Remember when phones were all about making phone calls? Now, especially for teens, phones are all about gluing their eyes to myriad 社交媒体 screens. Today, the typical teen spends up to seven hours and 22 minutes a day on 社交媒体.
There are benefits to 社交媒体, such as entertainment and self-expression. But 社交媒体 can also be harmful to 心理健康.
Bad advice has made a home on 社交媒体
"Teens are particularly prone to misinformation on 社交媒体 that has a negative effect on their 心理健康,” 劳拉·米. 怀特，博士，硕士, a child and adolescent psychologist at Huntsman Mental Health Institute 犹他健康大学的研究员. "There are so many people on 社交媒体 platforms giving 不准确的 and harmful advice about 心理健康, 服用什么药物, 以及医学诊断.”
Additionally, posts and videos exist that promote 自残 以及药物使用.
“不幸的是, teens’ brains are still developing, so they struggle to recognize that what they see online is skewed, 不准确的, 而且可能很危险,怀特说.
社交媒体与抑郁症
Social comparison by teens using 社交媒体 has been linked to symptoms of depression. Even viewing others' photos can lead to declines in life satisfaction. The longer teens consume 社交媒体, the more they believe their peers are happier than they are—and the less satisfied they are about their own lives.
“Teens crave peer acceptance, but they are also naïve and impulsive, which can result in sharing intimate photos and details about their lives,怀特说. “Such sharing puts teens at high risk to be harassed, 网络欺凌, 敲诈, or even taken advantage of by online predators.”
Less 社交媒体, more being social
Social media isn't really all that social. The time your teen spends on 社交媒体 is time that they aren't spending in-person with their friends. Social media can lead to social isolation. Meeting with friends is critical for developing social skills and building positive self-esteem.
As a parent, what can you do?
White advises parents to have an honest, open discussion with their teen about healthy 社交媒体 use.
Consider setting these goals with your teen:
- Set reasonable time limits for 社交媒体 viewing. Encourage making the bedroom at night a smartphone-free zone. White strongly recommends that parents have their teen turn in all electronics (phone, tablet, etc.)晚上.
- Set restrictions on the websites or content your teen is allowed to view. Also, monitor your teen's accounts and set location alerts. Bark is an example of one app that allows parents to set healthy technology boundaries with parental controls.
- 树立好榜样. If you're doing a lot of scrolling on your smartphone, your teen won't take your advice.
不要犹豫，伸出援助之手
If you're concerned about your teen's use of 社交媒体, don't hesitate to reach out to someone you love to talk about what you're feeling or contact a 温暖的线 你附近.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a 心理健康 crisis, 打电话或发短信988, which offers easy-to-access compassionate care for people experiencing any type of 心理健康 crisis, including thoughts of suicide, 自残, 以及药物使用, or any emotional distress for either themselves or their loved ones.
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