The Effects of Social Media on Youth and How to Mitigate the Risks
(This commentary originally appeared in the New Hampshire Bulletin on October 5, 2023.)
by Suzanne Gaetjens-Oleson, CEO Northern Human Services
On June 6, Gov. Chris Sununu signed Executive Order 2023-04, which directs the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to work together to create curriculum guidelines addressing the potential negative impacts of using social media platforms.
These will be submitted to the State Board of Education and ultimately included in all K-12 health education courses in New Hampshire. In addition, a resource website will be developed for parents, guardians, and educators.
The dangers of social media are frequently discussed in the news. Many studies have been conducted regarding the effects of social media use on youth and yet it is near impossible to sit in a public place and not see youth (and adults) scrolling through phones, often spending hours absorbing information from the very sites that have been labeled as potentially dangerous for them. It is near impossible to find children over the age of 10 who do not have their own cell phones or tablets with access to the internet and its mix of content.
Why are the warnings being largely ignored? The answer lies partly in science.
Evidence regarding the addictive nature of social media is easy to come by. In August 2023 the American Psychological Association updated an article written by Zara Abrams, titled “Why young brains are especially vulnerable to social media.” Abrams discusses the fact that between the ages of 10 and 12 children become very socially driven – meaning it becomes increasingly important to them to be accepted, to be liked, and to be part of a group. During this age range “social rewards” like compliments, acceptance, and someone laughing at a joke begin to feel more satisfying. In this developmental stage the brain is changing, and the receptors for “happy hormones” (oxytocin and dopamine) multiply and make pre-teens more susceptible to the effect of the above mentioned hormones.
If you apply this to social media use, every love, like, and view is a small reward and thus releases the hormones that make kids feel good. The problem is that every negative comment or absence of any response has the opposite effect on many kids. Although social media platforms have some policies in place to diminish risk, it is clear that more is needed to protect our children’s mental health.
Gov. Sununu’s order is a good step forward in protecting children in New Hampshire, but it will require support both at the educational level and at home.
What can we, as parents, do to help our children manage this issue?
The first step is through our own actions; no matter how much we want our children to do what we say, the truth is that they do what we do. As adults, limiting “screen time” is a great way to model what we want our children to do. Consider a “no phone” rule at the table (for everyone, not just kids). Limit how many non-education related hours children have to use screens. Talk to your child about what they are doing online; better yet, ask them to show you.
Educate yourself regarding the risks so that you can be aware of potential red flags like prolonged social media use, having sleep affected, choosing social media use over live interactions, and interference with daily commitments or activities.
While social media is most probably here to stay, it can be managed, and the risks can be mitigated if we all actively participate in helping our children navigate it.