Growing Social Media Use Among Teens: Reasons for Worry Among Schools and Parents
Schools all over the country are taking legal action against major tech companies, blaming them for contributing to the mental health issues among young people and promoting excessive use. More than 1,000 lawsuits have been filed against tech giants like Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap, alleging they fail to implement crucial features like age verification and session timeouts. These features could potentially protect the mental well-being of children, states 19 U.S. school districts.
These tech companies are fighting back, disputing the accusations despite facing numerous charges.
Given the ongoing debate and movement focusing on tech's influence on youth mental health, it's a valid question whether schools and parents should be worried.
Indeed, they should.
Largely, social media has become an indispensable aspect of young people's daily lives, with 9 out of 10 teens between the ages of 13 and 17 utilizing social media platforms, as reported by The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. On average, adolescents spend nine hours a day on social media, which surpasses the time spent on school or sleep in many cases.
The excessive use of social media points towards its addictive nature. Features like notifications, continuous scrolling, and endless feeds make it challenging for teens to pull away from their screens. Spending more time on social media means less time for learning, focusing, and striving for academic success. Regularly checking phones during school hours might hinder actual learning and negatively influence the retention of necessary information.
Moreover, research suggests that social media usage can have a significant impact on the growth and development of a teenager's brain, whose regions crucial for thinking, emotional control, and impulse regulation are rapidly evolving during adolescence.
In his Surgeon General's Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, Dr. Vivek Murthy explains how excessive social media use can lead to changes in the developing brain, like structural modifications in the amygdala associated with emotional regulation. As our comprehension of how social media can impact a child's brain progresses, there will likely be further insight in the coming years.
There's no denying that social media can impact a teen's mental health adversely. A large scale study has proven that an increase in social media use is linked to online bullying, poor sleep, low self-esteem, dissatisfaction with body weight, and higher levels of depression.
For example, a teen girl seeing perfect, filtered images of models and influencers on her social media feed can feel inadequate or develop low self-esteem, which may negatively affect her mental health. These feelings can further increase overall levels of stress and anxiety.
Social media can also exacerbate cyberbullying, which has severe consequences. Unlike conventional bullying, cyberbullying can follow a teen anywhere and be accessible through their phone. The anonymity of the internet and specific social media platforms can contribute to intense verbal harassment without any accountability, which might impact a teen's stress, self-confidence, anxiety, and ability to fit in with their peers.
Given the risks of cyberbullying, impact on mental health, and academic performance, schools and parents have the right to question the tech industry's role in the mental health crisis in young people. As guardians, they share the responsibility to protect their children from potential harm.
Recently, Australia banned social media use for individuals under 16 years old. However, whether other nations will follow suit remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, schools can adopt immediate measures such as teaching digital literacy, promoting discussions on social media etiquette, and implementing specific times for social media use in both school and home environments.
Just like any tool, technology has the potential to improve well-being and productivity when used appropriately. Social media can help teens connect with friends, express themselves, and acquire vital information. By imparting positive digital habits, schools and families can collaborate to ensure social media strengthens rather than harms their children's lives.
Schools could consider implementing mental health programs specifically focused on teenagers, integrating strategies to address the unique challenges posed by technology and social media.["schools and mental health", "teen mental health"]
Governments and tech companies should collaborate to develop regulations and policies that prioritize mental health and promote responsible technology usage among young people. This could involve engaging with mental health experts, parents, and teens themselves to create effective solutions.["tech and mental health", "schools and mental health"]
