Impact of Social Media Use on Children

The start of a new school year is a great time to begin new routines with children and focus on building healthy habits. One of the most important elements of adolescent and teen mental health relates to their use of social media.

The U.S. Surgeon General recently issued an advisory stating that widespread social media use among kids and teens poses a significant mental health risk. The advisory acknowledges that social media can have both positive and negative consequences.

For many parents, limiting their kids’ use of social media is daunting, with so many social media platforms so easily available to kids on their phones or tablets. But the Surgeon General’s report shows the stark need to build healthy habits on social media.

According to the report, social media is used by up to 95 percent of teens between ages 13 and 17, and more than a third say they use social media “almost constantly.”

Potential Benefits:

Social media can help kids form and maintain friendships and connections online with others who share identities, abilities and interests. Seven out of ten adolescent girls of color say they have viewed positive content related to race on social media.

Adolescents say that social media helps them feel more accepted, feel like they have people who can support them through tough times, and feel more connected to what is going on in their friends’ lives. It can create a space for self-expression and creativity.

Potential Downsides: 

A study of U.S. kids aged 12–15 found that teens who spend more than three hours per day on social media faced double the risk of poor mental health, including depression and anxiety. As of 2021, 8th and 10th graders spend an average of 3.5 hours per day on social media, and a startling one-in-four teens spend five or more hours per day and one-in-seven teens spend seven or more hours per day on social media.

“As a pediatrician, I see firsthand how early and excessive exposure to social media can affect children’s mental & emotional wellbeing,” said Dr. Rebecca Korpal,Trinity Health IHA Medical Group, Pediatrics – Genoa.  “While there undoubtedly are benefits to social media – like staying connected with friends, serving as a tool for education and creativity – the constant comparison to curated, idealized images can lead to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.” 

Studies point to a higher concern for harm in adolescent girls and those already experiencing poor mental health, related to depression, body image and eating disorders, and poor sleep linked to social media use. When 13-17 year-olds were asked about the impact of social media on their body image, 46 percent said social media makes them feel worse, 40 percent said it makes them feel neither better nor worse, and only 14 percent said it makes them feel better.

“Remember that children’s brains are still developing – notably the areas that control decision making and impulse regulation. Naturally, this makes children even more susceptible to the addictive nature of social media platforms which is designed to keep users engaged as long as possible,” said. Dr. Korpal.

What to Do As A Parent

Parents are urged to establish healthy habits and routines around social media. Your strategies may include some of the following:

• Set expectations about how your kids’ phone or tablet should be used. Create timeframes or time limits when social media and the internet can be used. And then use the parental controls available to set times when your child cannot access social media or the internet. 

• Create tech-free zones like at dinner or before bedtime. Put all devices – including your own – in a drawer during meals. Have a “holding zone” for everyone’s phones overnight. If your kids use their phone as an alarm clock, buy them an old-fashioned alarm clock for their room instead.

• Talk about social media with other parents and work to create shared practices. Parents are truly all in this together, and talking about how others set boundaries may help you establish ideas for new routines and can help you explain to your children that setting limits is not unusual.

• Encourage your children to talk to you if they feel scared, pressured or have otherwise negative feelings because of social media.

• Model good behavior for your children. Be “present” when you are with them. Put your own phone or tablet down and listen to and interact with them. Although this seems simple, in our busy lives we are often double and triple tasking – with our phone’s help – and that behavior becomes the norm for everyone in the household. 

“I strongly encourage that parents set boundaries when it comes to social media. Make sure to encourage screen-free time and model healthy social media habits themselves. Balance is key to making sure kids grow up in a digitally responsible environment,” said Dr. Korpal.

Encourage your children and teenagers to take responsibility for their healthy habits, for the health and happiness of them and their friends. Talk to a provider to learn how to guide your child through healthy social media use.

Schedule an appointment with a trusted Trinity Health provider. 

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