It truly is no surprise that social media is having a negative impact on the mental health of today’s children. The pressure to be online 24/7 can be overwhelming and the bullying on social media has gotten out of hand, even ending in quite a few cases of teen suicide.
Still, many parents wonder what the harm is of letting their teens be on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and whatever the newest media site is these days. With a look at a few of the negative effects specialists say social media is having on today’s youth, maybe you might just change your mind about it.
Surfing Can Lead to Depression
The link between social media and depression is a new one, but the link is there. While there are no hardcore, scientific facts to back up this claim, it has been said that being on social media increases depression in teens and also increases their feelings of loneliness as well.
This can easily lead to problems with substance abuse, one of the common self-remedies for depression in teenagers. If your teenager is depressed and showing signs of substance abuse addiction, there are many outpatient drug treatment programs in your area that will help them get back on track where they belong.
Sleep Deprivation
Some teens feel such pressure to be online and readily able to respond to their friend’s posts and chat messages any time of the day or night, that they are not getting enough sleep. The lack of sleep can quickly start to affect grades, social activities, and even the attitude of teens whose sleep is constantly interrupted by social media. One solution is to not allow your teen to have their phone, tablet or computer after a certain time at night, ensuring they get the required amount of sleep they need to be able to function the next morning.
Issues of Envy and Jealousy
While feelings of jealousy and envy are normal emotions, they can wreak havoc on teen brains. Most teens on social media feel that their posts have to be perfect, that their pictures need to be flawless, when in reality their lives are anything but. To a teen who is already realizing the world isn’t perfect, the lives of other teens can elicit feelings of envy and jealousy like nothing else can. What’s even worse is this envy can easily lead to cyberbullying in order to make the teen feel better about themselves and less depressed because they think others are perfect when they’re not.
These are just a few of the negatives that social media can have on the mental health of teenagers today. While it’s not sensible to think you can keep your teen off of social media forever, it is a good idea to monitor their time and what they do there. As parents, it’s your job to monitor them and be there when they need you as well.
