Why Is Social Media Harmful to Children and Teens?

"The United States office of the Surgeon General, tasked with protecting the nation's health, recently published an advisory titled " Social Media and Youth Mental Health.(1) The Advisory describes current evidence of the impacts of social media on child and adolescent mental health, and states that current science "cannot conclude that social media is sufficiently safe for children and adolescents.""

"The American Psychological Association has likewise raised concerns about child and adolescent well-being in digital environments and published recommendations for parents to help them reduce risks of teenage social media use.(2) Researchers do not yet fully understand all of the effects of social media on children and teens, but recent evidence suggests that children and teens, especially during early adolescence when brains are still developing and personal identities and sense of self-worth are forming, are especially sensitive to social pressures, peer opinions, and online social comparisons."

Current evidence indicates that social media can harm the mental health of children and adolescents and cannot be assumed sufficiently safe. Some young people experience benefits from social platforms, but many show indicators of serious risk. National health and psychological organizations have raised concerns and offered guidance for parental mediation to reduce harms. Early adolescence is a sensitive developmental period when brains, identities, and self-worth are forming, increasing vulnerability to peer opinions and social pressures. Social comparison, algorithms, filters, and online photo comparisons can lower self-esteem. Parental engagement and specific strategies can help mitigate these risks.

Read at Psychology Today