While social media can be a useful tool in many ways, there\u2019s no denying it comes with some concerning side effects – specifically for young people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry<\/a> reports that kids these days spend at least<\/em> two hours per day online. As many as \u201c60% of 13-17-year-olds have at least one profile on a social networking site.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the top 3 proven dangers of social media for youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately we\u2019ve probably all heard of \u201ccyberbullying,\u201d a term for bullying that occurs online. But what you may not realize is the extent to which it occurs and the threat it poses to kids today. The fact that a whopping 71% percent of children have real concerns about online bullying shows just how pervasive it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, several studies have shown that more than a third of young people said they\u2019ve actually personally experienced online bullying. Given this data, it\u2019s of the utmost importance that you encourage your child to tell you when they feel threatened by bullying online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Be proactive in asking them what they do when they are surfing the net but at the same time, try not to be intrusive. It\u2019s important when dealing with both kids and teens that you be sensitive to their privacy. It\u2019s also a good idea to have a discussion where you set guidelines for which sites they can visit and what information they share on the Internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing which social media platforms have the highest rates of cyberbullying occurrences can be helpful. For example, enough.org<\/a> ranks sites according to reported incidences of bullying. At 42%, Instagram appears to be a haven for cyberbullying. Facebook is next at 37%, with Snapchat at 31%. Despite being the most widely-frequented social media platform with youths, YouTube accounts for only 10% of all complaints. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One way you can take action is by doing your own research on any anonymous accounts or phone numbers that you find out are harassing your child. Search unknown phone numbers<\/a> they\u2019re receiving texts from or lookup online profiles<\/a> – these tools may be able to help you identify the source of the harassment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The bottom line here is that\u2019s important to be aware of and involved in your child’s virtual world as much as you are in their physical one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, cyberbullying is just one of the risks that social media poses for our children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Research by the Children\u2019s Society of the UK uncovered an interesting problem. Based on their findings, 46% of young people feel \u201cinadequate\u201d if they don\u2019t receive enough likes on their posts. Another issue that fuels feelings of inadequacy among youths is their misperception of someone else’s highly curated social-media life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Child Mind Institute tells the story of Sasha, a 16-year old high school student. After reading her friends’ posts, Sasha believes that they are always \u201chaving the best day ever, all the time.\u201d In what Donna Wick, EdD, founder of Mind-to-Mind Parenting calls the \u201cperfect storm of self-doubt,\u201d Sasha\u2019s belief that everyone but her has their act together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The results of a recent YouGov survey revealed<\/a> that 18% or one-fifth of young people between the ages of 16 and 25 do not believe that life is worth living. Even more telling is the fact that half the young people who use social media feel \u201canxious about their future.\u201d The reason? Like Sasha, it\u2019s largely because they can\u2019t help but compare their own lives to those of their peers that they see on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite her belief that she\u2019s the only one who doesn\u2019t have it together, Sasha isn\u2019t alone. Feelings of inadequacy haunt 57% of her peers who feel an \u201coverwhelming pressure to succeed\u201d because of how they perceive others based on their online lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To help parents address this problem, Dr. Wick provides several easy-to-follow pointers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to inject a healthy dose of reality into children\u2019s social media experience, start by telling them to trust people – not pictures. Not everyone who posts a smiling face is happy. That goes for your child as well. Teach them to look beyond the surface to see what is “really” going on in someone’s life. They may be surprised to find that all that glitters is not gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Wick also suggests that parents should model a healthy response to failure. A healthy response, in this case, is not only to tell them that it is okay to fail but “showing it is okay\u201d to fail. After all, how can you appreciate the joy of victory if you\u2019ve never experienced defeat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, take a break from social media now and then. And this advice isn’t for your children alone. Take time to get out in the real world as a family. Whether you go for a walk or bike ride in the park, taking time away from the keypad and screen can help give you a fresh perspective on what\u2019s important in life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even before the age of social media, the practice of comparing oneself to those around us was never a healthy endeavor. Unfortunately, it\u2019s a difficult habit to break. In a Psychology Today article, Deborah Carr Ph.D. wrote that, \u201cour desire to compare ourselves to others is a drive\u2014one almost as powerful as thirst or hunger.\u201d If this is indeed the case, social media is likely to feed (rather than extinguish) your innate tendency to compare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Long before the emergence of social media, comparisons were more limited to those we saw on TV, in magazines and via similar mediums. The difference between now and then is that back then there was an understanding that what we were seeing was \u201cmade-up, retouched, and photoshopped.\u201d In short, we knew it wasn\u2019t real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this age of social media, we\u2019re comparing ourselves less to supermodels or celebrities on the cover of magazines and more to the friends and acquaintances we have in our own lives. The problem according to Dr. Wick<\/a> is that our “friends” social media posts are usually a highlight reel of the good things that are happening in their life. It\u2019s rare for anyone to share the \u201cefforts, struggles, and the merely ordinary aspects of day-to-day\u201d living. And it\u2019s the absence of the latter that not only creates an unbalanced view of reality but is also the cause of significant \u201cdistress for many kids.\u201d Especially when they\u2019re at an impressionable age in which they\u2019re trying to figure out who they are and establishing an identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In this regard, parents would be wise to remind both their children and themselves that what they see on social media doesn’t give the full picture of a person’s life or happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCyberbullying<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Unrealistic Expectations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Habit of Comparing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Do As I Say (and Do)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n