This document discusses the potential psychological effects of online social networking on children and adolescents. It notes that while social networking provides opportunities, it also poses new risks like exposure to inappropriate content, online bullying, and potential exploitation. Some risks include negative impacts on identity development, well-being, and increased potential for cyberbullying and addiction to social media use.
Original Description:
Adverse Effects of Online Social Networking on Children and Adolescents
Original Title
Adverse Effects of Online Social Networking on Children and Adolescents
This document discusses the potential psychological effects of online social networking on children and adolescents. It notes that while social networking provides opportunities, it also poses new risks like exposure to inappropriate content, online bullying, and potential exploitation. Some risks include negative impacts on identity development, well-being, and increased potential for cyberbullying and addiction to social media use.
This document discusses the potential psychological effects of online social networking on children and adolescents. It notes that while social networking provides opportunities, it also poses new risks like exposure to inappropriate content, online bullying, and potential exploitation. Some risks include negative impacts on identity development, well-being, and increased potential for cyberbullying and addiction to social media use.
J . I ndian Assoc. Child Adolesc. Ment. Health 2014; 10(2):80-92
Guest Editorial
Adverse Effects of Online Social Networking on Children and Adolescents Dr. Chhitij Srivastava, Dr Anupam Bhardwaj
Address for correspondence: Dr Chhitij Srivastava, Lecturer Psychiatry, Psychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, MLN Medical College, Allahabad. email: srivastavachitij@gmail.com
Technological advances over the last few decades have probably had a much bigger impact on our lives than we had imagined or were indeed prepared for. Social Networking Sites (SNSs) have become an intricate part of modern life. They are the perfect examples of technological and social platforms converging to provide a new communication medium. There are a number of SNSs where individuals set up their online profiles to establish and maintain social contact with others. Children and adolescents have taken to these SNSs quite effortlessly. These SNSs provide them with a lot of novel and innovative opportunities but at the same time also give rise to additional risks such as potential abuse, exposure to inappropriate content, online bullying all potentially having psychological implications. Some of the risks are a continuation of those experienced by children and young people offline but many are new and not anticipated. While these SNSs have brought a lot of positives generally, there is no denying the fact that we have been found ill prepared to deal with some of the risks that they pose. Growth of Social Networking and its impact Facebook is clearly the most widely used SNS, and we would mainly be referring to it 81 when talking about the SNSs. It has grown by immense proportions since its inception in 2004 when it had 1 million users. According to Facebooks December 2013 statistics, 1.23 billion users are using it worldwide while 757 million users log on to it daily. In India, Facebook has more than 93 million users who access it at least once a month and 31 million mobile users who visit the site daily. The reason for such phenomenal growth is embedded in its very nature, which is to provide an excellent medium to communicate and socialize. We, humans, naturally like to socialize and build on our social resources. Coleman [1] refers to this as social capital. The concept of social capital describes the benefits that individuals derive from their social relationships and interactions such as emotional support, exposure to diverse ideas, and access to non-redundant information. Facebook and other SNSs are perhaps the quickest way to enhance ones social capital. They facilitate both initiation of new relationships and maintenance of old ones [2]. Online social networking clearly has a lot of inherent advantages. It helps us transcend geographical boundaries. It makes our social groups more heterogeneous as people from diverse socio-economic, cultural and religious backgrounds are more likely to interact on social networking sites as compared to real life. People are also more likely to share things with others that they wouldnt do in real life. Psychological Implications Its evident that social media is transforming the way young people socialize and though it has its advantages there are many pitfalls. Adolescence is a stage when young people are developing a sense of self and their own individual identity. This is shaped by individual experiences, inter-personal interactions and the young persons ability to 82 process and make sense of these interactions. Increasingly such interactions are happening online. Young people have never been more exposed to the external world. They may lack the maturity to decide what to put on such an exposed domain. They may not be as astute about the privacy settings leading to a false sense of security that their personal information is safe. They may be easily misled by potential friends whom they may have never met offline thereby opening themselves to exploitation. In the absence of usual checks and balances that happen during a normal face to face interactions (those which we have developed over centuries through evolution), young people can be more disinhibited in their expression on these SNSs. These subtle differences and changes in the way we communicate can have huge implications in a developmental stage when ones identity is taking shape.
