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TEENS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

 

Teenagers can use social media to find community, but their mental health is often negatively affected by this culture of comparison

Katie Hurley, LCSW

PSYCOM

Social Media Took My Daughter From Me. As a Parent, I’m Fighting Back | Opinion

With TikTok owner being pressured to sell U.S. business, we can create a new vision for the internet. That is why I’m supporting the ‘People’s Bid for TikTok’ – and other parents should do the same.

Deb Schmill
Opinion contributor
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(Paula Daniëlse/Getty Images)

By George Citroner 

Epoch Health

Scientists have begun investigating the consequences of living one’s life online, and what they’ve discovered is discouraging—especially for teens.

Researchers have linked compulsive use of the internet to changes in the brain that can feed addictive behaviors and undermine intellectual and physical development. Given the stakes involved, experts like Anthony Anzalone, a clinical psychologist at Stony Brook Medicine, are calling for change.

“I think it’s overdue that we start educating children as early as possible about the dangers of unhealthy and mindless screen use,” Anzalone told The Epoch Times.

Anzalone notes that “excessive and addictive screen use” is a top concern for parents—and for good reason. Last year, U.S. teenagers spent an average of 4.8 hours on social media platforms every day, according to a Statista survey. That’s 33.6 hours a week, the equivalent of a full-time job according to the IRS.

Teen Brain Development Affected

Researchers are now digging into what exactly happens in the teenage brain after it has become addicted to the internet.

A systematic review from the University College London, published in June in PLOS Mental Health, looked at 12 studies involving 237 youths aged 10 to 19 who had a formal diagnosis of internet addiction between 2013 and 2023. All the studies were conducted in Asian countries.

Researchers defined internet addiction as an inability to resist the urge to use the internet, which negatively affects mental well-being, as well as aspects of social, educational, and work life.

All studies reviewed used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine how areas of the brain interact with each other (functional connectivity) in participants living with internet addiction while at rest and while completing a task. The effects were seen throughout multiple regions of the adolescent brain.

The studies showed a mixture of increased and decreased activity in parts of the brain that are activated during rest, along with an overall decrease in functional connectivity in parts of the brain used in active thinking.

The findings indicate these changes lead to addictive behaviors and tendencies in adolescents and behavioral changes associated with intellectual ability, physical coordination, and mental health and development.

Functional Changes in the Brain

Another study, published in 2023 in JAMA Pediatrics, investigated a group of 169 sixth- and seventh-grade students from a middle school in rural North Carolina. Researchers split the students into smaller groups according to how often they reported checking their Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat feeds.

The habitual user group members checked their feeds 15 or more times daily, moderate users between one and 14 times, and nonhabitual users less than once daily.

The children received three brain scans at roughly one-year intervals while they played a computer game that offered rewards and punishment in the form of smiling or scowling faces.

While playing the game, frequent checkers demonstrated changes in brain regions linked to reward processing, which typically responds to experiences like winning money or risk-taking. They also had difficulty controlling impulsive or habitual behaviors.

The findings indicate that teens who grow up checking social media more often become hypersensitive to feedback from other kids. They also experience fewer or less intense positive feelings from previously rewarding stimuli, which could drive them to pursue more potent feelings through increased reward-seeking behavior.

However, the effects of habitual checking may depend on the individual, according to the authors.

In some children, checking could become “compulsive and problematic” while others engage in “an adaptive behavior that allows them to better navigate their increasingly digital environment,” the authors suggested.

Excessive Internet Use Disrupts Key Parts of the Teenage Brain

Internet addiction alters teenage brains in ways that encourage other addictive behaviors.

Signs of Disruption

Anzalone said that much like with other addictions, people addicted to the internet tend to exhibit a pattern of behaviors that impede daily functioning, such as excessive preoccupation with screen use and withdrawal symptoms when screen use is not possible.

Other notable features of internet addiction include the following:

  • Inability to reduce time spent online

  • Lack of interest in other activities

  • Continued screen use despite real-world problems

  • Use of gaming to remove negative moods

  • Jeopardizing jobs, school, or relationships due to screen use

Treatment

According to Anzalone, treating teen internet addiction requires strong family involvement.

He pointed out that most of the evidence regarding the treatment of internet addiction revolves around a combination of family therapy “to help promote effective communication and collaboration between caregivers and children,” promoting other activities to replace “hazardous media use,” and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to address distortions that patients may have about themselves or their screen usage.

