The Benefits of Limiting Children’s Social Media Usage
June 30th is National Social Media Day and in light of this we’d like to share the recent announcement made by the U.S Surgeon General on the effects social media has on mental health in the youth.
At the end of May this year, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, released a new advisory on social media and youth mental health. This advisory contains information on the positive and negative impacts social media has on youth mental health, the scientific evidence behind those impacts, critical unanswered questions and a recommendation for future action.
According to the report, social media has become basically universal. Dr. Vivek reports up to 95% of youths use some form of social media, with a third of those saying they use it almost constantly. Parents and caregivers are concerned on the effects this social media usage has on their children.
The Impacts of Social Media on Children
This is not a black and white issue. Social media can have positive and negative impacts on youths. There are a lot of factors involved in what impacts each child will experience. This can depend on their race, gender, age, socioeconomic status, and each child’s individual strengths and vulnerabilities.
One critical factor to consider when assessing the risk for harm is brain development. Adolescents, defined as children between the ages of 10 to 19, undergo a highly sensitive period of brain development. According to Dr. Vivek’s report, frequent social media use may be associated with change in the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and sensitivity to social rewards and punishment. The amygdala is responsible for our emotional learning and behavior while the prefrontal cortex is associated with impulse control, emotional regulation and social behavior.
The potential positive effects of social media on developing youths could be the positive community and connection with others who share interests and identities. True, deep friendships can be made over the internet. The youth who identify LGBTQIA+ community particularly benefit from this sense of community. Over half of adolescents reported social media helps them feel more accepted.
The potential negative effects of social media include heightened risk of experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety, body image and disordered eating behaviors (particularly in young girls) and increasing exposure to hateful and harmful content.
Most social media platforms are purposefully designed to keep users on it. This is possible through algorithms, push notifications, autoplay, infinite scrolling and quantifying popularity with ‘likes’. The results from excessive and problematic social media use can include sleep problems, attention problems and feelings of exclusion from adults.
There are several critical questions the Surgeon General addresses in this report. The known evidence gaps include a lack of access to data from technology companies, how in-person and digital social interactions differ, the potential pathways through which social media may cause harm, what type of content at what frequency generates the most harm, who benefits the most from social media, and what factors may protect the youth from the negative effects of social media.
Recommendations for the Future
In terms of recommendations for a way forward, Dr. Vivek explains we don’t have the luxury of waiting years until we know the full extent of social media’s impact on children’s mental health. Due to the current national youth mental health crisis we’re facing, now is the time to act swiftly and decisively.
Policymakers have the power to strengthen protections by developing age-appropriate health and safety standards, requiring a higher standard of data privacy for children, limiting access to social media for children, supporting increased funding to research on this topic, and engaging with international partners.
Technology companies should conduct and facilitate transparent and independent assessments of the impact of social media, prioritize user health and safety when designing their products, and sharing data relevant to the health impact of their platforms.
Parents have an important role in this problem too. Dr. Vivek recommends making a family media plan, creating tech-free zones, modeling responsible social media behavior, teaching their children about technology, and working with other parents to help establish shared practices.
If you or your child needs support, please reach out to us. Our team of therapists is here to provide support and guidance. We look forward to connecting with you.