Previously, experts were of the view that if people spend a lot of time online, it means they are compromising on their real social life [3]. However, this is far from being so simplistic and recent evidence shows that that the relationship between internet use and sociability is not entirely negative [4]. Some studies have shown that SNS engagement has a positive association with psychological wellbeing [2,5]. More recent studies, though, are showing that certain patterns of SNS use may not be good for us. Chen et al [6] in their study found that the relationship between Facebook interaction and psychological wellbeing tends to be negative but that instead of a direct negative relationship, the two are linked indirectly through communication overload.
83 To understand the psychological implications of SNSs, one must realize that they cater to the individual rather than to a community in an egocentric way. SNS users often share things that show them in a positive light to the world. Studies show that while such self- presentation may make them happy in the short term [5], it is not necessarily good for their self-esteem in the long term. Studies have found that greater self-presentation and self-promotion are positively correlated with low self-esteem and personality traits of narcissism [7,8]. People with more narcissistic traits are likely to have more friends on Facebook. This may mean that when users are interacting with others on Facebook as compared to people in real life, they are more likely to come across people with narcissistic traits who engage in greater self-presentation and self-promotion. Chen et al [6] discussed that as more frequent Facebook users tend to have greater exposure to other users positive self-presentation, they often feel that others have better lives than themselves and that the feelings of relative deprivation can increase psychological distress [9,10]. Young people who are not mature enough are more likely to experience such feelings. Also, interactions with people with narcissistic traits increase the chances of experiencing negative events on Facebook that can have negative effects on peoples wellbeing. Rainie et al [11] in a nationally representative phone survey in America found that while the overall social and emotional climate of SNSs is a very positive one, significant proportions of SNS users do witness bad behavior from their experiences on social media. Whats notable is that when adults witness mean or aggressive behavior on SNSs, they are more likely than teenagers to ignore it. Cyber bullying is clearly becoming a big problem and a recent survey [12] found that India is third on the list behind China 84 and Singapore. Cyber bullying has been associated with some disastrous outcomes including attempted and completed suicides [13] as the impact of cyber bullying is probably more than face-to-face bullying given that a few posts on Facebook can let the world know about your secrets! These issues further highlight the vulnerability of young people and the impact that such media is having on their development and psychological well-being. Addiction potential Facebook supports a wide spectrum of possible connections, including befriending complete strangers, strengthening relationships with already close friends and social information-seeking that describes a suite of behaviors that revolve around using the site to discover more information about someone with whom the user shares some kind of offline connection [14]. Our dopamine system is activated by finding something unexpected or by the anticipation of something new. The good old behaviour theory postulates that if the rewards come at unpredictable intervals (such as lottery, gambling machines, emails, texts, Facebook updates) we are more likely to get addicted to them. Kuss et al [15] have reviewed the addiction literature on Facebook and other similar SNSs. The findings of their review indicate that SNSs are predominantly used for social purposes, mostly related to the maintenance of established offline networks. Extraverts appear to use social networking sites for social enhancement whereas introverts use it for social compensation. Both the patterns of use are related to greater usage, as does low 85 conscientiousness and high narcissism. Negative correlates of SNS usage include the decrease in real life social community participation and academic achievement, as well as relationship problems, each of which may be indicative of potential addiction. Fioravanti et al [16] in a cross-sectional study with 