According to recent estimates, billions of people worldwide use social networking sites in some capacity. Increased levels of mental health symptoms have occurred alongside the rise of social media. People are becoming more aware of social media’s harmful impact on their mental health and their lives than ever before.
If you believe that your teen is experiencing adverse emotional effects due to social media use, contact Venture Academy today. Our team is ready to provide information about treatments to address social media addiction. Learn more by calling 866.762.2211 or filling out our online form.
The Negative Effects of Social Media
While it’s possible to debate whether social media is truly at the root of a severe mental health epidemic, the negative effects of social media too often are undeniable.
A few of the negative effects of social media include:
- Comparing yourself to others’ lives and achievements
- Wasting valuable time you could spend working toward your goals
- Neglecting other aspects of your life, like work, loved ones, and responsibilities
- Being a victim or engaging in bullying
There are many other negative possibilities of social media use, including adverse effects that can be even more substantial for your teen because their brain is not yet fully developed.
The Relationship Between Social Media and Depression
A steep spike in the use of social media platforms happened within recent years, likely due to increased internet accessibility and the popularity of smartphones. Additionally, lockdown conditions due to COVID-19 have made social media an inescapable fact of life. Preoccupation with social media in all its forms has driven researchers to question whether social media is to blame for our increasing levels of depression and anxiety.
Countless studies have shown a strong link between high social media usage and depression. While experts cannot determine the exact cause, they generally agree on the negative impacts of social media. Social media addiction not only makes depression worse but in some studies, it has been shown as a likely reason for depression developing in the first place. If you are concerned your teen is at risk for developing depression because of social media addiction, there are some signs to look out for.
These signs include when you teen is:
- Preoccupied with a specific social media app
- Posting pictures multiple times per day, reading the comments over and over, or obsessing over the number of likes they receive
- Less physically active than they used to be, or their personality has changed suddenly
- Unwilling to get off their phone to engage in regular tasks like eating dinner or doing chores
- Neglecting activities they once enjoyed
- Thinking of every activity in terms of how people will view it on social media
The teenage years are a tough time to navigate on their own. The pandemic caused many teenagers anxiety and distressing symptoms due to isolation and health concerns they’ve never had to experience. More consistent access to social media has likely only compounded these uncomfortable symptoms for them.
Explore the Connection Between Social Media and Depression with Venture Academy
Due to a combination of factors in recent years, many people are currently struggling with their relationships with social media. Social media addiction is not a uniquely teen issue, but teens are at a pivotal time in their lives where their decisions may have a more significant impact on the course their life will take.
At Venture Academy, our team can supply you and your family with the necessary tools and strategies to help your teen gain control of their social media addiction. We offer programs that can boost your teen’s confidence and general well-being while reducing social media’s effect on their lives. Please contact us today by calling 866.762.2211 or completing our online contact form.