How does social media affect teenagers?

Like any form of technology,

social media has both an upside and a downside. And when it comes to
the social media effects on teens, there are significant pros and cons to
take into account.

On the plus side, platforms like TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat
can be lifesavers for teens who feel isolated or marginalized,
particularly LGBTQ teens. In addition, social media helped teens feel
more connected and not as lonely during the pandemic.

But the impact of social media on youth can also be significantly

detrimental to mental health. In particular, social media and teen
depression are closely linked. Furthermore, overuse of the apps
exposes teens to cyberbullying, body image issues, and tech addiction,
and results in less time spent doing healthy, real-world activities. And
while the majority of parents believe they know what their child is
posting on social media, according to a Pew Research poll, a survey of
teens found that 70 percent of them are hiding their online behavior
from their parents.
The Effect of Social Media on Teenagers‘ Mental Health
Are teens and social media a good mix, or does social media use lower
teen well-being? Why is social media bad? This has become one of the
more controversial questions regarding social media’s effects on teens,
with studies showing varied results.

According to a report released by Common Sense Media on social

media’s effects on teens, about half of the 1,500 young people surveyed
said social media is very important for them in order to get support and
advice, feel less alone, and express themselves creatively, as well as
for staying in touch friends and family members. And 43 percent said
that using social media makes them feel better when they are
depressed, stressed, or anxious. Among LGBTQ youth, 52 percent said
social media helps them feel better when they are experiencing these
difficult emotions.
On the other hand, the report also showed a strong association
between social media and teens feeling depressed. Youth with
moderate to severe depressive symptoms were nearly twice as likely
to say they used social media almost constantly: One-third of teens
with depression reported constant social media use, as compared to 18
percent of teens who did not have depressive symptoms. Furthermore,
the more severe their symptoms were, the more anxious, lonely and
depressed they felt after using social media. Clearly, social media does
not help teens who are already feeling depressed, and seems to
contribute to their negative outlook.

Research on Social Media and Teen Depression: Why Social Media Can
Be Bad for Mental Health
Is social media part of the reason that teen depression has drastically
increased over the last decade? Surveys of US adolescents show that
teen depressive symptoms and suicide rates showed marked increases
between 2010 and 2015, especially among females. Some researchers
theorize that the increase in social media and overall screen use
between those years could account for these changes. The adolescents
surveyed who spent more time on social media were more likely to
report mental health issues. Those who spent more time on real-life
activities, such as in-person social interaction, sports, exercise,
homework, and print media, were less likely to report these issues.

Over the last decade, this theory has been borne out by a large body of
research linking teenagers’ use of social media with increased teen
depression. These studies show that the frequency of a teen’s use of
social media has a clear correlation to their mental health. For
example, in a 2018 study, 14- to 17-year-olds who used social media
seven hours per day were more than twice as likely to have been
diagnosed with depression, treated by a mental health professional, or
taken medication for a psychological or behavioral issue during the last
year. This was compared to those who used screens only about an hour
a day.
Many experts believe that the constant overstimulation of social
networking shifts the nervous system into fight-or-flight mode. As a
result, this makes disorders such as ADHD, teen depression,
oppositional defiant disorder, and teen anxiety worse. However, some
research on social media and teen depression shows that the causality
goes the other way—i.e., when teens are depressed, they look at social
media more often. In one study of 600 teens, researchers found that
social media use did not predict depressive symptoms, but greater
depressive symptoms predicted more social media use over time.

“Some experts argue that young people’s use of social media is adding
to their depression; others that their depression leaves them so
uninterested in other activities that they turn to social media by default.
[Our] research suggests a third possibility: that many young people who
are experiencing depression— whatever the cause—are purposely and
proactively using social media and other digital tools to protect and
promote their own well-being.”

—Common Sense Media report

Additional Psychological Effects of Social Media on Youth

A study by researchers at University College London tracked three
years of social media use by 13,000 teenagers, starting when they were
13. The teens also self-reported about their social media experiences
and their mood and well-being.

After compiling the data, the study authors concluded that the social
media effect on youth is driven by three primary factors:

Inadequate sleep—teens stayed up late to continue scrolling through

their social media feeds
Exposure to cyberbullying—having harmful, false, or private content
about them posted on social media
Lack of physical activity—scrolling social media on their phones or
other devices meant that teens sat for longer periods of time and had
less time for exercise. As a result, they missed out on the beneficial
impact of exercise on mental health.
According to the study, which was published in the journal Lancet, 27
percent of the teens who frequently used social media reported high
psychological stress. For teens who used social media less frequently,
only 17 percent reported high psychological stress.

The Impact of Social Media on Youth Social Comparison

One way in which social media impacts teen mental health is through
negative social comparison—what media psychologist Don Grant, PhD,
Newport Director of Outpatient Services, calls “compare and despair.”
Teenagers on social media spend much of their time observing the lives
and images of their peers. This leads to constant comparisons, which
can damage self-esteem and body image, exacerbating depression and
anxiety among adolescents.