257 adolescents found evidence among females for the mediating role of preference for online social interaction in the relationship between low self-esteem and internet addiction while no significant effects were found for males. Episodes of completed and attempted suicides by teenagers have been linked in the media to being restricted from using social networking sites like Facebook [17]. Though we need to develop better understanding of such incidents, they clearly highlight the risks that may be associated due to the addictive potential of social media. Sexual exploitation To be eligible to sign up for Facebook, one must be at least 13 years old. This age limit is itself debatable as a lot of 13 year olds are not mature enough to understand the risks of online social networking. Moreover parents are often not well informed to guide their children as they often have started to experiment with social media at the same time as their children. Although Facebook prescribes a minimum age for its use, it is practically impossible to implement it especially if parents dont feel able to guide and supervise their childs use of social media. Sexual grooming of children over the Internet does happen and is most prevalent amongst the 1317 age group, particularly the 1314 years 86 old children. The majority of them are girls although boys are groomed as well. Children and teenagers who befriend strangers and are high attention seekers have a much higher risk than others. There have been numerous cases of sexual bullying, blackmail, harassment and exploitation using social media. Law enforcement agencies in India are now only waking up to these challenges. In order to tackle such cyber crimes, law enforcement agencies need to invest in infrastructure and actively engage with young people in making them aware of these hazards. Schools also have an important role in educating young people of such hazards. Another new phenomenon is sexting which is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically, primarily between cell phones and teenagers are increasingly using it. There are mobile Internet applications like Whatsapp, which are essentially replacing standard text messages. They allow photographs and videos to be shared, which are intrinsically more explicit and have greater impact. A social danger with sexting is that material can be very easily and widely promulgated, over which the originator has no control. Increasingly, under pressures from friends, peers and even adults, the teenagers are becoming victims of sexting. Often it results in widespread distribution among colleagues, friends and family, resulting in embarrassment, harassment and blackmail. Young people with mental illness Until now we have been discussing the needs of all young people. Unfortunately those already suffering from mental illness are more prone and vulnerable to the bad effects of social media. Young people who are suffering from depression are sometimes able to 87 express their distress and share their feelings with friends online more easily than in face to face contact. This can lead to them getting support earlier than they would have got otherwise. However, quite often such feelings are shared with other young people who may not be in a position to respond meaningfully. This may foster feelings of helplessness and worthlessness. Young people with depression are more prone to cyber bullying. Cyber bullying in itself can be the precipitating or perpetuating factor for depression. Vulnerable young people with mental health difficulties can enter into unhealthy discussion and sharing of information. Examples include numerous forums for Eating Disorders where information about unhealthy ways of losing weight and other risks are openly shared. Suicide pacts are getting increasingly common. There is potential to share dangerous information on ways to commit suicide. Young people with ADHD can be more impulsive and put information on the social media, which they may regret about later. This makes them more vulnerable to cyber bullying and exploitation. The most commonly used ADHD medications wear off in the evening. Social media is available at any time and young people with ADHD who go online in late evenings and nights are known to be making impulsive and regrettable decisions/comments online after the effect of medication wears off, sometimes leading to serious consequences. As social media is getting increasingly common in young peoples life such factors should now be a part of the discussions when choosing treatment for ADHD.
