Social Media and Teens: The Upside and the Downside

According to a 2023 report by the Surgeon General Advisory, teens who spend over three hours a day on social media “double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety.”

Not all teens, however, are affected the same way. Studies have linked social media to both healthy and unhealthy effects on mental health. How much time a teen spends on social media is not the only determining factor, but also how they use it, what they see and do online, what they share about themselves, and their level of maturity.

The Upside of Social Media and Teens

Some of the benefits provided by social media include:

• Enabling teens to stay in touch with friends, regardless of their location
• Connect with new acquaintances who share the same interests, identities, and abilities
• Become more aware of the world around them
• Have access to information that may not be available to them elsewhere
• Find community and support for specific activities, hobbies, or experiences
• Provide a venue for them to express their creative side by sharing art, music, or writing

The Downside of Social Media and Teens

On the downside, social media can expose teens to harmful or inappropriate content, as well as incorrect or biased information. If they have not been educated on the importance of using the Internet safely and responsibly, they may share every detail of their life in ways that attract stalkers and predators, provide cyberbullies with fodder, leave them vulnerable to harassment, identity theft, and/or being hacked; and harm the way future colleges or employers view them.

Another downside is that insecure teens seek to find their identity by comparing themselves to others on social media, and their sense of self-worth is tied to the number of likes and followers. When they can’t measure up to the online teen influencers they use as a measuring stick to judge their value against they become susceptible to anxiety and depression.

Constant exposure to unrealistic beauty standards and photo-edited images, as well as the seemingly perfect lives of others, for instance, can lead teens to form unrealistic views of what their body or life should look like and result in a distorted perception of themselves, ongoing dissatisfaction with their body image, feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, a fear of missing out, and unhealthy behaviors such as eating disorders.

What You Can Do to Minimize the Downside for Your Teen

Educate your teens Help protect them by educating him or her about online safety and the dangers of trying to amass friends and followers without discretion. Plant seeds of caution by discussing the importance of privacy settings, being careful who they accept friend requests from, not giving out private information such as their address or phone number, and showing them how to do things such as turn off their location setting and block people.

Explain what’s okay and what’s not Discuss appropriate behaviors and boundaries when interacting online such as engaging with others in positive ways, communicating respectfully, and avoiding gossip, spreading rumors, or saying things that could hurt someone else’s reputation.

Be engaged with the content your teen is consuming Ask questions such as what they are watching, why they enjoy that type of content, and how it makes them feel. Let them know that many beauty and lifestyle images on social media are not realistic, and teach him or her how to question whether content is accurate or not, rather than take everything at face value.

Connect with your teen on social media Monitor your teen’s social media accounts by friending them.

Set rules and boundaries Set ground rules and boundaries for your teen as to when and where they can use social media. No screens in the bedroom, for instance, or turning devices off when at the table or with other people.

Set a good example Set a good example for your teen by modeling healthy screen habits. Apply the same rules to your own social media usage as you set for them.

Help boost your teen’s self-esteem Encourage in-person interactions and get your teen involved in confidence-producing activities that spark an interest, such as sports, music, or volunteering. Things that foster a sense of achievement and help them feel good about what they can do rather than how they look.

Share God’s Word with your teen Help your teen know who they are by sharing uplifting scriptures about God’s love for them and about their value in Jesus Christ. Encourage them to base their sense of self-worth on these truths and turn to those for affirmation rather than to followers on social media.

Christian Counseling for Teens in Stone Oak, Texas

If you have questions about this article on social media and teens or need more information than it could provide, please give us a call at Stone Oak Christian Counseling in Texas. We would be happy to set up an appointment for your teen with a Christian counselor in Stone Oak, Texas.