Summary of Social Media and Youth Mental Health report from US surgeon general - 2023
You can read the report here:
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf
-40% of children 8-12 use social media
- 'there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents'
- there is no evidence to determine if social media is sufficiently safe for children and adolescents
- 33% use social media almost constantly
- influence of social media is shaped by many complex factors, including amount of time, types of content, activities and interactions afforded, the disruption of essentials for health like sleep and physical activity
- brain development is a critical factor to be considered, especially developmental vulnerability to social pressures, peer opinions and peer comparison
- frequent social media use is associated with distinct changes in the developing brain in the amygdala, and prefrontal cortex, and could increase sensitivity to social rewards and punishment
- adolescent social media use is predictive of a subsequent decrease in life satisfaction for certain developmental stages - including for girls 11-13, and boys 14-15
-children aged 12-15 who spent more than 3 hours/day on social media faced double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes including symptoms of depression and anxiety
- as of 2021, 8th and 10th graders were spending an average of 3.5 hours/day on social media
- the introduction of a social media platform has had a sizeable effect on college age youth bringing about depression and anxiety, 9% over baseline for depression, and 12% over baseline for anxiety
- limits on social media have resulted in mental health benefits for young adults and adults
- going to 30 minutes over three weeks, decreased the severity of depression
- deactivation of a social media platform for four weeks improved subjective well-being by about 25 to 40% of other interventions like therapy
- there is a higher relative concern of harm for adolescent girls and those already experiencing poor mental health, as well as for particular health outcomes like cyber bullying related depression, body image, and disordered eating behavior, as well as poor sleep quality
- in 14 year olds graders social media use predicted poor sleep, online harassment, poor body image, low self-esteem and a higher depressive symptoms, larger association for girls than boys
- there is also a risk from exposure to content: there have been childhood deaths associated with suicide and self harm related content, and risk taking challenges, on social media platforms, this contact may be especially risky for children and adolescents who are already experiencing mental health difficulties
- some social media platforms show live pictures of self harm acts - including partial asphyxiation, seizures, and cutting; discussing or showing this contact can normalize such behaviours
- social media may also perpetuate body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, social comparison and low self-esteem, especially among adolescent girls
- when asked about the impact of social media and body image nearly 50% of adolescents aged 13 to 17 said social media made them feel worse
- about 2/3 of adolescents are often or sometimes exposed to hate based content
- there is a consistent relationship between cyber bullying and depression
- social media can be platforms for predatory behaviours where adolescent girls are most impacted
- nearly 60% of adolescent girls say they have been contacted by a stranger on social media platforms in ways that make them feel uncomfortable
- there are also potential risks of harm from excessive and problematic use
- this includes encouraging excessive use and behavioural dysregulation
- nearly 33% of social media use may be attributable to self control challenges magnified by habit formation
- social media exposure can overstimulate the reward center, and can trigger pathways comparable to addiction
- small studies have shown that there can be changes in brain structure similar to changes seen in individuals with substance use or gambling addictions
- in a survey 33% of girls age 11 to 15 say they feel in"addicted to" social media platforms
- 25% of eighth and tenth graders spend more than five hours online, and one in seven spend more than seven hours online
- excessive social media use has been linked to sleep problems, attention problems, and feelings of being excluded among adolescents
- poor sleep has been linked to altered neurological development and adolescent brains, depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts and behaviours
- problematic social media use has been linked to both self-reported and diagnosed ADHD, high frequency use of digital media, with social media is one of the most common activities ,was associated with a modest if statistically significant increased odds of developing ADHD symptoms
- it is also been linked with fear of missing out, and associate with depression, and anxiety
Finally - nearly 70% of parents say that parenting is now more difficult than it was 20 years ago with technology and social media as the top two sited reasons
