Why schools and parents should be concerned about the rise of social media use by teenagers

There are school districts across the country to sue social media companies, accusing them of creating apps that fuel a mental health crisis and lead to addiction. School districts in 19 states say tech companies like Meta, Google, TikTok and Snap aren’t implementing features like age verification or session timeouts that could negatively impact children’s well-being.

The tech companies want the case dismissed despite hundreds of lawsuits on the issue.

Given the growing debate and movement surrounding technology’s role in the youth mental health crisis, should schools and parents really be concerned?

In short, the answer is yes.

First, social media has become an integral part of teenagers’ daily lives, with 90% of 13- to 17-year-olds reporting social media use American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Teenagers are online for an average of nine hours a day, which in many cases exceeds the time spent at school or sleeping.

Nine hours of daily use indicates an addiction to social media with algorithms such as notifications, endless scrolling and channels that keep kids on the screen. More time spent on social media means less time spent studying, concentrating, and focusing on academic excellence. Constantly checking phones during school hours can potentially interfere with real learning and lead to poor retention of important information.

In addition, there is a growing organism evidence that the use of social networks can significantly affect the development of the growing adolescent brain. Areas of the brain that are important for thinking and regulating impulses and emotions develop rapidly during adolescence and are susceptible to the external influence of social networks.

In his General consultation of a surgeon on social networks and mental health of young peopleDr. Vivek Murthy explains how frequent social media use can lead to distinct changes in the developing brain; for example, the structure of the amygdala, which is the part of the brain that regulates emotions, changes. We are just beginning to understand how social media can physically affect a child’s brain, and there will likely be much more to come in the coming years as more research is done.

There is also no doubt that social networks can absolutely affect a teenager’s mental health. AND great research showed that greater social media use was associated with online harassment, poorer sleep, lower self-esteem, body weight dissatisfaction, and greater depressive symptoms.

Consider a situation where a teenage girl scrolls through her social media feed and is constantly exposed to carefully curated, filtered photos of models and influencers. This teen can easily develop feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem if she compares her life to pictures that promote unrealistic standards of beauty that are far from reality. These negative emotions can contribute to general feelings of stress and anxiety, thereby adversely affecting mental health.

Social media can also expose teenagers to cyberbullying, which can be devastating. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying can follow a teen anywhere because they are online and potentially in the palm of their hand via their phone. The anonymity of the internet and some social media platforms can lead to serious forms of verbal harassment without any accountability, which can directly affect a teenager’s stress, confidence, anxiety and ability to relate to their peers.

Given the potential for cyberbullying, the impact on mental health and learning, schools and parents have every right to be frustrated by the role of technology in the adolescent mental health crisis. Schools and parents share a responsibility to address issues that may harm their children.

Recently, in Australia, it was forbidden to use social networks for persons under the age of 16. It remains to be seen whether other countries will follow suit.

Interventions that schools should consider immediately include teaching children digital literacy, encouraging discussions about social media etiquette, and setting specific times for social media use both at school and at home.

Like most things in life, technology is a tool and can increase well-being and productivity if used wisely. Social media can allow teens to connect with friends, express themselves, and learn important information. By promoting healthy digital habits, schools and families can work together to ensure that social media enhances, not detracts from, their children’s lives.