Social Media and Teen Mental Health

Is there a connection between social media usage and mental health issues?

There has been significant research done on links between social media use and mental health. Numerous studies have found that social media use can be linked with increased risks of depression and anxiety, especially in teens. The rise in decline of teen mental health rates has caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and they have also started looking into links and effects. 

It is reported that teens using social media often experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, and according to Pew Research Center, “teens are growing more wary of social media for their peers”. 

The study covers how most teens can point out that social media sites have a negative impact on their peers’ mental health, but significantly less believe usage has a negative effect on them. For many teens, they believe social media and mental health are related and social media usage can have negative effects on their peers, but not them. This disconnect might point to teens’ need for help identifying how social media use might be affecting their mental health. 

Social Media’s Positive Effects on Children and Teens

With a larger network of people to interact with, teens and children attest to some real benefits of using social media. Some many include:

• Community: With social media, teens can find more people out there like them. Social media can set geography aside, and match people with similar interests and hobbies. All of a sudden teens interested in building cybertech, or lego art, or other niche hobbies have community and a place to collaborate.

• A safe space for personal identity development. Teens who otherwise might not have found peers they identify with are able to utilize social media and develop their identity. Some teens really struggle to feel understood in their current communities or high schools and social media can provide a space to have some comradery and not feel so alone.

• A way to search for information about treatment and services. Many people who self identify as having depression, severe anxiety, having OCD, or schizophrenia utilize social media to learn more about their illness and find community with other people sharing their experiences. Social media has become a way for individuals to seek support and find treatment recommendations. A lot of teens (not specifically with mental health disorders) find information about health and mental health on social media platforms. While their high school might provide information on mental health, teens are finding resources online more often. 

Pew Research Center noted that 74% of teens say social media platforms allow them to connect with friends and family and have a space for new friendships and creativity.

What are the mental health risks for adolescents using popular online platforms?

There are several signs that social media use is affecting your adolescent’s mental health. And all of these are common warning signs for teens struggling with mental health. Some teen mental health issues related to social media include: 

• Lack of Sleep - Pew Research Center noted 4 in 10 teens said that using social media hurt the amount of sleep they got, or should have gotten. Looking at screens late at night can stop your nervous system from winding down. Users also experience dopamine hits and overstimulation which can contribute to sleep loss. 

• Bullying - Experiencing aggressive behavior from peers in or out of school, or being aggressive to their peers can be a risk of using social media. Studies have shown that a risk of social media use in adolescents is an increased exposure to harm. This includes bullying and social isolation. Bullying doesn’t just happen in high school. Your teen might be experiencing or seeing bullying online as well.

• Teen Depression - a serious but treatable risk of using social media. Persistent sadness or hopelessness can creep into and affect your child’s academic and athletic performance, and most importantly have major effects on their mental health. 

• Anxiety - Some might mistake it for the typical teen behavior, but intense fear and worry can be a risk of using social media. Your teen might be spending a lot of time comparing themselves to their peers, worried about their future and how they’ll measure up. 

• Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Many teens find themselves returning to social media platforms multiple times a day to catch up on trends and drama. Each app is sending its own notifications, updating your teen on who is posting, liking, reposting, etc. Sooner or later, your teen is starting to experience a psychological craving that releases a rewarding dopamine chemical when they use an app. Teens may be experiencing increased feelings of isolation and social anxiety from missing out on things their peers did.

How can I help my teen manage their social media usage?

We know there’s a gap between how teens understand negative impacts on their peers' mental health vs. their own mental health. And because we know social media can have negative effects on teens’ mental health, it’s helpful to have some tools to help them manage their usage. 

Your teen might benefit from setting rules and limitations for when they use social media. For example, to avoid feelings of FOMO, depression, or anxiety, they might not want to use social media an hour or two before bed, or first thing when they wake up. They might also benefit from having app limits or a phone brick (a device they have to physically tap to unlock certain apps). 

Your teen might also benefit from regular talks about social media. Check in with your teen. Do they feel depressed when they compare themselves to their peers online? Or is there more nuance there? Do they feel anxious about their future when seeing news stories on social media? 

If you think your teen might have negative symptoms from social media usage, it would be best to get them scheduled with a teen therapist. A therapist specializing in adolescents can help guide your teen through the emotional, social, and developmental challenges that happen through childhood. At Lifebulb, our teen and adolescent therapists understand the neurological changes happening in teens, and how many teens struggle with depression, anxiety, bullying, self-harm, academic pressures, and much more. They’ll be able to create a teen mental health treatment plan for your highschooler. 

Where can I find online therapy services that focus on social media-related stress in teens?

Therapists can help build strategies for teens to limit screen time without feeling isolated. Lifebulb can help find therapy services for a high schooler struggling with online pressure, or experiencing other negative effects of social media usage. We offer in-person and online therapy for teens. It’s affordable and convenient; we will work with your family’s schedule to make sure your teen gets the help they need. 

It can be helpful to get your teen in therapy early, so they can learn coping skills and ways to redirect and reframe negative thoughts and feelings. Your teen might benefit from therapy for depression, anxiety treatments, or other help from a mental health professional.

At Lifebulb, our goal is to help individuals eventually leave therapy, because they have seen the growth they wanted and have learned the coping skills they needed. If we feel your child doesn’t need therapy or is ready to graduate from therapy, we’ll let you know. But chances are, if you or your teen feel like they could benefit from therapy, it’s wise to try some sessions and see if it’s beneficial. 

Most clients meet with their therapist within 7 days of calling us. Contact our scheduling team, or browse our list of teen therapists. Let us help your teen live a more balanced and brighter life.