Teen’s Social Media Use: Effects and Guidance

Today’s teenagers are the most social media-active age group. In 2024, 93 % of teens use social media platforms. On average, they spend 4 hours and 8 minutes daily on social media [1]. With such a significant part of their daily life spent with these platforms, it’s important to learn what are the effects of social media on teenagers of today’s world. Let’s look at the positive and negative effects and find out how to help teens navigate healthy social media use.

Positive Effects of Social Media on Teens

Social media can have a positive impact on teens. And the majority of teens are experiencing a mix of positive and negative effects in different proportions, depending on how they use social media. These are some of the common positive effects of social media.

Space for self-expression

Social media offers space for creative self-expression [2]. Whether creating funny videos, showing their painting skills or simply sharing their photos – there are vast possibilities for teens to express themselves.

Connecting with friends and family

Social media helps teens stay connected with local and long-distance friends and family members. Besides that, it is possible to find people sharing their niche interests or to join communities of like-minded individuals. 

Getting support and advice

Many people share their personal fights on social media. That can include dealing with mental health issues, LGBTQ+ related questions and other topics [2]. Sharing personal stories can be very empowering as well as asking for advice and seeking help. 

Negative Effects of Social Media on Teens

While teens experience positive effects of social media, the vast negative effects raise concerns. Learning what these effects are and identifying them in the teen’s social media use, that is the first step for establishing healthy social media use. 

Indirect Communication

Even though social media are platforms done for connecting with others, we communicate via screens, most often using written messages. This type of communication misses important body language cues as well as a tone of voice. Teenagers who often substitute real-time communication with their peers through social media are missing out on developing vital social skills [3].

Insufficient Sleep

Teens often stay up late scrolling through social media [4]. Not getting sufficient sleep then affects other areas of their life, like focus during classes or motivation for physical activity. Staying up late regularly can disrupt their daily regime.

Cyberbullying

Another downside of indirect communication on social media is cyberbullying. Not getting a direct response from who’s on the other side can encourage people to say anything without taking any repercussions into account [3].

Cyberbullying can result in harming mental health (especially if undealt with). Teens can develop anxiety and depression or experience its increase. Teenagers are particularly sensitive to the opinions of their peers as they develop their personalities and search for their place amongst their peers [3].

Poor Body Image

Social media is full of posts depicting beautiful relationships, dreamy life and flawless bodies. But most people share their happy moments and things they’re proud of. It’s a very curated outlook on someone’s life. And when it comes to bodies – the way we pose, what angle we use and perhaps even what filters we use – all of that changes what our bodies look like in pictures. Nonetheless, seeing these picture-perfect bodies can have teens questioning their body image and result in low self-confidence over time [4]. 

Not Enough Body Movement

Many teens tend to spend a lot of time on social media (4 hours a day on average). That leaves a limited amount of time for other activities, including physical exercise. That way, they miss out on the benefits that body movement has on mental and physical health [4]. 

The Downside of Hyperconnection

Teens are often connected to their peers at all times through social media. While that might seem great, it has its downsides. Creating connections with people is demanding and maintaining these relationships at all times can increase feelings of anxiety. And it also brings in the other side of the coin – feelings of loneliness. Being used to having constant interactions can leave teens feeling lonely when they don’t get a quick response [3]. 

The Chance of Developing Addiction

Spending a vast amount of time on social media, especially if connected with trying to escape uncomfortable feelings increases the chance of developing social media addiction. We wrote an article on social media addiction here.

Important Factors to Take into Account

Every teenager uses social media in their own way. These are some of the factors you should consider when getting to the bottom of any teen’s social media use [2]. 

• The amount of time they spend on social media.
• The interference of their social media use with other activities like sleep, studies, hobbies or family events.
• Their psychological state (Do they experience anxiety, depression or any other mental health-related issue?).
• Life circumstances, like cultural, social and economic factors.

How can Parents and Other Guardians Navigate Teen’s Social Media Use

As a parent or anyone else in the teen’s support network, you can play a vital role in navigating their social media use.

Set screen time limits

Teenagers often use social media without having clear boundaries set by their parents. Try following these options when limiting your child’s screen time:

1. Choose several phone-free activities that need for your child to devote their full attention to. This can be homework, family meals or sleep.
2. Create a no-phone zone, like the dining table or your child’s bed.
3. Set up a daily social media limit. Download AppBlock to your child’s phone and set up a daily app limit by selecting all social media apps your child uses and gets distracted by.
4. Use Strict Mode. Using this feature will prevent your child from accessing your selected blocking and bypassing it. You can select a strict time limit that will prevent your child from leaving an ongoing blocking until the selected time passes. Another option is a pin code access that allows you to modify an ongoing blocking based on your needs. Get AppBlock and choose the blocking option you prefer.
5. Find out more on how to use AppBlock to decrease social media use here.

Lead by example

Children learn from what they see around them. Your principles regarding social media use should apply not only to your children but also to yourself. Try to transform your shared screen-free moments into a habit that all of you enjoy together. 

Have open conversations

Teenagers have a mind of their own. Support conversations about social media. Discuss together what are the downsides and the benefits of using social media. Check-in with them regularly to find out how they feel about their social media interactions. Show them support and encourage them to come to you if anything on social media starts to worry them. 

Support your teen’s face-to-face contact with friends

Face-to-face conversations with the teen’s peers are vital for developing their social skills. Besides that, time spent with friends usually includes some physical movement (even if it’s just getting to their house). And shared activities go a long way. Whether playing games or sports, going for a walk or just sharing a meal.

Bottom Line

Social media hasn’t been around that long. Researchers are still working on defining the effects social media have on our lives. And with the use of social media growing, we need to protect our teenagers from its negative effects as well as learn how to establish healthy use of social media together. 

Sources:

[1] https://whatsthebigdata.com/how-many-teens-use-social-media/#google_vignette

[2] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social-media-use/art-20474437

[3] https://childmind.org/article/how-using-social-media-affects-teenagers/

[4] https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/well-being/effect-of-social-media-on-teenagers/