Tag Archives: Children & Adolescents

Do Warning Labels on Social Media Miss the Mark?

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A recent article by Pamela B. Rutledge Ph.D., M.B.A., Professor and Director of the Media Psychology Research Center at Fielding Graduate University, challenges the recent recommendation by Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy who called for warning labels on social media platforms, similar to cigarette packaging.

Dr Rutledge recommends that “digital literacy will protect kids better than fear and restrictions.”

The current mental health crisis among young people is real and few would dispute that many children and adolescents are currently experiencing serious issues dealing with social media. Dr R. highlights that “the emphasis of the proposed warning label emphasizes public concern over empirical evidence, encouraging the troubling trend of ignoring research findings in favor of emotion but most of all, it neglects the preventative power of digital literacy.”

While there is no such thing as the “healthy use of cigarettes.” Social media, however, includes hundreds of platforms with numerous features and widely varying uses (like education, and creating, and sharing content). “Like swimming pools, social media poses a risk when kids don’t know how to use it safely and in healthy ways.”

Placing warning labels on social media is less likely to change teen behavior and may do more harm than good if it results in restrictive regulations that ignore the need to teach kids the skills they need. Kids are far more interested in being social than assessing future risks due to their developmental stage and brain maturity. Social media is an important part of how they connect with others and participate in popular culture; they will find a way to go online. “Our goal should be to provide kids with clear guidance and the necessary skills and understanding to use technology (including social media) well rather than keep them from using it at all.”

Social Media is Here to Stay

Warning labels cannot make social media (or mobile devices) safer. People are afraid and angry. A seemingly easy solution that restricts access and enables lawsuits won’t help. Expecting social media companies to screen users without violating privacy and remove all inappropriate content and misinformation from billions of posts daily is unrealistic. And even if that were possible, there are risks of being online outside social media. All web activity can be subject to personal information collection, and kids can be targets of cyberbullying or hurtful video circulation.

Preparation and Education is Needed

Dr R suggests, if we want to protect kids from the negative impact of digital devices without depriving them of benefits, we must teach them essential skills. “There will be times when restrictions are off, and parents aren’t around. Kids have been able to change attitudes and behavior from classroom digital literacy training. It is important not to underestimate their competence and resolve when kids have been taught digital literacy skills, including:

  • The self-awareness to build self-control and accountability and to make healthy choices.
  • The ability to identify their personal values, like honesty, empathy, kindness, and respect for others, and apply them to their on and offline actions.
  • Conflict resolution and coping skills.
  • The ability to think critically about information and evaluate source and content quality.
  • An understanding of how persuasive technology can hijack their attention.
  • The skills to recognize how content styles, messaging, algorithms, and notifications manipulate their emotions and behavior.
  • The confidence and courage to set personal boundaries and protect their privacy.”

Guidance and structure are needed for healthy technology use. “You wouldn’t give your kids the keys to the car without driver’s training nor throw them in the deep end of a pool without teaching them to swim. The goal of parenting should be to prepare kids for the world they will live in.”

Encouraging specialized campaigns for phone-free zones at school are great ways to limit distractions in the classroom. As with all technology in general, it is important to encourage kids to spend more time outside and in offline activities. “Household technology rules are essential, but healthy technology behaviors are for everyone, not just kids, and all family members should be accountable.”

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/positively-media/202406/why-warning-labels-on-social-media-miss-the-mark

Surgeon General Asks Congress to Require Warning Labels for Social Media

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This week in a New York Times Opinion Piece, Dr. Vivek Murthy said that social media is a contributing factor in the mental health crisis among young people. He has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms similar to those now mandatory on cigarette boxes.

Implementing a surgeon general’s warning label, requires congressional action, and would serve to regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe,” Murthy said. “Evidence from tobacco studies show that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior.”

Social media use is prevalent among young people, with up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 saying that they use a social media platform, and more than a third saying that they use social media “almost constantly,” according to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center.

