Social Media and Mental Health in Children and Teens

Overview

• Experts Involved:
  • Carol Vidal, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., child and adolescent psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
  • Jennifer Katzenstein, Ph.D., co-director of the Center for Behavioral Health at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
• Key Statistic:
  • Nearly 50% of teens use the internet almost constantly.
  • 9 out of 10 teens use social media daily.
  • Around 40% of children aged 8 to 12 use social media.
• Research Focus:
  • Impact of social media on the mental health of children and teens.

Effects of Social Media

Positive Effects

• Access to Information & Self-Expression:
  • Social media provides a platform for accessing unavailable information and self-expression.
• Support and Community:
  • Encourages help-seeking behavior.
  • Affirms sexual identities and provides social support.
  • Acts as a buffer against stress.
  • Facilitates connection with accepting communities.

Negative Effects

• U.S. Surgeon General Advisory (2023):
  • Social media use can potentially harm mental health.
  • May alter brain areas related to emotions and learning.
  • Impacts impulse control, social behavior, emotional regulation, and sensitivity to social rewards and punishments.
• Correlation with Mental Health Concerns:
  • Links between social media use and depression.
  • High and low social media use can both be associated with depression.

Social Media and Depression

• Symptoms of Depression & Social Media Use:
  • More time on social media correlates with more depression symptoms.
• Reasons for Association:
  • Social Isolation: Reduced in-person socialization, leading to isolation.
  • Lack of Activities: Reduced time for physical activities which release endorphins.
  • Sleep Deprivation: Social media can cause stress and disrupt sleep patterns.
• Complex Causes of Depression:
  • Genetic predispositions, environmental factors, and personal experiences.
  • Social media is one factor among many.
• Research Insights:
  • Excessive use correlates with negative behaviors (poor sleep, social comparison, cyberbullying).

Strategies for Healthy Social Media Use

• Parents should encourage:
  • Regular breaks from devices.
  • Turning off notifications.
  • Establishing phone-free hours/spaces.
  • Discussing online behavior and boundaries.
• Role Modeling by Parents:
  • Children emulate parental behavior.
  • Parents should model healthy social media use.
• Healthy Relationship Importance:
  • Comparable to healthy relationships with food, exercise, etc.
  • Delay smartphone purchase until readiness.
• Parental Guidance:
  • Discuss social media citizenship and ensure responsible behavior online.

Research Study

• Johns Hopkins Study:
  • Published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.
  • Explores social media use, depression, and other health behaviors in young adults.