Social media can be a double-edged sword for teenagers. On one hand, it can provide opportunities for staying connected, especially during periods of social isolation, like the pandemic. On the other hand, it can also contribute to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and loneliness.
To help teens navigate the complex and evolving world of social media, the American Psychological Association (APA) has issued recommendations for guiding teenager’s use of social media. The recommendations are based on recent scientific findings and are aimed at teens, parents, teachers and policy makers.
The recommendations include screening, monitoring and training teens to cope with the negative effects of social media on their mental health. They also suggest psychological competencies that youth should possess before using social media, such as self-regulation skills, intellectual development, comprehension of risks and home environment.
“Social media is neither inherently harmful nor beneficial to our youth,” said APA President Thema Bryant in a press release. “But because young people mature at different rates, some are more vulnerable than others to the content and features on many social media platforms that science has demonstrated can influence healthy development.”
One of the key recommendations is to tailor social media use, functionality and permissions to youths’ developmental capabilities. For example, some sites that use “like” buttons and artificial intelligence to encourage excessive scrolling “may be dangerous for developing brains” and should be limited through phone settings.
Another recommendation is for parents to monitor their children’s social media use, especially during early adolescence (ages 10-14). Parents should try to minimize or stop the exposure to dangerous content, such as posts related to suicide, self-harm, disordered eating, racism and bullying. Studies suggest that exposure to this type of content may promote similar behavior in some youth.
Parents should also have ongoing discussions with their children about social media use and how it makes them feel. They should model healthy social media use, such as taking breaks and not placing too much emphasis on “likes” as a measure of self-worth. They should also teach their children social media literacy, which includes understanding that social media is often a highly sanitized or glamorized version of the real world.
“Just as we require young people to be trained in order to get a driver’s license, our youth need instruction in the safe and healthy use of social media,” Bryant said.
Some experts say that the recommendations are helpful but not enough. They argue that more cooperation from the tech companies and regulators is needed to protect teens from the harms of social media.
“We’re in a crisis here and a family’s ability or a parent’s ability to manage this right now is very limited,” said Robert Keane, a therapist at Walden Behavioral Care, an inpatient facility that helps teens with eating disorders. “Families really need help.”
The APA acknowledges that more research is needed to understand the full impact of social media on mental health. It also notes that not all findings apply equally to all youth and that decisions should be tailored for each teen, family and community.