A recent study explores the role that social media plays in the lives of young people and how they deal with its many benefits and drawbacks, particularly when it comes to being a person of color, LGBTQ+, or depressed.
The study, which was released on Tuesday by Common Sense Media and Hopelab, a social innovation lab and impact investor dedicated to promoting the wellbeing of young people, details both the advantages and disadvantages of social media use, including the value placed on online platforms for informational, social, and self-expression as well as the consequences on users’ attention span, confidence, and contentment.
“The majority of discussions and news articles about youth mental health and social media exclusively highlight the negative aspects, depicting kids as mindless consumers. According to a news release from Hopelab, head of research Amy Green stated, “This research demonstrates that it’s much more complex.” “We need to listen to young people’s experiences and make sure we don’t unintentionally deny them access to essential positive advantages if we genuinely want to increase their well-being.”
The national youth mental health crisis, which the authors described as being characterized by rising incidence of mental disorders like anxiety and depression, suicide thoughts and attempts, and the prescription of antidepressant drugs to young people, is also motivating the research. Social media has always taken center stage in discussions concerning these occurrences, even though there are many other elements that can contribute to mental health problems.
The study, which is being carried out by the University of Chicago’s NORC (formerly known as the National Opinion Research Center), comprises 1,274 young adults and teens (ages 18 to 22) who were recruited online between October and November of 2023. According to a news release, the young people “provided direction and input regarding survey content” and took part in focus groups and interviews to assist the research team in sorting through and interpreting the data. This paper is the third in a series that examines how social media affects young people’s wellbeing.
Researchers discovered that although the rate of depressed symptoms in young people has decreased by roughly 10% from pandemic highs, it is still high and similar to the elevated levels of 2018. Almost half of the youth population claimed they were depressed to some degree, and almost a third (28%) said their symptoms were moderate to severe.
In addition, compared to almost one-quarter of their classmates who are not LGBTQ+, approximately half of LGBTQ+ kids reported having moderate to severe depressive symptoms.
Depression made people more vulnerable to peer pressure to present their best online personas and to social comparison. However, they were also more likely to look for tools to promote their wellbeing and curate their feeds in this way. They might flag unpleasant or inappropriate content, block users whose content bothers them, or choose to click the “not interested” button on stuff they find objectionable. Given that many social media algorithms present you with more content based on your level of involvement with particular themes, these young people also positively curated their feeds by “liking” and spending more time on the content they did love.
This was crucial for LGBTQ+ adolescents in particular, as they were more likely than Black and Latinx youth to experience stress and harassment online.
Lead researcher Amanda Lenhart, head of research at Common Sense Media, wrote in an email that Black youth “told us in focus groups that their experiences with in-person harassment lowered their tolerance for similar behavior on social media and meant they were more willing to give up the benefits to protect themselves from hateful comments.”
The results validate what several investigators have observed both empirically and scientifically, according to an email from Dr. Mitch Prinstein, chief science officer of the American Psychological Association. Prinstein did not work on the project.
Mental health and social media
A number of participants also discussed the benefits they derive from social media, describing these platforms as places where they can get help and guidance, unwind, connect with loved ones and people who share their identities, experiences, or interests, stay informed, and stay up to date with their favorite influencers or content creators.
The significance of social media as a platform for professional prospects, creativity, and connection for Black kids is another noteworthy result, according to Lenhart.
In an email, Iowa State University distinguished psychology professor Dr. Douglas Gentile advised being “careful about interpreting (self-reported) data like these.”
Gentile, who was not involved in the research, continued, “People are surprisingly bad at actually knowing what the effects of media use are on themselves.” “I’m not trying to imply that people are lying. Simply said, we only get to observe a small portion of the media’s influence over us.
The authors discovered that nearly one-fourth of participants reported using social media practically continuously throughout the day, a 7% increase from the percentage they discovered in their 2018 report. A lot of young individuals said that they couldn’t stop using social media, that it distracted them from other things, and that they would automatically turn to it when they were bored. In addition to personalizing their feeds, a lot of people have completely deleted their accounts or taken breaks from social media to resist the temptation in an effort to stop these behaviors.
Prinstein stated, “If social media was designed with a primary focus on youth well-being instead of a focus on keeping kids engaged for as long as possible to make a profit from their data, it could offer (more) benefits to youth.”
Try conducting an emotional check-in either during or after utilizing social media, advised Lenhart. “Ask yourself: What is my current emotional state? Was there anything I noticed that depressed me?
Lenhart said that it might be beneficial to take a short-term or long-term sabbatical from the material that is upsetting you the most, particularly if you already experience depression.
One of the most crucial things you can do as a parent or guardian to effectively regulate your teen’s use of social media is to “maintain communication channels.” open,” Lenhart said.
Parental engagement is crucial because, according to Prinstein, young adults have voiced remorse about their parents’ early approval of their use of social media and wish they could go back in time to urge them not to comply with their wishes.
According to Lenhart, find out what the teenagers in your life enjoy about these platforms and what kinds of relationships or activities help them feel better mentally. In the event that social media is bothering them or getting in the way of other obligations, let them know you’re available to help find a solution.
Acknowledge, according to Lenhart, “that each young person is an expert in their own lived experience.” “Young people make excellent teachers in and of themselves.”