Last year Dr. Murthy warned that there wasn’t enough evidence to show that social media is safe for children and teens. He said at the time that policymakers needed to address the harms of social media the same way they regulate things like car seats, baby formula, medication and other products children use.

To comply with federal regulation, social media companies already ban kids under 13 from signing up for their platforms — but children have been shown to easily get around the bans, both with and without their parents’ consent.

Other measures social platforms have taken to address concerns about children’s mental health can also be easily circumvented. For instance, TikTok introduced a default 60-minute time limit for users under 18. But once the limit is reached, minors can simply enter a passcode to keep watching.

Murthy believes the impact of social media on young people should be a more pressing concern. He wrote, “Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food? These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability.

Link to NY TImes Article

New York Passes Bill to Ban Addictive Social Media for Children

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New York lawmakers this week passed a bill that bans internet companies from exploiting personal data and implementing “addictive” algorithms that are designed to keep children ‘hooked’ on social media.

As part of an ongoing effort to curb technology’s role in fueling a mental health crisis in youth, New York’s governor’s office is also supporting a ban on the use of smartphones in schools, which will be debated by educational departments, healthcare professionals, parents and lawmakers over the next few months.

The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation for Kids Act, will require social media companies to restrict key addictive features on their platforms for users under 18 in New York. Once approved and signed into law, the Attorney General’s Office will devise specific enforcement rules and regulations. The measures will then take effect 180 days after those enforcement details are finalized. Technology companies will face fines of up to $5,000 per violation of the youth data privacy and addictive algorithm ban in New York.

A second bill, called the New York Child Data Protection Act, would prohibit all online sites from collecting, using, sharing, or selling personal data of anyone under the age of 18, unless they receive informed consent or unless doing so is strictly necessary for the purpose of the website. For users under 13, that informed consent must come from a parent.

National Online Privacy

Currently, a federal proposal — called The American Privacy RIghts Act has aimed to set nationwide standards for how companies like Meta, TikTok, Google and others can gather, use and sell user data, requiring them to collect only the amount necessary to provide products and services. That bill would transform how social media companies and online search engines use consumers’ personal data in a push to give Americans more control.

“HistoricStep” Forward in New York

New York is making a serious push to improve youth mental health and “create a safer digital environment for young people.” According to the NY Attorney General Letitia James, “Our children are enduring a mental health crisis, and social media is fueling the fire and profiting from the epidemic,” this push has targeted “the addictive features that have made social media so insidious and anxiety-producing,” she added. State Senator Andrew Gounardes, D-Brooklyn stated that “New York is sending a clear message to Big Tech: your profits are not more important than our kids’ privacy and wellbeing.” He noted that the bill he championed overcame substantial lobbying and opposition from the tech industry.

[Link]

Studies Continue To Show Teenage Girls Vulnerable to Possible Social Media Addiction

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Consistent with other previous studies, new research published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, found social media addiction was common among adolescent girls and was associated with poorer mental health and well-being.

Researchers from the  University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland aimed to measure smartphone and social media use objectively and to evaluate its associations with measures of mental health and well-being.

First-year female students (n=1164) from 21 socioeconomically diverse high schools responded to an online survey comprising validated questionnaires (Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Body Appreciation Scale 2) and visual analogue scales of current health, mood, tiredness, and loneliness. They were also asked to attach screenshots depicting their smartphone use.

This study reported daily smartphone use among study participants approached 6 hours, and objectively measured and self-reported times used on social media showed a medium correlation with each other. Daily time on social media was associated with lower GPA, increased anxiety, lower body image, and lower well-being.

Researchers highlight the following takeaway messages:

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC
⇒ Recent studies have indicated increasing anxiety among adolescent girls and associated
this with social media use. We found no previous studies combining objectively collected
data on smartphone or social media use and validated measures of social media addiction
and well-being.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS
⇒ In a population-based cohort, smartphone use approached 6 hours daily and one in six
adolescent girls had possible social media addiction. Social media addiction scores were
associated with poorer well-being.

