, social media provides a way to keep in touch with all our favorite people, with outlets for creativity, opportunities to help our community, and to get help when we need it (everything from fixing our bathroom sink to emotional support in crisis). (5) There are some pretty clear benefits to social media, but is this the whole story?
Internet usage
In a systematic review by Karim, F., O., et al, 2020, (1), they concluded that depression and anxiety are more likely to be experienced when involved in social networks, online gaming, sexual content, and excessive use of mobile phones. Passive social media use (endless scrolling) is linked more strongly to depression than active use (making posts, creating content, using it for advertising). (1) This is true particularly for young people.
Adolescents, especially girls and those with poor mental health, are at higher risk of harm from cyberbullying, body image issues, and poor sleep quality. The algorithms on social media platforms can also promote harmful content, and teens can easily access inappropriate and harmful content that can normalize risky behaviors or trigger eating disorders. (2) How? Researchers observe that when there is excessive exposure to social media the brains’ reward center is rewired through overstimulation. This is similar to the rewiring that occurs in addiction. Strong links have been observed between poor sleep, attention issues, and perceptions of exclusion and excessive social media use. (2)
According to a March 2024 survey conducted in the United States, more women than men considered that social media had negative effects on their mental health, with 12% of women respondents reporting very negative effects, and 23% reporting somewhat negative effects. In comparison, only 11% and 20% of men reported that social networks affected them very negatively or somewhat negatively, respectively. (3)
What Can We Do To Help the Young People, and Ourselves?
It’s not a glamorous job, but modeling boundaries and guidelines are the best way to proactively deter some of the negative psychological effects of social media use.
Create a plan that everyone agrees with, that promotes healthy social media boundaries, and then model that boundary at home.
Part of this plan can be that the caregivers of a family decide beforehand when a young person is appropriately mature to have and care for a device that has the internet on it (“all my friends have one” is not a very good measure of your young person's readiness).
Encourage human interactions by limiting device time or having no-device-zones, this is particularly effective when used during family times, meal times, bed times, and homework times.
Avoid having devices in private places, such as bedrooms.
Normalize mistakes in your relationships, so that your young people can come to you if they make a mistake while on the internet. Make a plan for yourself if you make a mistake.
Be brave, honest, and kind. At some point, a hard conversation will need to happen about use and activity on the internet with your young person. Allow conversations to outline what is healthy and not healthy, without labeling a person as “good” or “bad”. This includes how you talk to yourself. (2)(5)
New Beginnings and Stronger Bonds
Here is an interesting fact about social media use: According to a survey conducted in March 2024 among adults from the United States, more women than men reported that they had taken an extended break from social media due to negative effects on mental health, accounting for 37 percent of female respondents, compared to 33 percent of male respondents. (4)
It’s never too late for your kids to see your face instead of your head buried in a screen, or to give them more attention. It's also not too late to decide as a family unit how to improve your collective health and to ask them to experiment with less time on their devices and practice new boundaries. Young people may have a harder time believing their mood or emotional health is connected to time spent using social media or connected to specific content. Allow expression of doubt and worry. Try not to take it personally. You might have a hard time resisting your own social media feeds, texts, and emails. Sometimes, it helps to admit that you find it difficult to put down your devices, too. Having an honest conversation is important. Normalizing discomfort as you make healthier choices together will strengthen your relationships with your family.
Roubicek & Thacker Counseling is Fresno’s premier provider of individual, couples, family, and group therapy. We offer in-person and online remote therapy sessions. Contact us today to change the way you feel.