88 Conclusion Whether we like it or not technology and social media are here to stay and will increasingly become an integral part of our lives. Technology and our behaviour towards it have changed dramatically in the last decade. It is high time to pause and think of the good and bad it brings and how it effects the most vulnerable in the society. The effect of social media on the development and mental health of young people is an evolving field. There is a dearth of quality research in this area especially in India and other developing countries. The popular media is quick to establish causative links but this need to be studied properly. There is urgent need for qualitative studies, to begin with, to understand the use of social media in young people. In the absence of research in our culture, one should be careful in interpreting the impact of social media. This is a novel way of communication, which by its very nature is more prone to be used for some negative forms of communication such as cyber bullying. This in particular is an important aspect that needs to be studied. We need to do epidemiological studies to determine its frequency, mental health issues in both the victim and the perpetrator. We also need to develop our understanding of the good that such platforms offer. There is a suggestion that people who end up making serious suicidal attempts are able to be more communicative about their intent on the social media. We need both qualitative and epidemiological studies to determine if there is an empirical link. A lot of the potential harms of social media are probably due to the fact that we still havent completely understood the dos and donts of online social networking as Facebook is still a relatively new phenomenon. While our use and understanding of the 89 social media is still evolving, the more vulnerable in the society, especially young people, are at risk of being harmed and exploited. Parents and other caregivers dont feel able enough to guide them, sometimes due to their own lack of understanding and sometimes because of lack of clarity with boundary issues. Parents need to be more aware of the pitfalls of social media and actively engage with young people in making it a safer and enjoyable experience for them (just like they would when they are sending their child alone for a trip or an independent excursion). We need to evolve with evolving technology. Social media providers need to take some responsibility for making the experience safe for young people and create appropriate safeguards. At a more social level, the society needs to get into an open to debate to educate each other about advantages and disadvantages. Legal frameworks and law enforcement agencies need to adapt, as do education and health professionals. The advantages and benefits are already being felt. Education and therapies are being delivered online. We need to gear ourselves to the risks too. References 1. Coleman JS. Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology 1988; 94(Supplement): 95120. 2. Ellison NB, Steinfield C, Lampe, C. The benefits of Facebook friends: Social capital and college students use of online social networking sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 2007; 12:11431168. 3. Nie NH. Sociability, interpersonal relations, and the Internet: Reconciling conflicting findings. American Behavioral Scientist 2001; 45(3): 42035.
90 4. Robinson JP, Martin S. IT use and declining social capital? Journal of Social Science Computer Review 2010; 28(1):45-63. 5. Kim J, Lee JR. The Facebook paths to happiness: effects of the number of Facebook friends and self-presentation on subjective well-being. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking 2011; 14(6):359-364. 6. Chen, Wenhong and *Kye-Hyoung Lee. 2013 Sharing, Liking, Commenting and Distressed? The Pathway between Facebook Interaction and Psychological Distress. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2012.0272 7. Carpenter CJ. Narcissism on Facebook: self-promotional and anti-social behavior. Personality and Individual Differences 2011; 52(4):487-491. 8. Mehdizadeh S. Self-presentation 2.0: narcissism and self-esteem on Facebook. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking 2010; 13(4):357-364. doi:10.1089/cyber.2009.0257. 9. Chou HT, Edge N. They are happier and having better lives than I am: the impact of using Facebook on perceptions of others' lives. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking 2012; 15(2):117-121. 10. Kawachi I, Kennedy BP, Wilkinson RG. Crime: social disorganization and relative deprivation. Social Science and Medicine 1999; 48(6):719-731. DOI:10.1016/s0277-9536(98)00400-6.
91 11. Rainie L, Lenhart A, Smith A. The tone of life on social networking sites [Internet].Washington, DC: Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Project 2012 Feb 9 [cited 2012 May 22]. Available from: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Socialnetworking-climate.aspx 12. Available from: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and- economy/info-tech/india-ranks-third-in-cyber-bullying/article3573592.ece 13. Available from: http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/mumbai-teen-commits- suicide-after-alleged-stalking-on-facebook-by-friend-448743 14. Ellison NB, Steinfield C, Lampe, C. Connection Strategies: Social Capital Implications of Facebook-enabled Communication Practices. New Media Society 2011. Epub 2011 27 January 27. doi: 10.1177/1461444810385389. 15. Kuss DJ, Griffiths MD. Online social networking and addiction--a review of the psychological literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2011 Sep;8(9):3528-52. doi: 10.3390/ijerph8093528. 16. Fioravanti G, Dttore D, Casale S. Adolescent Internet addiction: testing the association between self-esteem, the perception of Internet attributes, and preference for online social interactions. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw 2012 Jun;15(6):318-323. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2011.0358. 17. Available from: http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/prevented-from-using- facebook-maharashtra-girl-ends-life-436973
92 Dr. Chhitij Srivastava, MD, DNB, MRCPsych, CCT (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Lecturer Psychiatry, Psychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, MLN Medical College, Allahabad & Honorary Researcher, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London. Dr Anupam Bhardwaj, MD, MRCPsych, CCT (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, North Essex Partnership University Foundation NHS Trust & Honorary Senior Lecturer, University College of London.