HOW THIS STUDY MIGHT AFFECT RESEARCH, PRACTICE OR POLICY
⇒ Objectively measured smartphone and social media use should be assessed in both research
and practice settings, while policymakers should limit the addictive elements of social media.

Source:
Kosola S, Mörö S, Holopainen E. Smartphone use and well-being of adolescent girls: a population-based study. Arch Dis Child. 2024 May 21:archdischild-2023-326521. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2023-326521. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38772732.

Screen Time Is A Solution And A Problem In A Tech-Driven Society

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A recent column in the daily free press reminds us that six years ago Apple introduced new tools built into iOS 12 to “help customers understand and take control of the time they spend interacting with their iOS devices.”  These new features called Screen Time included Activity Reports, App Limits and new Do Not Disturb and Notifications controls.

Photo via Apple

The goal was to offer users detailed information and tools that would help them better understand and control the time they spend with apps and websites, how often they pick up their iPhone or iPad during the day and how they receive notifications.

Ten years earlier Apple had introduced parental controls for iPhone and over that time the developers have worked to add features to help parents manage their children’s content. With Screen Time, these new tools are empowering users who want help managing their device time, and balancing the many things that are important.

So what happened? Did no one use it?

Consumers rejoiced that Apple offered a solution to the issues of screen use. Unfortunately Apple presented us with a useful tool, not a solution.

Today we are still struggling with the negative effects that too much screen time has on our physical, emotional and mental health. A research study recently published in The Journal of Mood & Anxiety Disorders, found that that one-third of youth (aged between 10 and 24 years) spend four or more hours a day engaging with their screens. The effects of such are great, leading to health and mental health problems, among other things. In teenagers, screen media activity (SMA) consumes up to 60% of their after-school time and nearly 97% of US youth have at least one electronic item in their bedroom.

Not An Individual Activity But A Complex and Multifaceted Problem

SMA in youth is often perceived as an individual activity. The authors point out that the relationship between SMA and mental health outcomes in youth is a complex and multifaceted issue that has garnered significant attention among researchers and the public in recent years. The complexity may be due to the diverse nature of screen activities, the rapidly evolving landscape of digital media , and the differential impacts these activities may have across individuals. What is emerging is a nuanced picture, with some evidence suggesting relatively trivial effects of SMA on well-being or life satisfaction and other results indicating stronger associations with mental health problems such as depression or anxiety. More recent research suggests there may be individual differences concerning the impact of SMA. For example, sex-related differences have emerged, with girls generally demonstrating stronger associations between screen media time and mental health indicators than boys; and there is some evidence that effects may differ depending on the broader socioeconomic and environmental context. The COVID-19 pandemic added complexity, influencing screen time habits and mental health outcomes.

An Overeview of the Complexites

To better understand and research SMA, it is more accurate to view it as occurring within a system that encompasses the individual, the immediate caregiver environment, the school, peers and other environmental factors. The authors utilize the Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which is a framework for understanding human behavior within a complex system of relationships within and across multiple levels of the environment, from more proximal (e.g., immediate family, academic settings) to more distal (e.g., sociocultural values, laws, etc.). The theory proposes five interrelated systems that influence development:

  • (1) the microsystem which is the immediate environment with which an individual interacts,
  • (2) the mesosystem which focuses on interactions between different elements of the microsystem,
  • (3) the exosystem which involves the larger social system with which the individual does not directly interact but it still impacts their behavior,
  • (4) the macrosystem comprised of the broader societal and cultural context, and
  • (5) the chronosystem that is centered on the dimension of time including the timing of specific events and historical context.

Figure 1 shows the Bronfenbrenner model conceptual overview of screen media activity and mental health.

Figure 1

Both clinicians and researchers could benefit from reading this article. It provides an excellent birdseye view of the multifaceted interrelationships that can be an important part of screen media activity in youth today and applicable to society in general in today’s tech-obsessed world.

