The Impact of Social Media on Children & Adolescents

Social media use has become an integral part of children’s and adolescents’ lives. It has become a novel way of interacting and influencing people’s social lives. Any website or platform that allows social interaction is considered to be a social media site.

Social media use among children in 25 European countries has been reported to be 38% among 9–12-year-olds and 77% among those aged 13–16 years. All these children report having their own profile on at least one social network site. While social networking provides children and adolescents with many opportunities and benefits, it also carries many risks.

A 2018 Pew Research Center survey of nearly 750 13- to 17-year-olds found that 45% are online almost constantly and 97% use a social media platform, such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat. But what impact does social media use have on teens?:

Social media benefits

Social media allows teens to create online identities, communicate with others, and build social networks. These networks can provide valuable support to teens, especially those marginalized or suffering from disabilities or chronic illnesses. Teens also use social media for entertainment and self-expression. And the platforms can expose teens to current events, allow them to interact across geographic boundaries, and teach them about a variety of topics, including healthy behaviors.

Social media harms

However, social media use can also negatively impact adolescents, distracting them, disrupting their sleep, exposing them to bullying, spreading rumors, unrealistic views of others’ lives, and peer pressure.

The risks could be related to how much social media teens use. A 2019 study of more than 6,500 12- to 15-year-olds in the U.S. found that those who spend more than three hours a day on social media could be at increased risk for mental health problems. Another 2019 study of more than 12,000 13- to 16-year-olds in England found that using social media more than three times a day is a predictor of poor mental health and well-being in adolescents.

Other studies have also found links between high social media use and depression or anxiety symptoms. A 2016 study of more than 450 teens found that heavier social media use, nighttime social media use, and emotional engagement with social media — such as feeling angry when prevented from logging on — were each associated with poorer sleep quality and higher levels of anxiety and depression.

How social media affects children and teenagers?

Most social media apps require users to be at least 13 years old. But in a recent poll, parents shared that 50% of children 10 to 12 years old and 33% of children 7 to 9 years old use social media apps.

One way social media impacts children's mental health is through negative social comparison — what media psychologist Don Grant, calls “comparing and despairing” Children spend much of their time on social media, watching the lives and images of their peers. This leads to constant comparisons that can damage self-esteem and body image and increase depression and anxiety in teens.

As with other types of social comparison, adolescents report lower self-esteem, self-assessment, and peer pressure to look a certain way when viewing their friends on social media sites. This includes, for example, viewing profiles where peers post curated pictures about their significant others, social events, or achievements.

And teens felt better about themselves when they made so-called “downward comparisons,”that is, looking at profiles of peers with fewer friends and successes. According to a Pew Research Center report on the negative impact of social media on teens, 26% of teens say these sites make them feel worse about their own lives.

In 2021, 64% of tweens reported watching online videos daily, while 38% use social media, an increase from 31% in 2019. Among teenagers, the number is nearly 100%, and there is growing evidence that this can have a negative effect on the mental health of these populations.

Scientists have found that teen and children social media overuse creates a stimulation pattern similar to the pattern created by other addictive behaviors. Hence, the brain responds to social media the same way it responds to other “rewards” — with a release of dopamine. These dopamine rushes are catalyzed when a teen posts something online and is met with likes, shares, and positive comments from their peers.

Impact on children

One study shows that children younger than 11 who use Instagram and Snapchat are more likely to engage in problematic digital behaviors, such as having online-only friends and visiting websites that parents disapprove of, as well as being more likely to engage in online harassment.

The same study states that limiting the amount of time a child spends on social media can reduce some of the negative effects of social media use at such an early age.

Another study describes how children who use TikTok develop tics and have tic-like seizures. They suffer from a movement disorder triggered by stress and anxiety — presumably exacerbated by the pandemic and the teens’ increased social media consumption.

In addition to problematic digital behaviors, there may be changes in children’s daily behavior at home like:

• Increased irritability
• Increased anxiety
• Lack of self-esteem

Dangers of social media

As a parent, it can be difficult to know what child is doing online. However, there are some dangers, including:

• Cyberbullying
• Online predators
• Sharing too much information
• False marketing
• Dangerous viral trends

Solutions that can help children and adolescents

In the end, we can set some limits to prevent the bad influence of social networks on children and adolescents:

• Reasonable limits
  Talk to teen about how to avoid letting social media interfere with his or her activities, sleep, meals or homework. Encourage a bedtime routine that avoids electronic media use, and keep cellphones and tablets out of teens’ bedrooms.
• Monitor teen’s accounts
  Let teen know that you’ll be regularly checking his or her social media accounts. You might aim to do so once a week or more.
• Explain what’s not OK
  Discourage teens from gossiping, spreading rumors, bullying or damaging someone’s reputation — online or otherwise. Talk to teen about what is appropriate and safe to share on social media.
• Talk about social media
  Talk about your own social media habits. Ask the teen how he or she uses social media and how it makes him, or her feel. Remind teens that social media is full of unrealistic images.