The impact of social media on your mental health

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Whether you’re posting your latest vacation photos or sharing funny images and videos on social media, there’s a good chance you spend time on one or more social media accounts every day. And your kids probably do too. In fact, nine out of ten teens use social media daily.

Over the last decade, social media has become hard to avoid. According to Pew Research, just 7 percent of Americans used at least one social media account in 2005. Today, it's more than 70 percent.

While social media can help foster connections around the world, research has found that too much of it can have a negative impact on our mental health — especially for teens and adolescents.

How social media may be impacting your child’s mental health

It can affect self-esteem

The saying goes that comparison is the thief of joy — and the curated nature of social media platforms is a great real-life example. People tend to share the ideal representation of themselves, but their perfectly filtered and captioned photos often don’t tell the whole story. Not only does this make you more aware of your insecurities, it can also lead to feeling jealous, competitive, inadequate and even depressed. As a result, 41 percent of teens with high social media use describe their overall mental health as poor.

It’s designed to manipulate your behavior

Every time you log in to any social media platform, you’re providing endless amounts of behavioral data to companies whose goal it is to keep you engaged in those platforms for as long as possible. These companies know what you’re seeing and how you react to it. They use that information to keep feeding you content they know you’ll consume and enjoy. This can be especially dangerous for children and teens who are exposed to harmful or disturbing content on social media, as that content will continue to be shown to them each time they use the platform.

It leads to information overload

Thanks to endless scrolling, you can scan countless pieces of content — both good and bad — from around the world in minutes, without ever glancing up from your screen. Sound tiring? That’s because it is, especially to your brain.

Not only does this overload of information exhaust your child’s or teen’s brain, it can invoke a form of chronic stress known as headline stress. Headline stress is described as ongoing intrusive thoughts about news headlines that trigger feelings of anxiety, depression, anger and a learned helplessness, which can lead to unhealthy behaviors if left unaddressed. It also impacts their decision-making skills, concentration and overall perception of the world around them.

It encourages "FOMO"

Yes, FOMO — fear of missing out — is real. Your kids don’t want to miss a single update, but they feel sad or down when they see others having a good time without them. In a nutshell, FOMO is the worry that we’re not connected to our social world. But, because online interactions are less emotionally rewarding than in-person communication, increased social media use has the opposite effect and can make us feel more isolated.

Reduce social media’s impact on your child’s mental health

You don’t have to immediately delete your child’s or teen’s accounts to make a difference. Instead, try these tips:

• Set limits for social media use. Limiting social media use is a proven strategy for improving mental health in both children and adults. For example, set a specific time each day—like during dinner or before bedtime—for you and your child to unplug from social media. If your child is having a hard time sticking to the limits, have their phone do it for them. Or, get more tips for helping your child reduce their screen time.
• Prioritize real-life connections. Look for ways to build your child’s community outside of social media by signing them up for a club, sport or other activity they enjoy. You should encourage your child or teen to take the group chat with their friends offline and meet up for an in-person conversation or activity when possible.
• Understand why you reach for your phone. Think about the time you spend on social media. What are you gaining from it? Do you need to find a recipe for dinner tonight? Are you reminiscing about a fun outing you had with friends last weekend? Do you feel the urge to open notifications as soon as you see them? As a parent, it’s your responsibility to model healthy social media use and behavior to your child. Becoming more aware of how and why you use social media will help you gradually reduce its importance in your life and teach your child how to set healthy boundaries with social media.
• Focus on enjoying the moment. Instead of trying to get that picture-perfect snap for your friends and followers, put the phone down and appreciate what’s in front of you. Spending quality time and being present with your child or teen not only keeps them offline but builds their self-esteem and helps establish a more open and communicative relationship with you. Try these tips be a more mindful parent.

Know when to get help

There’s no denying it — social media is here to stay. Social media isn't inherently bad and regular use isn’t necessarily a problem. But, if you find your child becoming too attached (for example, frequently checking to make sure they’re not missing anything new or feeling disconnected from friends when they’re not online), it may be time to take a step back or get in touch with a professional.

If you or your child are struggling with a mental health concern, you’re not alone. Wellmark is here to provide support you can count on with free mental health resources on myWellmark^®.