CBT is based on the idea that how people think about situations can affect their feelings and behaviors. Family therapy is a type of talk therapy focused on improving relationships between family members, which can help treat specific mental health or behavioral issues.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 57 randomized controlled trials found that CBT, in combination with other treatments, was among the most effective therapies to treat internet addiction.

“In many cases, the internet addiction is the symptom and not the cause of the problem, so it’s essential that we address any underlying mental health conditions that may be exacerbating the issues, such as depression, anxiety, or ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder),” Anzalone added.

However, he emphasized that in severe cases, a “digital detox” may be needed. In this detox, exposure to nonessential screen use is gradually reduced, and mindful habits and better-quality activities replace constant digital stimulation. Only after this detox can children be safely reintroduced to technology.

Prevention

Anzalone suggested that parents be educated about how harmful excessive screen use is for children and be provided with tools to help them raise children with healthy screen habits, the most important of which is parental support and interaction.

“For young children, nothing will ever replace the quality time a caregiver spends with their child,” he said.

He added that the more parents help their children explore their environment, encourage play outside, and provide children with emotional, social, and persistence coaching to help them better connect with the world and build resiliency to handle life’s stressors, “the less we will see them engage in various negative and maladaptive behaviors.”

ABC NEWS:

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JOSH OCHS – DRUGS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

SMARTSOCIAL.COM

Created by Josh Ochs — a social media safety speaker and author passionate about helping students shine online while staying out of trouble

Josh’s techniques help students use their devices with a purpose, not just a pastime. He shows students how to impress future colleges and employers by creating a positive resume using their social media accounts so they can Shine Online.

The Upside of Social Media for Teens

There are some positive aspects to social media. It’s important to remember that teens are hardwired for socialization, and social media makes socializing easy and immediate. Teens who struggle with social skills, social anxiety, or who don’t have easy access to face-to-face socializing with other teens might benefit from connecting with other teens through social media.

Teens in marginalized groups—including LGBTQ teens and teens struggling with mental health issues—can find support and friendship through use of social media. When teens connect with small groups of supportive teens via social media, those connections can be the difference between living in isolation and finding support.

There’s a happy medium in here somewhere. The key to helping teens learn to balance social media with real life friendships is to keep the lines of communication open and keep talking. Honest communication shows your teen that you are there to support, not to judge or lecture. It’s also important to walk the walk. Disconnect on weekends and show your teen that there is a whole world out there that doesn’t require a handheld screen.  She may miss her phone a lot less than she thinks she will and this is a very good lesson to learn

The Downside Social Media Use by Teens

Read enough of the current research and you’ll find that the negatives tend to feel bigger than the positives. While teens can use social media to connect and create friendships with others, they also confront cyberbullying, trolls, toxic comparisons, sleep deprivation, and less frequent face-to-face interactions, to name a few.

Too much time spent scrolling through social media can result in symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. Here’s how social media can be destructive:

  • Focusing on likes: The need to gain “likes” on social media can cause teens to make choices they would otherwise not make, including altering their appearance, engaging in negative behaviors, and accepting risky social media challenges.
  • Cyberbullying: Teens girls in particular are at risk of cyberbullying through use of social media, but teen boys are not immune. Cyberbullying is associated with depression, anxiety, and an elevated risk of suicidal thoughts.
  • Making comparisons: Though many teens know that their peers share only their highlight reels on social media, it’s very difficult to avoid making comparisons. Everything from physical appearance to life circumstances to perceived successes and failures are under a microscope on social media.
  • Having too many fake friends: Even with privacy settings in place, teens can collect thousands of friends through friends of friends on social media. The more people on the friend list, the more people have access to screenshot photos, Snaps, and updates and use them for other purposes. There is no privacy on social media.
  • Less face time: Social interaction skills require daily practice, even for teens. It’s difficult to build empathy and compassion (our best weapons in the war on bullying) when teens spend more time “engaging” online than they do in person. Human connection is a powerful tool and builds skills that last a lifetime.

Over the recent years, the growth of social media has made it clear that these modern communication platforms should be part of any brand’s primary marketing channels. As we look ahead to 2024, let’s dive into how social media usage has changed since the previous years. Keep these social media statistics in mind as you create your social media plan this year!

