Building on last month\u2019s Mental Health Awareness month, we want to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on an area of growing concern \u2013 teenage mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In May, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued an\u00a0official warning<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0that social media threatens youth mental health<\/a>. He\u00a0noted<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u201cWhat kids are experiencing today on social media is unlike anything prior generations have had to contend with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teenagers are facing higher rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem, eating disorders, body image issues, and suicidal thoughts<\/a> \u2013 like never before. An increasing amount of evidence points to social media as a possible culprit of this worrisome trend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to a recent Pew Research Center survey<\/strong><\/a>, almost half of U.S. teenagers say they\u2019re online \u201calmost constantly,\u201d and many of them worry about their social media use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the past ten years, rates of depression, anxiety, and loneliness among teenagers have only gone up, and this directly coincides with the explosion of social media. In 2009, about half of teens used social media every day. By 2017, 85% used it daily. By 2022, 95% of teens said they use some social media, and about a third say they use it constantly.1<\/sup> And, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), teens who use social media more than three hours per day may be at heightened risk for mental health problems.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n In testimony<\/strong><\/a> recently provided to the U.S. Senate, the American Psychological Association (APA) addressed the role social media may play in the current teen mental health crisis. \u201cOur brains, our bodies, and our society have been evolving together to shape human development for millennia. Within the last 20 years, the advent of portable technology and social media platforms [has been] changing what took 60,000 years to evolve. We are just beginning to understand how this may impact youth development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to this article<\/strong><\/a>, \u201cStudies have shown that social media has a powerful effect on the brain, and it can create stimulating effects similar to addiction. Once the brain experiences these rushes of dopamine and pleasure, the high from social media becomes harder and harder for anyone to resist, creating patterns of addictive behavior.\u201d The article goes on to say that \u201cAdolescence is the second biggest period of growth in the brain. Because teens\u2019 brains and social skills are rapidly developing, they are particularly susceptible to the addictiveness of social media.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The teenage mental health crisis is so alarming that for the first time the APA issued recommendations<\/strong><\/a> for guiding teenager\u2019s use of social media. And the APA published a new study<\/strong><\/a> indicating teenagers feel better about themselves when they cut back on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n National Public Radio provides some helpful takeaways from the APA\u2019s testimony on the impact social media has on teenage brains 3<\/sup>:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n National Public Radio also published these five tips from the APA that teens can put into practice to help make their social media use more positive4<\/sup>:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With social media now firmly embedded in our daily culture, it\u2019s critically important to find ways to help teenagers develop a healthy relationship with social media. If your teen is struggling with mental or physical health, or the challenges of everyday life, please visit their primary care provider for resources that can help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>The truth about teens, social media and the mental health crisis.<\/a> NPR. April 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2<\/sup> Associations between time spent using social media and internalizing and externalizing problems among U.S. youth<\/a>. Journal of the American Medical Association. September 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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