THE twenty first century is the age of social media.
Majority of the people in the world today including children and teenagers use social media for entertainment, news, general knowledge, current affairs and connection with others. According to a recent survey over half teenagers interviewed use internet almost constantly and majority of them use the social media daily and a vast majority of under age children are users of the social media on a daily basis. Some experts believe that mental health concerns could be the unexpected side effect of increased social media use. This area is still shrouded in mystery and the link between the two is still under intense research but it has now become important to monitor the way young people use the social media and what effect it is having on their mental health.
In some ways, social media can benefit mental health. For instance, it provides access to information that might be unavailable elsewhere, as well as a safe place to express oneself. Many teens find a community online that helps them through difficult times, breaking through barriers that would normally exist, such as distance or shyness in approaching others. Social media can be used in many ways that are immensely beneficial for example youngsters may find a community that is more accepting of who they are and their identities than their immediate family or school environment. In such a case social media can facilitate connection between peers who share interests, identities and abilities and realistically speaking this is also the way many young people communicate with each other these days.
In spite of all its benefits social media has an ugly side too and when used in excess it has its negative effects and serious drawbacks too.The United States Surgeon General released a social media advisory in 2023 about social media and mental health. According to the advisory, evidence suggests that social media has potential to harm mental health of children and adolescents. The advisory indicates that frequent social media use could be associated with changes in parts of the brain related to emotions and learning. Additionally, it can affect impulse control, social behavior, emotional regulation and sensitivity to social punishments and rewards. There is also some correlation between social media use and common mental health concerns. Recent research has shown that those who spend more time on social media tend to show more symptoms of depression.
However there could be many reasons for this association. Today’s youth spend less time in connecting with friends and family as compared to past generations. Today most youngsters use the social media which can leave them simply isolated because online social interactionsmay not be as rewarding as the personal touch. Social media may also make some feel excluded or like they’re missing out when seeing others engage in activities and social interactions. The time spent on the social media results in lack of healthy physical activities. Outdoor activities and exercise helps in releasing endorphins which can help alleviate symptoms of depression and can provide a sense of accomplishment and confidence. Social media can have a major impact on the sleep pattern and sleep deprivation is a major cause of depression.
Additionally, people of every age can get stuck in a pattern where they only intend to look through social media for a few minutes and end up in it for more than an hour. Combine these habits with the blue light from electronic screens, which interferes with sleep patterns, and it’s easy to see how social media use before bed can lead to sleep deprivation.“Depression is complex and has many risk factors, including a genetic predisposition, aspects of the surrounding environment and personal experiences, which are not so directly related to social media use patterns,” says Vidal. “Research is showing that those who are more depressed tend to use social media more, and vice versa. But it is not clear that the cause of depression is social media use.”“However,” Vidal continues, “excessive social media use is associated with behaviors, such as poor sleep, increased social comparisons, impact on learning, and exposure to cyberbullying and negative content, that could contribute to the worsening of depressive symptoms.” The need of the hour is that parents work with their children to establish healthy digital habits and encourage moderation in the use of social media.
Discussing the negative effects with youngsters to raise awareness can help manage the effects. Parents and teachers can give useful suggestions such as taking regular breaks from digital devices and establishing phone free hours and spaces. Parents can help by modeling these behaviors in their own social media use. Children and teens are more likely to emulate what they see, rather than what they are told. Fostering a healthy relationship with social media in the parents’ lives can lead to healthier habits for the family as a whole. According to experts learning to have a healthy relationship with social media is as important as learning to have healthy relationships with food, exercise and coffee consumption.
Delaying the purchase of smartphones until the child is ready is a good first step But, it is also important to instill healthy habits in children’s use of screens given that technology — and social media in particular — will be present throughout their lives.
—The writer is Professor of History, based in Islamabad.