As with other types of social comparison, teens report lower self-

esteem and self-evaluation when looking at peers on social media
sites. For example, this includes looking at profiles on which peers post
curated images about their significant others, social events, or
accomplishments. And teens felt better about themselves when they
make so-called “downward comparisons”—looking at profiles of peers
with fewer friends and achievements. According to a Pew Research
Center report on the effect of social media on teenagers, 26 percent of
teens say these sites make them feel worse about their own life.

Read “Teen Mental Health and the Theory of Social Comparison.”

The Negative Psychological Effects of Social Media on Teen Body Image

Body image is one primary area in which teen social comparison leads
to negative emotions—not only for teen girls, but for all genders. When
tees compare themselves to curated and filtered photographs of their
peers and of celebrities, they often feel inferior. This can lead to lower
self-esteem and negative body image. In addition, Facebook use has
also been linked to a higher risk of eating disorders.

According to a survey by Common Sense Media:

35 percent of teenagers on social media worry about being tagging in

unattractive photos
27 percent are stressed out about how they look when they post
pictures
22 percent feel bad about themselves when nobody comments on or
“likes” their photos.
Social Media Effects on Teens: Health Hazard or Healthy Inspiration?
Along with providing ways to seek help and support, social media also
provides forums in which teens can encourage each other in unhealthy
and dangerous behaviors. Hence, teens with eating disorders or those
who self-harm can connect with others to talk about their self-
destructive routines. In these online forums, obsessive calorie counting,
fasting, or over-exercising are accepted and encouraged. As a result,
teens may learn ways to hide or intensify the behavior, putting them at
greater risk.

On the flip side, a teen social network can inspire teenagers to develop
healthy habits. Thus, seeing peers eating nutritious food, doing
something creative, or getting outside in nature can encourage other
teens to do the same. Social networks can create peer motivation,
inspiring young people to try something new, follow their dreams, and
speak up about things that matter to them. Teens can also find positive
role models online. Hence, the effect of social media on teenagers
might actually result in more unplugged time and increased self-care
behaviors.
The Effect of Social Media on Teenagers’ Identity Formation
The impact of social media on youth extends to an important part of
adolescent development: the formation of one’s unique identity. Hence,
social media provides a forum for teens to practice skills related to
identity development. These include self-presentation and self-
disclosure—sharing their opinions, beliefs, and preferences.

In a longitudinal survey of 219 freshmen at a state university,

researchers found that teens who expressed their opinions on social
media experienced increased well-being. In addition, another study
found that adolescents who communicated more online had greater
“self-concept clarity”—a clearer idea of who they were. This self-
awareness supports mental health. Furthermore, a research article on
teens and social media concluded that social media gives teens the
“autonomy to explore and experiment with their identities in a space of
their own, where they have control over what, how, and with whom they
share information.”

Friendships, Teens, and Social Media

Friendship and social skills are additional areas in which the impact of
social media on youth can be positive and negative. In the Pew
Research Center report, 81 percent of teens in the survey said social
media makes them feel more connected to what’s going on in their
friends’ lives. In addition, two-thirds of teens said these platforms make
them feel as if they have people who will support them through tough
times.

During the pandemic, of course, social media became one of the most
frequent—and sometimes the only—way in which teens socialized with
peers. But there’s a difference between teens’ social media friends vs.
their real friends: The Pew survey found that 60 percent of teens say
they spend time with their friends online on a daily or nearly daily basis,
but only 24 percent spent time with their friends that often in person.
These stats highlight how online connections may not translate into IRL
relationships.

In addition, the more time teens spend plugged in and online, the more
cyberbullying increases. A 2020 report by the organization L1ght found
a 70 percent uptick in hate speech among kids and teens across
communication channels on social media and popular chat forums.
More time on social media provides enhanced access to both the
beneficial and detrimental aspects, further driving the effects of social
media on teenagers.

The Addictive Quality of Social Media for Teens

Scientists have found that teen 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.

“Social media use targets our limbic system through its susceptibility to
intermittent variable rewards—the same basic idea behind slot machine
design—that get us ‘hooked’ and coming back from more. Our brains
keep seeking the dopamine hit that comes with the next post we see on
our feed or the next reaction to something we’ve posted. Research also
suggests that these rituals may prime the brain for other future
unhealthy dependencies or addictions.”

—Don Grant, PhD, Newport Director of Outpatient Services

Treatment for Teen Social Media Addiction and Its Root Causes
As the research shows, teen social media overuse is often linked with
underlying issues, such as depression, chronic stress, anxiety, or low
self-esteem. Hence, treatment at Newport Academy includes
addressing these root causes while unplugging from phones and social
media.

After just a few days, teens begin to reawaken to their IRL environment.
During treatment with us, they form strong friendships, explore their
inner life through journaling and meditation, spend time in nature, and
experience creative offline activities.