Citation:

Paulus MP, Zhao Y, Potenza MN, Aupperle RL, Bagot KS, Tapert SF. Screen media activity in youth: A critical review of mental health and neuroscience findings. J Mood Anxiety Disord. 2023 Oct;3:100018. doi: 10.1016/j.xjmad.2023.100018. Epub 2023 Aug 11. PMID: 37927536; PMCID: PMC10624397.

New Pew Study on Teens and Social Media

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A new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens conducted Sept. 26-Oct. 23, 2023, among 1,453 13- to 17-year-olds – covered social media, internet use and device ownership among teens. Even though negative headlines and growing concerns about social media’s impact on youth has drawn the attention of parents, teachers, the medical profession and lawmakers, teens continue to use these platforms at high rates – with some describing their social media use as “almost constant.”

YouTube continues to dominate. Roughly nine-in-ten teens say they use YouTube, making it the most widely used platform measured in our survey.

Other key findings include:
TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram remain popular among teens: Majorities of teens ages 13 to 17 say they use TikTok (63%), Snapchat (60%) and Instagram (59%). For older teens ages 15 to 17, these shares are about seven-in-ten.

Teens are less likely to be using Facebook and Twitter (recently renamed X) than they were a decade ago: Facebook once dominated the social media landscape among America’s youth, but the share of teens who use the site has dropped from 71% in 2014-2015 to 33% today. Twitter, which was renamed X in July 2023, has also seen its teen user base shrink during the past decade – albeit at a less steep decline than Facebook.

Teens’ site and app usage has changed little in the past year. The share of teens using these platforms has remained relatively stable since spring 2022, when the Center last surveyed on these topics. For example, the percentage of teens who use TikTok is statistically unchanged since last year.

And for the first time, we asked teens about using BeReal: 13% report using this app.

When asked about frequency

By Gender
Teen girls are more likely than boys to say they almost constantly use TikTok (22% vs. 12%) and Snapchat (17% vs. 12%).

But there are little to no differences in the shares of boys and girls who report almost constantly using YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

By Race and Ethnicity
There were also differences by race and ethnicity in how much time teens report spending on these platforms. Larger shares of Black and Hispanic teens report being on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok almost constantly, compared with a smaller share of White teens who say the same. Hispanic teens stand out in TikTok and Snapchat use. For instance, 32% of Hispanic teens say they are on TikTok almost constantly, compared with 20% of Black teens and 10% of White teens.

By Age
Older teens are more likely than younger teens to use many of the platforms asked about, including Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Reddit. For example, while 68% of teens ages 15 to 17 say they use Instagram, this share drops to 45% among teens ages 13 and 14.

Source and additional information

Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023

Update: Surgeon General Issues Advisory on Risks of Social Media Use in Youth

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Today, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. While social media may offer some benefits, there are ample indicators that social media can also pose a risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. Social media use by young people is nearly universal, with up to 95% of young people ages 13-17 reporting using a social media platform and more than a third saying they use social media “almost constantly.”

[Link to Surgeon General’s Advisory – PDF]

Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence – [Original Post 5/10/23]

Psychological scientists are examining the potential beneficial and harmful effects of social media use on adolescents’ social, educational, psychological, and neurological development. This is a rapidly evolving and growing area of research with implications for many stakeholders (e.g., youth, parents, caregivers, educators, policymakers, practitioners, and members of the tech industry) who share responsibility to ensure adolescents’ well-being. Officials and policymakers including the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy have documented the importance of this issue and are actively seeking science-informed input.

The American Psychological Association offers a number of recommendations which are based on the scientific evidence to date, and the following considerations.

A. Using social media is not inherently beneficial or harmful to young people. Adolescents’ lives online both reflect and impact their offline lives. In most cases, the effects of social media are dependent on adolescents’ own personal and psychological characteristics and social circumstances—intersecting with the specific content, features, or functions that are afforded within many social media platforms. In other words, the effects of social media likely depend on what teens can do and see online, teens’ preexisting strengths or vulnerabilities, and the contexts in which they grow up.3

B. Adolescents’ experiences online are affected by both 1) how they shape their own social media experiences (e.g., they choose whom to like and follow); and 2) both visible and unknown features built into social media platforms.

