Today, children and teens grow up in a world of cellphones and constant online connection. Technology and social media can be a positive way for us to connect. At the same time, the negative effects they can have on developing minds can be dangerous.
It is important to help children and teens find a balance for screen time and the amount of power they give technology in their daily lives and their mental health. To get advice from an expert, Healthy Me PA talked to Chris Ferry, a therapist at KidsPeace, which serves the behavioral mental health needs of children and their communities.
“It’s revolutionary in the way that we can communicate now,” Ferry said. “We can reach out to old friends, make new friends, trade ideas, share content, collaborate with peers, learn different cultures, spread news, and stay up with current trends and developments that can enhance education and careers.
“There certainly are a lot of positives out there,” he said. “One study said that 65 percent of teens who had experiences on social media said that it made them feel good about themselves.”
Three Negative Impacts of Social Media
Unfortunately, the effects of social media aren’t solely positive. Here are three negative impacts that can result from social media.
- Increased pressure to fit in. Teens will always be interested in fitting in with their peers, but technology magnifies the problem. Most people show off only the positive moments, such as going to social events and reaching milestones, when they are portraying themselves online. Despite the fact that everyone has problems, the negatives are barely highlighted. Because of this, teenagers scroll through a seemingly perfect newsfeed that makes it more likely for them to feel left out.
“These days, kids are constantly seeing what’s ‘in’ and what’s ‘out.’ They want instant gratification, and they can get it immediately at your fingertips, while they’re constantly seeing what’s trending or what’s cool,” Ferry said. “As a teen especially, you want to be a part of that. And if you can’t be, it really falls back on the self-esteem that you have and your parents ingrained in you as to whether it will deeply affect you or not.
“Certain kids aren’t affected at all. They can acknowledge that there’s only a small percentage of people who actually live these lavish lifestyles, because they are comfortable with who they are and content with themselves and their body image.
“But then there’s a number of kids who feel that they have to meet these unrealistic expectations to be accepted,” Ferry said. “And that’s the biggest issue.”
Because girls are more likely than boys to be active on more than one social media channel, they are often more affected, Ferry said.
- Decreased social skills. More screen time means less time communicating face to face. For teens, interacting with peers is about more than just words. It’s about learning to read body language and understand vocal tonality, too. Relying on social media or texting to stay in touch can isolate individuals and prevent them from developing social skills they need in the real world.
“When I grew up, this type of connectivity was unheard of. Everything we did was face to face. If you wanted to confront someone or speak your piece, you had to seek them out, meet with them, see their face, and read their body language to better communicate in any given situation,” Ferry said. “And in these days, you can’t.”
- The effect of decreased social skills and cyberbullying go hand in hand. Being able to talk to each other at the touch of the button takes the ability to bully to another level. With less effort and the ability to hide behind the screen, teens can expose each other’s secrets and spread rumors online, which can lead to severe consequences for those who feel socially isolated or targeted. In most cases, they feel embarrassed or that their reputation is ruined. In the worst cases, the devastation can lead to suicide.
“Being connected is a double-edged sword, because it completely takes away face to face,” Ferry said. “It’s really easy to send something without having any idea how another person would react to that message, which either creates a gray area for kids trying to interpret something or it gives them a weapon to bully, if that’s their intention.”
Other Social Media Risks
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, other social media risks include:
- Exposure to harmful or inappropriate content
- Exposure to dangerous people
- Oversharing personal information
- Exposure to excessive advertisements
- Privacy concerns, including the collection of data about teen users
- Identity theft or being hacked
- Interference with sleep, exercise, homework, or family activities
To encourage children and teens to use social media in a way that won’t interfere with their mental health and social skills, Ferry said the No. 1 thing to remember is communication.
“Basically, what you want to do is have conversations with them about things you’ve heard. For example, you could say, ‘Hey, I heard in the news that cyberbullying is really happening in schools these days. Has it ever happened to you?’” Ferry said.
“The more conversations you have, the more, A, you are getting to know your children and, B, your children are feeling that you are invested in them,” Ferry said. “And once you start to open up those doors, then they are able to come to you about certain things.”
Another tip Ferry provides is making sure your children have a screen detox every once in a while.
“In my house, my kids know that, when it is dinnertime, the phones go away,” he said. “Once a week, we have a cyber-detox day where we keep all of the electronics away and no one can use them in the house for the day. This brings you to have more face-to-face connections with your kids, and helps them build all of the social aspects they need in life.”
Build the foundation for good mental health, positive self-images, and good social skills by helping your children use social media in a healthy and safe way.