Social Media and Teens

https://childmind.org/article/how-using-social-media-affects-teenagers/ 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.  

https://www.psycom.net/social-media-teen-mental-health The down side > One study out of the University of Pittsburgh, for example, found a correlation between time spent scrolling through social media apps and negative body image feedback. Those who had spent more time on social media had 2.2 times the risk of reporting eating and body image concerns, compared to their peers who spent less time on social media. The participants who spent the most time on social media had 2.6 times the risk. Results from a separate study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine showed that the more time young adults spent on social media, the more likely they were to have problems sleeping and report symptoms of depression. And another small study of teens ages 13-18 from the UCLA Brain Mapping Center found that receiving a high number of likes on photos showed increased activity in the reward center of the brain. Further, teens are influenced to like photos, regardless of content, based on high numbers of likes.3 Bottom line: It feels good to be “liked” and herd mentality is big on social media. Like what others like and you’re in. The upside > 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.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/ways-social-media-affects-teen-mental-health-4144769 As a result, the brain scans revealed that in addition to a number of regions, the nucleus accumbens, part of the brain's reward circuitry, was especially active when they saw a large number of likes on their own photos. According to researchers, this area of the brain is the same region that responds when we see pictures of people we love or when we win money. What's more, researchers say that this reward region of the brain is particularly sensitive during the teen years, which could explain why teens are so drawn to social media. Not only are teens' developing brains vulnerable to so much time online, but because they often have difficulty self-regulating their screen time, their risks can increase. Additionally, they are more susceptible to peer pressure, cyberbullying and sexting—all activities involving digital communication—making navigating the online social world treacherous at times.

https://parents.au.reachout.com/skills-to-build/wellbeing/social-media-and-teenagers Benefits > develop better social skills feel less isolated learn about new cultural and societal ideas and issues bond with their friends have fun be creative and share their own ideas with friends be better equipped to be active citizens in society develop real world skills to help them become more independent learn about world events and current affairs outside of their immediate environment. Risks/Bad >  spending too much time online and being disconnected from the real world being the victim of online bullying damaging your online reputation having your personal information shared online being harassed or annoyed by someone you do not want attention from being the victim of an online scam having reduced self-esteem

https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Social-Media-and-Teens-100.aspx BENIFETS> Stay connected to friends. Meet new people who share the same interests. Is a way for people to express themselves. RISKS> Exposer to dangerous people. Cyberbullying. Websites can leak/expose personal information. Exposed to excessive ads.