C. Not all findings apply equally to all youth. Scientific findings offer one piece of information that can be used along with knowledge of specific youths’ strengths, weaknesses, and context to make decisions that are tailored for each teen, family, and community.4

D. Adolescent development is gradual and continuous, beginning with biological and neurological changes occurring before puberty is observable (i.e., approximately beginning at 10 years of age), and lasting at least until dramatic changes in youths’ social environment (e.g., peer, family, and school context) and neurological changes have completed (i.e., until approximately 25 years of age).5 Age-appropriate use of social media should be based on each adolescent’s level of maturity (e.g., self-regulation skills, intellectual development, comprehension of risks) and home environment.6 Because adolescents mature at different rates, and because there are no data available to indicate that children become unaffected by the potential risks and opportunities posed by social media usage at a specific age, research is in development to specify a single time or age point for many of these recommendations. In general, potential risks are likely to be greater in early adolescence—a period of greater biological, social, and psychological transitions, than in late adolescence and early adulthood.7,8

E. As researchers have found with the internet more broadly, racism (i.e., often reflecting perspectives of those building technology) is built into social media platforms. For example, algorithms (i.e., a set of mathematical instructions that direct users’ everyday experiences down to the posts that they see) can often have centuries of racist policy and discrimination encoded.9Social media can become an incubator, providing community and training that fuel racist hate.10The resulting potential impact is far reaching, including physical violence offline, as well as threats to well-being.11

F. These recommendations are based on psychological science and related disciplines at the time of this writing (April 2023). Collectively, these studies were conducted with thousands of adolescents who completed standardized assessments of social, behavioral, psychological, and/or neurological functioning, and also reported (or were observed) engaging with specific social media functions or content. However, these studies do have limitations. First, findings suggesting causal associations are rare, as the data required to make cause-and-effect conclusions are challenging to collect and/or may be available within technology companies, but have not been made accessible to independent scientists. Second, long-term (i.e., multiyear) longitudinal research often is unavailable; thus, the associations between adolescents’ social media use and long-term outcomes (i.e., into adulthood) are largely unknown. Third, relatively few studies have been conducted with marginalized populations of youth, including those from marginalized racial, ethnic, sexual, gender, socioeconomic backgrounds, those who are differently abled, and/or youth with chronic developmental or health conditions. (References in link below)

Recommendations

1. Youth using social media should be encouraged to use functions that create opportunities for social support, online companionship, and emotional intimacy that can promote healthy socialization

2. Social media use, functionality, and permissions/consenting should be tailored to youths’ developmental capabilities; designs created for adults may not be appropriate for children.

3. In early adolescence (i.e., typically 10–14 years), adult monitoring (i.e., ongoing review, discussion, and coaching around social media content) is advised for most youths’ social media use; autonomy may increase gradually as kids age and if they gain digital literacy skills. However, monitoring should be balanced with youths’ appropriate needs for privacy.

4. To reduce the risks of psychological harm, adolescents’ exposure to content on social media that depicts illegal or psychologically maladaptive behavior, including content that instructs or encourages youth to engage in health-risk behaviors, such as self-harm (e.g., cutting, suicide), harm to others, or those that encourage eating-disordered behavior (e.g., restrictive eating, purging, excessive exercise) should be minimized, reported, and removed;23 moreover, technology should not drive users to this content.

5. To minimize psychological harm, adolescents’ exposure to “cyberhate” including online discrimination, prejudice, hate, or cyberbullying especially directed toward a marginalized group (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, sexual, religious, ability status),22 or toward an individual because of their identity or allyship with a marginalized group should be minimized.

6. Adolescents should be routinely screened for signs of “problematic social media use” that can impair their ability to engage in daily roles and routines, and may present risk for more serious psychological harms over time.

