Social media has emerged among the most transformational and impactful technologies of the 21st century through its increasingly indispensable influences on decision making, education and access to information, and social interactions. Teenagers represent the most active demographic group across social media platforms with conservative estimates indicating at least 51% of American adolescents aged between thirteen and seventeen years spending about nine hours on social media (1). Social media allows the adolescent users to establish new relationships, share interests, expand networks, entertain themselves, and act as platforms for self-expression.
Additionally, studies indicate that addiction to social media use also contributes to the increasing prevalence of mental health disorders among teenagers, low self-esteems, and social disconnections that negatively affect their interpersonal competencies (2, 3). However, pediatricians can assist the affected adolescents in overcoming such problems by promoting responsible social media use and providing adequate social support to the at-risk teenagers.
The ubiquity of smartphones and affordable internet has contributed to the prevalence of social media as a source of entertainment, learning platform, channel to disseminate information, and sustain public discourse on important issues. Currently, an increasing number of business organizations, learning institutions, policymakers, entertainment outlets, and influencers consider social media an integral component of their core operations. Social media offers unprecedented levels of connections and engagements within and across demographic groups through simple actions such as “liking,” “tweeting,” “sharing,” and “retweeting” among others. As it stands, most of the American teens aged 13-17 have used, presently use, or are knowledgeable in using various social media platforms.
Recent surveys indicate that more than 51% of teenagers across America are heavy social media users with many individuals spending more than nine hours each day interacting with their peers or entertaining themselves on the social networks (1). Furthermore, the recent trends show significant increase in the number of teenage social media users compared to previous years due to the effects of COVID-19 restrictions. Many teenagers also consider social media a convenient avenue to share personal experiences and establish new friendships.
Studies highlight the negative correlations between social media and internet addiction on social connectedness among adolescents (2). Additionally, psychologists cite excessive use of social media as one of the leading contributors to the prevalence of teen mental health problems (3). Meta-analyses and longitudinal studies attribute the unprecedented increase in the prevalence and severity of depressive symptoms reported between thirteen and nineteen years to the adolescents’ overdependence on social media (5).
Unfortunately growing evidence underscores the adverse psychological and social impacts of social media addiction on teenagers with an increasing number reporting cyberbullying and privacy violations, disrupted sleep, exposure to inappropriate content, and interference with academics (1). Some of the significant implications of social media addiction include poor academic performance, impaired development of social and interpersonal skills, and suicide ideation among teenagers.
However, pediatricians can assist the affected adolescents in developing effective coping strategies or psychosocial adjustment through tailored social media messages and delivering the necessary information through social media platforms (4). The success of such interventions nonetheless depends on the level of creativity demonstrated by the medical professionals in understanding and empathizing with teenagers with social media addictions.
Despite such negatives associated with using the online platforms, I believe pediatricians and other stakeholders have the best opportunities at addressing the teenagers’ issues through the available social media channels. Majority of the adolescents worldwide rarely access information through traditional media such as newspapers, radio shows, and educational programs on television. Consequently, I consider advertising health messages to promote mental health wellbeing via conventional media is highly ineffective because most of the targeted population will not receive the necessary information. Instead, the pediatricians should develop and disseminate tailored messages through social media to strengthen their engagements with the teenagers for meaningful discourse on health issues.
Reference List
- American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Social media and teens. 2018. Web.
- Savci M, Asyan F. Technological addictions and social connectedness: predictor effect of internet addiction, social media addiction, digital game addiction and smartphone addiction on social connectedness. Dusunen Adam The Journal of Psychiatry and Neurological Sciences. 2017. Web.
- O’Reilly M, Dogra N, Whiteman N, Hughes J, Eruyar S, Reilly P. Is social media bad for mental health and wellbeing? Exploring the perspectives of adolescents. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 2018. 0(0): 1-13. Web.
- Barry C T, Sidoti C L, Briggs S M, Reiter S R, Lindsey R A. Adolescent social media use and mental health from adolescent and parent perspective. Journal of Adolescence. 2017. Web.
- Puukko K, Hietajarvi L, Maksniemi E, Alho K, Salmela-Aro K. Social media use and depressive symptoms – a longitudinal study from early to late adolescence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020. Web.