According to consumer and industry data source Statista, 97% of U.S. teens ages 15 through 17 report having access to a smartphone at home, and about 94% say they own one.
For many kids, the best thing about smartphones is their access to social media platforms, the most popular of which include TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. While social media use by adolescents and even young children isn’t entirely bad, it can be a minefield—even for adults. It’s vital that adolescents and even young adults learn to navigate these platforms safely.
When Is Social Media a Good Thing?
Social media can enhance adolescents’ lives, helping them maintain relationships with family and friends, broaden friendships, and build social skills. It offers online communities focused on academics, sports, art, and other healthful interests.
Social media can ease the transition for those starting college by being a lifeline to familiar places and people.
Young people seeking mental and emotional health support often find it through nonprofit organizations that maintain social media sites. Help with challenges such as assault and substance misuse can be found there, and many offer crisis hotlines.
Social media sites like YouTube provide technology tutorials, introduce business concepts, and teach life skills. As students progress through school, platforms, including LinkedIn, aid in networking and job acquisition.
Allowing for the Adolescent Brain
Many adults feel ineptitude when watching kids gracefully navigate the same technology we struggle with. But tech-savvy as they are, most do not have the life experience or even the brain capacity to be as safe on social media as their parents.
Human brains, including that region known as the prefrontal cortex, do not fully mature until our mid- and even late-20s. The prefrontal cortex manages decision-making, helps us gauge consequences, and control impulses. A not fully-developed brain is one of the reasons your otherwise intelligent and level-headed kid thinks everybody should try cliff-diving.
The prefrontal cortex also helps us navigate our emotions, which is one reason young people can be more susceptible to cyberbullies whose tactics have even included taunts encouraging suicide.
What’s Not So Good?
Developing brains and puberty generally make middle and high school among the toughest years in most people’s lives. Social media can amp all that up, prompting comparison games of “They’ve got it better,” “I’ve got it harder,” “They’re looking at me,” and “They’re better than me.”
In college, the comparisons continue with, “They’re further ahead,” “They have more money,” “Their grades are better,” and so on. When we’re being that hard on ourselves, it’s easy to forget that social media is a mere snapshot of someone’s life and likely inaccurate.
Throw in social media influencers whose lives appear glamorous and carefree, and those snapshots are even more over-the-top and can spark more damning and distorted comparisons. Then there’s the ever-popular FOMO (fear of missing out) that starts early and lasts long.
Sadly, social media’s downsides don’t stop there. Other risks include:
- Anxiety and depression
- Body image issues
- Disrupted sleep
- Exposure to hate speech
- Predators
- Reputation damage
- Social media addiction
KidsHealth.org is a good resource for helping you help your adolescent/young adult use social media safely.
More You Can Do
Respect your child’s social media privacy as much as possible, offer information, and admit your social media mistakes. Reassure them that you’re there for them and that you know they’re smart and can make good choices.
If you’re lucky, they may accept your friend request on Facebook.