Social media addiction is a growing concern for many parents
In fact, according to Pew Research, 97% of US teenagers go online every single day
and 46% say they're almost constantly online. It just ended up turning very, very severe
Caroline Koziel bravely sharing how social media affected her growing up. The Glastonbury native is among hundreds of plaintiffs
alleging the platforms are designed to hook users and can encourage addictive behavior in young people
Social media platforms are facing some major legal action for how they allegedly harm people's mental health
Yeah, they're... Let's be real here. Social media isn't all bad. It's where you can connect, share, and express yourself
You, me, and your teenage kids. But it's also a world where a thumbs up can make you feel on top of the world
but a thumbs down is going to bring you crashing down. It's got a lot of us asking
what's all this scrawling, liking, and commenting? What does it do to our teams
So you're not alone if you're a bit worried. I'm worried too
Does social media negatively impact mental health? We have to remember that social media is not one thing
It's depending on who you're talking to, what content you're seeing, what functions you're interacting with, a like button, for instance
The problem is that social media is still a relatively new thing
Facebook, maybe 20 years old, but TikTok is not even eight yet
So we can't really see the big picture yet, and maybe we won't until it's too late
So how is this whole social media playing out in terms of our kids' mental health
I mean, it's one thing to keep up with the latest dance craze or meme
but it's another when we start seeing changes in how our teens feel about themselves, right
A new study from the UK published in the journal eClinical Medicine
found that 14 year old girls who use social media more than five hours a day
saw a 50% spike in depression symptoms. Teen boys saw a 35% jump
Researchers found that all teens who spent excessive time on social media
got less sleep and exercise, which are directly related to mental health issues
In addition, those teens were more likely to be exposed to cyberbullying
But there are also things that we have to consider. Silly things like Snapchat or TikTok filters
Most of these filters are just for messing around with, but the beauty filters are the worst
A study done by Dove found that 80% of girls have used filters to change their appearance
with a beauty filter by the age of 13. I don't know why I'm doing the work when I could just put this filter on and just pretend
It's a whole lot of work for nothing. Nobody sees me anyway, because that would be disappointing
That filter makes you feel very sad. Seeing other people's curated lives can start a kid down a tricky path of comparison
Why don't I look like that? Why isn't my life that exciting
Why didn't I get invited to that party? It hits hard, especially during these formative years when self-esteem is
like a roller coaster at the best of times. But it's not just about feeling left out or not measuring up
There's this constant pressure to be on all the time, posting the right thing, and getting enough likes
It's quite frankly exhausting. And when the phone goes quiet, that's a whole new level of anxiety
If you're not getting notifications, does that mean that you're not liked
Does that mean that you're being excluded? Forgotten? For decades, there's been that Surgeon General's warning on packs of cigarettes
But this morning, for the first time, a new warning about something else
Social media and what it means for kids' mental health. Why now for this advisory
We're issuing this advisory to sound the alarm. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says there's not enough evidence to show
social media platforms are safe enough for kids and teens. We see rates of depression and anxiety and suicide
and loneliness going up among young people. This is the defining public health issue of our time, youth mental health
Research shows 95% of teens are on social media. More than a third say they're on constantly
And teens spend an average of three and a half hours each day on these kinds of apps
something research shows can double the risk of experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety
I'm not here to just dump all of this on you without a way forward
But understanding this link between social media use and mental health is important
We need to be on the lookout for signs that our teens might be struggling
So, look for changes in mood, eating habits, withdrawal. Maybe they're more irritable or their sleep is all over the place
Maybe they're not sleeping at all. Then there's the social media specific stuff
Are they obsessively checking their phone? Or do they seem overly vested in the number of likes or comments that they get
Maybe they're getting more secretive about their online life, turning the screens away whenever you're close
Internal research at companies like Facebook found the negative effects of social media are felt more among young people
specifically teenage girls. Many girls say that they know apps like Instagram are making them feel bad about themselves
but they can't stop using them. All of these could be signs that social media is playing a bigger role in their lives than we've expected
But remember, it's not about blaming them or us for that matter
It's about recognizing what is happening and starting to have those important conversations
you know, those one-to-one chats. So, what can we do? We need to find out that sweet spot between online and real life for our teens
Because let's face it, banning social media isn't the answer. It's not the way
It's like telling them not to hang out with friends. Not gonna happen, right
Instead, let's talk about balance and boundaries. Discuss what's reasonable together. Trust me, they're more likely to stick to rules that they've had their own saying
Then set up the Famisafe Parental Control app on your phones, which will help you to monitor and manage their screen time and online activities
But it's not about spying or invading their privacy. Think of it more like teaching them digital discipline
something you had to go through. You can set time limits, keep an eye on the apps that they are using
or even track their location, which is always super handy. But hey, I know this can feel overwhelming
You're thinking, great, one more thing to worry about. But here's the deal
It's not about 24-7 surveillance or turning yourself into some family detective
It's about being present, asking questions, and showing that you're there for them
No judgment. It helps if you know what you're talking about, too
So take a look at what your teens are following on Instagram or watch TikTok with them
Not to snoop, but to understand what they are seeing, what is influencing them
It's a whole world out there. And the better we understand it, the better we can guide them
Just make sure that you don't go down the TikTok rabbit hole
That's just so easy to do, to get sucked in. Try to lead by example
It's tough, but try to put your own phone down from time to time
Be present. It sends a powerful message when you can do it, when you can lead by example
And then there's the big one, encouraging offline activities. I know that's easier said than done, right
But it's about finding what clicks with them. Maybe it's sports, art, cooking, or just family movie nights
The goal is to show them that there's a whole world out there, beyond just the screens
Now, I'm not saying that this is easy, because it's not. There's no magic formula here
But starting these conversations, setting up tech like Famisafe and encouraging real-life
connections can make a big difference. Remember, this isn't about controlling your teen's life
It's about guiding them through it. Mistakes will happen, both on their part and yours
But that's okay. That's no problem at all. It's all part of the process
But I'm curious, have you noticed any changes in your teens that made you maybe pause for
a second? Or maybe you've been through this, and you've got tips and stories that you would like to share
Don't keep them to yourselves. Thanks for tuning in. Don't forget to subscribe for more insights and stories
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a bit of guidance? All right. Until next time. Bye