7. The use of social media should be limited so as to not interfere with adolescents’ sleep and physical activity.

8. Adolescents should limit use of social media for social comparison, particularly around beauty- or appearance-related content.

9. Adolescents’ social media use should be preceded by training in social media literacy to ensure that users have developed psychologically-informed competencies and skills that will maximize the chances for balanced, safe, and meaningful social media use.

10. Substantial resources should be provided for continued scientific examination of the positive and negative effects of social media on adolescent development.

Source and additional info: apa.org

Download in PDF format from apa.org

What Do Teen Girls Think About TikTok, Instagram, and How Social Media Impacts Their Lives

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A new report by Common Sense Media shows that nearly half (45%) of girls who use TikTok say they feel “addicted” to the platform or use it more than intended.

Today, new research report by Common Sense Media, reveals what teen girls think about TikTok and Instagram, and describes the impact that these and other social media platforms have on their lives. According to the report, Teens and Mental Health: How Girls Really Feel About Social Media, nearly half (45%) of girls who use TikTok say they feel “addicted” to the platform or use it more than intended at least weekly. Among girls with moderate to severe depressive symptoms, roughly seven in 10 who use Instagram (75%) and TikTok (69%) say they come across problematic suicide-related content at least monthly on these platforms.

A survey of over 1,300 adolescent girls across the country sought to better understand how the most popular social media platforms and design features impact their lives today. Among the report’s key findings, adolescent girls spend over two hours daily on TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat, and more than 90 minutes on Instagram and messaging apps. When asked about platform design features, the majority of girls believe that features like location sharing, public accounts, endless scrolling, and appearance filters have an effect on them, but they’re split on whether those effects are positive or negative. Girls were most likely to say that location sharing (45%) and public accounts (33%) had a mostly negative effect on them, compared to other features. In contrast, they were most likely to say that video recommendations (49%) and private messaging (45%) had a mostly positive impact on them.

Other key findings

  1. Nearly four in 10 (38%) girls surveyed report symptoms of depression, and among these girls, social media has an outsize impact—for better and for worse
  2. Girls who are struggling socially offline are three to four times as likely as other girls to report daily negative social experiences online, but they’re also more likely to reap the benefits of the digital world.
  3. Seven out of 10 adolescent girls of color who use TikTok (72%) or Instagram (71%) report encountering positive or identity-affirming content related to race at least monthly on these platforms, but nearly half report exposure to racist content or language on TikTok (47%) or Instagram (48%) at least monthly.
  4. Across platforms, LGBTQ+ adolescent respondents are roughly twice as likely as non-LGBTQ+ adolescents to encounter hate speech related to sexual or gender identity, but also more likely to find a connection. More than one in three LGBTQ+ young people (35%) who use TikTok say they have this experience daily or more on the platform, as do 31% of LGBTQ+ users of messaging apps, 27% of Instagram users, 25% of Snapchat users, and 19% of YouTube users.
  5. Girls have mixed experiences related to body image when they use social media. Roughly one in three girls who use TikTok (31%), Instagram (32%), and Snapchat (28%) say they feel bad about their body at least weekly when using these platforms, while nearly twice as many say they feel good or accepting of their bodies at least weekly while using TikTok (60%), Instagram (57%), and Snapchat (59%).
  6. The majority of girls who use Instagram (58%) and Snapchat (57%) say they’ve been contacted by a stranger on these platforms in ways that make them uncomfortable. These experiences were less common, though still frequent, on other platforms, with nearly half of TikTok (46%) and messaging app (48%) users having been contacted by strangers on these platforms.

Common Sense Media also announced today that the organization is launching the “Healthy Young Minds” campaign, a multiyear initiative focused on building public understanding of the youth mental health crisis, spotlighting solutions, and catalyzing momentum for industry and policy change. Town halls are scheduled for New York City, Arizona, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Florida, Massachusetts, London, and Brussels, with more locations to be announced shortly. Further research and digital well-being resources for educators will be released in the coming year.

