Photo by: Katerina Holmes (Pexels)
75% of teens have at least one active social media account (AACAP.) YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram are the most popular platforms. The age of children frequenting social media apps is pretty young. It’s been stated that kids as young as 8 years old have been perusing social media even though the minimum age requirement is 13.
Parents complain about kids being on their devices too much, but adults are just as bad. I watched a little girl trying to get her mother’s attention, but the mom wouldn’t take her eyes off her phone. I wondered if I had done that before and if my kids felt ignored.
Teens spend up to 9 hours per day on their phones (AACAP.) Social media is very appealing to kids of all ages. Doomscrolling is a mindless activity that rarely offers any benefit, but the instant gratification of endless videos is gratifying. Many are talking about the dopamine-addiction of social media content. Creative play is becoming less attractive when there are entertaining videos at our fingertips.
Too much of anything starts to affect our health negatively and I can definitely tell a difference in my boys’ attitude when they’ve been on their phones all day. One of the downsides is that kids will often compare themselves to others online. Filtered facial features, distorted body image, and unrealistic socioeconomic status may develop into unhealthy perceptions of beauty and success. Here is a list of social media health concerns:
Depression
Anxiety
Cyberbullying
Social isolation
Addiction
Self-image issues
Sleep disruption
Decreased attention span
Smartphone usage has skyrocketed, and social media used by minors has been linked to depression and suicide. The NIH states that the more time spent on social media, the more likely self-inflicted harm may occur. Bullying and sextortion have become serious issues. Kids may take provocative photos of themselves and text it to someone that they trust. Unfortunately, photos get distributed unknowingly, and feelings of shame are hard to overcome as an adolescent.
Besides all the mental health issues, kids are becoming less active and trending towards a sedentary lifestyle. Using devices for several hours per day can result in obesity. Childhood obesity is on the rise and currently about 17% of US children are overweight or obese (NIH.) Obesity also predisposes kids to many other diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and cancer.
Another problem with social media is sorting through all the “fake news.” It’s tough to decipher what information is legitimate and what is considered misinformation. Data hacking is also common, and I can personally speak to that. My Facebook account was hacked a few years ago, and it took several days to get it back. Some accounts are never recovered, and a new one has to be created.
Ways to decrease phone usage:
Leave it in another room
Power it off
Make a to-do list and fill your day with productive tasks and hobbies
Turn off notifications
Read or journal
Uninstall addictive apps
Create time blocks
Devices can negatively impact relationships. How many times have you seen couples out at restaurants and at least one of them is on their phones? The urge to post your activities on social media throughout the day can keep you from living in the moment. With that being said, there are some benefits to social media:
Helps stay connected with current affairs and social issues
Able to keep in touch with those out of state or people you don’t see often
Creativity, self-expression, independence (sharing ideas, music, and art)
Educational opportunities and learning new skills
Building digital skills by navigating various platforms
We need to get back to kids playing outside and communicating in a healthy manner while working on forming real relationships again. Texting shouldn’t be the foundation of communication for relationships. Think about all the things people are missing out on while they’re preoccupied with their devices.
The key to social media is using it in moderation. Parental involvement, screen time limits, and heart to heart conversations about content can help mitigate risks while encouraging the benefits. Since we can’t stop the progress of technology, we might as well embrace it and learn how to find balance.
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