Following the recent Facebook whistleblower crisis in 2021, it was discovered that Facebook had conducted extensive study into the detrimental effects that social media sites like Instagram had on young people’s mental health. The leaked papers emphasized the detrimental effects that photo-sharing applications like Instagram may have on young people’s self-esteem and body image. in recent times Congress said that digital behemoths like Facebook prioritized profits before adolescent and kid safety.
Parents are more worried than ever about social media sites, the effects of screen time, and the effects of the internet on their children and teenagers as a result of recent research demonstrating how social media severely impacts children’s mental health, body image, and social skills. This generation of kids is the first to have seen social media and the internet as a regular part of daily life from an early age. Many parents are worried about the long-term effects of internet use on younger children and members of Generation Z.
Social media did not exist until the early 2000s, not even for those of us who had access to the internet at the end of our formative years and into our teens. These websites were mostly used as additional platform for communication and amusement even throughout the MySpace era. Today, however, most youngsters’ lives are significantly impacted by internet contacts and networks. Being parents makes it challenging to know how to support our children since we did not deal with social media, cellphones, or cyberbullying in real life as children.
Young people (and adults) continued to spend more time on social media platforms as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, and researchers have found a link between increased screen time and poor self-esteem. Keeping up with the Joneses is a continual onslaught in our social media feed. And although it might be challenging for adults to maintain optimism when it looks like everyone on our friend list is living a beautiful life, youngsters and teenagers find it more harder to distinguish between a social media persona and the actual world.
Social networking does provide some advantages. It may be a useful tool for outreach, community building, and social engagement, for instance, by enabling us to connect with and see one another, if not face-to-face, then at least via a screen. However, its usage has to be moderated and supervised in a healthy manner.
We’ve broken down five distinct ways social media impacts our children’s health and strategies to assist in this post because as parents, it may be difficult to know where to turn for support.
1. Social Media Causes Low-Self Esteem
The relationship between social media and self-esteem issues is perhaps the one that has received the most research. The average Instagram user often sees a ton of images and posts of people having fun when scrolling through their feed. People publish postings about their apparently flawless children, photographs of their brand-new houses, or how they just secured their dream jobs. Although our first natural reaction is to express our happiness for individuals we care about, our deeper response is to immediately compare what they have to what we lack.
With the advent of the social media era, adolescents must deal with social comparisons not only throughout the school day but constantly. In less time than it takes to count to five, high school students may post a Snapchat of their brand-new Nikes or the PS5 they received for their birthday. Furthermore, applications like Snapchat, which are designed to vanish, make it much simpler for children and teenagers to send hurtful pictures, bully others, and exert peer pressure. All of these actions have a detrimental impact on a child’s self-esteem.
How to Help Kids Feel More Confident
Keep an open door policy with your kid if they are experiencing poor self-esteem as a result of social media or peer pressure. Let them know that they are welcome to speak to you about anything at any time, and if they do, don’t become irritated if they share anything distressing with you. By berating your kid over a mistake they committed, you will simply drive them farther away and increase the likelihood that they will conceal information the next time.
If they do approach you carrying anything heavy, try to avoid passing judgment and instead attempt to understand by asking questions. Ask open-ended inquiries, such as, “Can you explain why you sent that SMS to me more clearly? I’m not sure I understand.” or “Can you please explain why you used those terms? I don’t appreciate you using such kinds of language.” Supporting someone in a difficult position doesn’t need you to agree with what they did.
Additionally, do your best to encourage your youngster with particular compliments. Pay attention to what they do. Say, “Hey, I noticed you take the garbage out without asking, thank you very much, it truly helps me out,” for instance. or “I see you’ve been working incredibly hard on your math exam; I’m impressed with your commitment to your education.”
Even while it may seem hard to find a positive, the little things build up, even if your adolescent appears to be able to press all of your buttons at once. I appreciate you cleaning your hands and coming to the dining table when I requested; I like having you here for supper and conversing.
2. Too Much Screen Time Causes Sleep Issues
Over the years, there have been several warnings to switch off gadgets at least an hour (two is preferable!) before bed since the light they generate throws off our circadian cycle. Unfortunately, our children experience the same thing. Additionally, the tension and worry that social media may bring about has an impact on how well our kids sleep.
Lack of sleep causes extra health problems, has a poor impact on your child’s general welfare, behavior, hunger, academic performance, and behavior. It may even lead to depression. Additionally, sleep is necessary for the developing brain to function correctly; a kid or adolescent requires 9.5 hours of sleep every night to promote growth and maturity.
How to Help Kids Sleep Better
Establishing screen time limitations, particularly before night, is the simplest thing you can do. Even while it could be difficult at first, particularly if your kid has a TV and computer in their room, adhere to the plan, and after a week or two you will start to encounter less and less opposition.
If you’ve never established screen time restrictions in your household, start by holding a family meeting to go through the new rule. Make it obvious to your children that it will occur and that it is unassailable, but also be open to their questions and worries.
A soothing activity should be substituted for screen time for good sleep hygiene. Maybe your kid spends an hour reading, painting, or playing quietly with LEGOs. When it’s time to take a bath, you may play a game, read aloud, or do any of these things.