To learn more about Common Sense Media, the survey or educational materials available:

Source: Common Sense
Link to Survey: Teens and Mental Health: How Girls Really Feel About Social Media
Report Infographic
Curriculum and classroom resources

APA Psychology Chief Scientist @ Senate Judiciary Committee: Potential Harms, Benefits of Social Media for Kids

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Association calls for more research, regulation, better messaging to parents and teens

Additional research is needed to better understand how certain features and content inherent in social media, as well as user behavior, may be affecting our children for both good and bad, APA Chief Science Officer Mitch Prinstein, PhD, told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The age at which children begin to use social media is an area of great concern, he said. “Developmental neuroscientists have revealed that there are two highly critical periods for adaptive neural development. One of these is the first year of life. The second begins at the outset of puberty and lasts until early adulthood (i.e., from approximately 10 to 25 years old). This latter period is highly relevant, as this is when a great number of youths are offered relatively unfettered access to devices and unrestricted or unsupervised use of social media and other online platforms.”

Recent research shows over 50% of teens reporting at least one symptom of clinical dependency on social media. He also outlined several additional areas of concern that have emerged from scientific research. Social media sites ostensibly exist to foster social connections, he said. But many youth use the sites to compare themselves to others, seeking “likes” and other metrics rather than healthy, successful relationships.

Social media sites ostensibly exist to foster social connections, he said. But many youth use the sites to compare themselves to others, seeking “likes” and other metrics rather than healthy, successful relationships.

In other words, social media offers the ‘empty calories of social interaction’ that appear to help satiate our biological and psychological needs, but do not contain any of the healthy ingredients necessary to reap benefits,

Social media also heightens the risk for negative peer influence among adolescents, as well as for addictive social media use and stress, he added, citing research showing that many young people use social media more than they intend to and that they have difficulty stopping its use.

Recent studies have revealed that technology and social media use is associated with changes in structural brain development (i.e., changing the size and physical characteristics of the brain). This highlights the risks associated with young people accessing social media sites that glamorize disordered eating, cutting and other harmful behaviors. Filtering or removing this type of content is often not done or warnings are not triggered. So vulnerable youth are not sheltered from the effects that exposure to this content can have on their own behavior. “This underscores the need for platforms to deploy tools to filter content, display warnings, and create reporting structures to mitigate these harms.”

Another area of concern is what young people are missing out on by spending so many hours on social media—especially sleep, which they need for healthy development. “Research suggests that insufficient sleep is associated with poor school performance, difficulties with attention, stress regulation, and increased risk for automobile accidents,” he said.

But it is not all bad news. Some research demonstrates that social media use is linked with positive outcomes that can benefit youth mental health, according to Prinstein. “Perhaps most notably, psychological research suggests that young people form and maintain friendships online. These relationships often afford opportunities to interact with a more diverse peer group than offline, and the relationships are close and meaningful and provide important support to youth in times of stress,” he said. This can be especially important for youth with marginalized identities, including racial, ethnic, sexual and gender minorities.

Dr. Prinstein made several recommendations for what Congress can do to address many of the risks social media may pose to youth. These include:

  • Allocating at least $100 million to study social media and adolescent mental health;
  • Mandating that data from algorithms be made public, along with other internal research conducted by social media companies;
  • Requiring social media platforms to develop tools to mitigate the harm to youth, such as disabling particularly addictive features and enabling users to opt out of certain algorithms;
  • Mandating protections for marginalized and LGBTQ+ kids, while retaining their ability to connect with others in such groups for social support;
  • Passing the Kids Online Safety Act and previously proposed legislative fixes such as updates to the Children Online Privacy and Protection Act.

Source: APA.org Press Release

Senate Judiciary Committee (PDF, 355KB).

**Update Article – 02/16/23 Published by National Public Radio – “10 things to know about how social media affects teens’ brains” discusses in more depth the important takeaway messages from Dr Prinstein’s presentation to the US Judiciary Committee [Link to article]