Social Media and Mental Health

Today, social media has become widespread among teenagers, with 69.5% of them having at least one social media account. Among those who used social media, the most common platforms were TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. It isn’t just teenagers who are using social media; younger people are, too. 63.8% of participants under the age of 13 years reported using social media, even though they are under the minimum age requirement. With the prevalence of social media, many people, especially parents, are worried about the impact that social media use has on teenagers' mental health.

To understand the benefits and risks that social media has on mental health, Naslund et. al. (2020) conducted a literature review to identify themes and patterns of social media use. They found that social media has a variety of benefits. Social media provides an accessible platform for social interactions, aiding people with impaired social functioning, mental illnesses, stigmatizing conditions, and those struggling with mental health to engage with their community. Using social media gives teens access to a peer support network, helping those with mental disorders connect with others over their shared experiences. However, social media also poses risks. Extensive social media use can lead to social isolation, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and worsen existing mental symptoms. Additionally, there is a risk of having hostile interactions online, including cyberbullying and other forms of harassment online. These interactions increase depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Carol Vidal, child and adolescent psychiatrist at John Hopkins Children’s Center, and Jennifer Katzenstein, co-director of the Center for Behavioral Health at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, discussed how social media affects mental health among children and teens. They acknowledge there are positives and negatives to social media use. Social media provides teens with information, a safe place to express themselves, and they may find an online community that supports them. Additionally, social media can help initiate mental health care, affirm sexual identities, provide social support, and have a buffering effect for stress. While social media can help mental health in many ways, it also has negative repercussions as well. Frequent social media use may be associated with changes in the areas of the brain involved in emotions and learning. Social media use can reduce impulse control, social behavior, emotional regulation, and sensitivity to punishments and rewards. The most concerning impact social media has on mental health is the correlation between social media and depression. Research shows that those who use social media more tend to have more depressive symptoms. This relationship can be due to social isolation that teenagers might face because they spend more time interacting with others online rather than in person, compared to past generations. Because teenagers are spending more time on social media, they spend more time indoors and sedentary, and less time outdoors and active. Exercising, especially outside, can release endorphins, which helps with depressive symptoms. Lastly, teenagers are experiencing a lack of sleep resulting from persistent social media use, which is a common contributor to depression.

While there are certain benefits social media has on teenagers’ mental health, there are also risks associated with social media use. Thus, it is vital that teenagers strike a healthy balance between social media use and in-person interactions. Teenagers can manage their social media use by taking breaks regularly from devices, setting up screen time, turning off notifications, having places in the house for no phones. Parents can help them with this task by having discussions with their child and assisting them through the process. Social media is not going away anytime soon, so it is important to learn how to use these apps to amplify your productivity and well-being, rather than hurt it.