If necessary, set a timer to turn off the Wi-Fi in your house so that even if they attempted, they couldn’t connect. Additionally, you may gather all phones and gadgets in one location and secure them with a key.
It is crucial that you serve as a role model for your kids. Don’t warn kids “no gadgets,” for instance, and then watch TV when you leave them alone. Yes, you get to set the rules as the adult, but a good leader sets an example. Additionally, after they are sleeping, you may always watch your favorite program.
3. Social Media Dependence Leads to Less Independence
Social media usage and screen time are passive activities that do not promote your child’s brain growth or development. Additionally, using social media applications and watching TV do not encourage kids to participate in critical thinking or hands-on learning.
Children under two should not have any screen time, and children over two should limit their daily screen time to an hour or two, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The typical American kid between the ages of 8 and 12 uses devices for four to six hours per day, while adolescents use them for seven to nine hours per day, according to APA study.
The development of the brain as a whole is hampered by excessive screen time, which also causes behavioral issues, learning difficulties, attention deficit disorder, and other disorders. Children learn best via hands-on activities, and they need mental stimulation and engagement.
The following recommendations from the APA for kids and screen usage are:
- Avoid screen-based media for children under 18 months, with the exception of video chatting.
- Parents should choose high-quality programs for children ages 18 to 24 months and watch it with them.
- Limit screen usage for kids aged 2 to 5 to one hour per day of high-quality content.
- Set regular restrictions on the amount of time and the sorts of media used by kids 6 and older.
How to Help Kids Be More Independent
There are various ways parents may utilize screen time as a beneficial and fruitful learning experience. Not all screen time is bad. For instance, making screen time active rather than passive may engage a child’s brain and help them develop the critical thinking abilities that passive media hinders.
- As a group, watch television. Asking questions when the TV is off will encourage thinking.
- Discuss the story, characters, conflict, and resolution after the film.
- Perform puppet performances or tales based on their favorite television programs and movies.
- Use their preferred television to pique their curiosity.
- Take them to a museum to view dinosaur skeletons if they like watching dinosaur shows.
- Enroll them in a dancing or music lesson if they like music.
- Try to find software and games that promote critical thinking and problem-solving.
- Recognize that social media usage by adolescents is acceptable and that technology will not go away. Teenagers may interact with peers and learn more about themselves via their social media profiles.
- Discuss with your kid acceptable and inappropriate internet activity, including what they should and should not watch, do, publish, and say.
- Educate your youngster or adolescent about the permanence of the internet. Their online footprint will include anything they publish.
- Join your child’s social media so you can see their postings when necessary, but refrain from using it as a spying tool.
- Install a monitoring program that won’t violate your teen’s privacy but will let you know if anything suspicious happens.
4. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) From Too Much Time Online
Fear of missing out, or FOMO, is a new kind of social anxiety that affects teenagers and young adults. The newest shoes or video game purchases, parties, athletic events, shopping excursions, vacations, sleepovers, and more appear to be shared on social media these days. Because they see social media as their only connection to the outside world, our kids feel cut off from life when they aren’t using it.
On the other hand, when we see everyone around us appearing to be having a great time, it makes us experience FOMO since our friends are enjoying something we aren’t. According to a recent survey, trips, parties, and food are the three things that millennials find most FOMO-inducing when they observe them on social media. They felt jealously, envy, and depressive symptoms when they had FOMO.
How to Help
It’s crucial to teach your youngster that real life is not as picture-perfect as it seems on social media. Ask them to think about the content they publish and share. Since many individuals want to highlight their excellent qualities while hiding their flaws, it is possible that all of their peers also had terrible experiences—they are simply not shared with the public. Ask your youngster to consider all the wonderful things in their lives. They are able to start a gratitude notebook if they are old enough.
Talk openly with your kid about their wellness and any effects that social media may have on them. Talk about how important it is to sometimes take a break. Get them outdoors and away from their devices. Teens’ emotional and physical health depend on being outside and moving around, which may reduce the harmful effects of social media.
5. Decreased Physical Activity
It should come as no surprise that more screen time is directly correlated with less physical exercise. More time is being spent online and in front of screens by kids and teenagers, and less time is being spent playing actively. Additionally, when watching TV or playing online, individuals often consume food and beverages carelessly, adding extra calories to their bodies.
An excessive amount of screen time might hinder your child’s ability to sleep, which can lead to weight gain. Diabetes, heart disease, respiratory difficulties, and depression are just a few of the health concerns that are brought on by obesity and inactivity.
How to Help Kids Get More Exercise
By being active yourself, you may motivate your youngster to do the same. You may go to the gym or an exercise class together, host a dance party, or go on walks, as examples. Enroll your kid in a season or a few lessons if they have an interest in a particular sport or hobby.
Set screen time limitations for your kids to motivate them to move more. Even if kids decide to doodle or construct LEGO structures with their free time, they are actively developing cognitive skills, which help fight sadness and other negative screen-related ideas.
Utilize screen time as a sport. Numerous dance and yoga fitness videos are accessible online, and several games promote movement and dancing. Take part in enjoyable physical activities with your kid to show them the importance of maintaining good physical health.