  • 4.95 billion social media users around the world in October 2023.
  • 92.7% of Internet users are on Social Media.
  • 9 in 10 Internet users now use social media each month.
  • The global average gender split of social media users is 53.6% men and 46.4% women.
  • An average person spends 2 hours and 24 minutes per day using social media.
  • The world spends close to 12 billion hours using social platforms each day.
  • 15 social media platforms had at least 400 million active users in July 2023.

WhatsApp is the most popular mobile messenger app worldwide. WhatsApp continued to impress the world with its attractive features and functionalities in 2023. Brands can use WhatsApp for Business for customer support, sending promotional messages, booking appointments and reservations, order confirmations and tracking, sharing announcements and updates, and gathering customer feedback.

To give you a sense of WhatsApp’s strong market position, we have put together top WhatsApp statistics below.

Visit our Whatsapp Insights page for the exciting marketing scoop about WhatsApp.

  • WhatsApp currently has 2.78 billion monthly active users.
  • WhatsApp is ranked as the most used mobile messenger app in the world.
  • As of 2023, 140 billion messages are exchanged on the messaging app WhatsApp every day.
  • There are over 487 million WhatsApp users in India alone.
  • 78% of American WhatsApp users access the app weekly.
  • WhatsApp is most popular among Americans aged between 18-34.
  • 52% of users are male, and 47.1% of users are female on WhatsApp.
  • Instagram has 2.4 billion monthly active users in 2024.
  • India tops the chart with the most Instagram users, with over 230 million users.
  • Instagram is 7th most visited website of 2023.
  • Instagram ranks 4th world’s most active social media platforms.
  • An average user spends 12 hours per month on Instagram Android mobile app.
  • 50% of people have visited a website to make a purchase after seeing a product or service on Instagram Stories.
  • 4 million businesses use Instagram Stories ads monthly.
  • Instagram reels receive 22% higher engagement rates than other posts.
  • Advertisers could reach 1.628 billion users on Instagram.
  • Estimated ad revenue of Instagram in 2023 is $397 billion.
  • 72% of Marketers Use Instagram for Influencer marketing.
  • 90% of Users follow a business on Instagram.
  • 71% of people aged 18-29 have active Instagram accounts.

TikTok is more than just a platform for funny videos and catchy memes – it’s also a powerful marketing tool for businesses. A few brands that are highly active on TikTok include Chipotle, Nike, The Washington Post, and The Ellen Show.

Whether you are in the food industry or looking to showcase your products or services, TikTok offers a variety of opportunities to connect with your target audience.

By thinking outside the box and building connections with established influencers, you can tap into TikTok’s marketing potential and watch your business grow. Want to know more about how TikTok can help your business succeed? Keep reading to discover the latest TikTok statistics and trends that can guide your marketing strategy.

  • 23% of the population uses TikTok out of 5.3 billion internet consumers.
  • TikTok ranks 6th in the list of the world’s most active social media platforms.
  • TikTok has over 1.7 billion MAUs.
  • Estimated TikTok’s ad revenue in 2024 is $17.2 billion.
  • TikTok has 102.3 million users in the US alone.
  • In Q3 TikTok had 272.7 million app downloads.
  • Marketers can reach up to 750 million users on Snapchat.
  • Snapchat is the 9th most used social media network in 2023.
  • Total potential reach of ads on Snapchat 557.1 million.
  • Latest figures indicate that roughly 8.2% of people on earth use Snapchat.
  • Snapchat users hold $4.4 Trillion in global spending power.
  • Users come back to Snapchat over 30x per day.

Here’s a list of the top 15 most popular social networks of January 2023, sorted based on the number of monthly active users (MAU):

  1. Facebook – 3.05 billion
  2. YouTube – 2.70 billion
  3. WhatsApp – 2.78 billion
  4. Instagram – 2.4 billion
  5. WeChat – 1.3 billion
  6. TikTok – 1.7 billion
  7. Facebook Messenger – 931 million
  8. LinkedIn – 900 million
  9. Douyin – 715 million
  10. Telegram – 800 million
  11. Snapchat – 750 million
  12. Kuaishou – 673 million
  13. Sina Weibo – 605 million
  14. QQ – 558 million
  15. Twitter – 528 million
  16. Pinterest – 463 million