Social addiction: Area experts say constant scrolling can lead to mental health woes in teens
MetroCreative
Experts say that spending too much time on social media can be detrimental to teens’ mental health.
MetroCreative
Pennsylvania is among the 42 states suing Meta, alleging social media apps like Facebook and Instagram include features that are addictive to younger users.
The impact of social media apps such as Facebook and Instagram on children and teens is getting more attention following a multi-state lawsuit against Meta that alleges the company intentionally designed its products with addictive features that negatively impact young users.
Emily Walentosky, a school psychologist at California Area School District, said social media is a big part of many kids and teens’ lives, but spending too much time online is harmful.
Constant scrolling has contributed to a number of problems, including anxiety, depression, loneliness and an unhealthy focus on body flaws, according to Walentosky.
“It’s pretty clear that social media has negatively impacted the mental health of our very vulnerable population of children and adolescents, causing symptoms of depression, symptoms of anxiety that can have a lasting impact down the road,” she said.
Pennsylvania has joined dozens of other states suing Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, accusing the company of fueling a youth mental health crisis with addicting features on the platforms, and not doing anything to fix it.
The lawsuit also claims the company routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, and says Meta’s profits come at the expense of the children and teens it has exploited and manipulated.
The company’s 2022 revenues reportedly were $116.6 billion.
“The time has come for social media giants to stop trading in our children’s mental health for big profits,” said Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry. “According to the lawsuit, Meta not only targets young minds with addictive, harmful, trap-door content – it also lies to the public and parents about how their platforms are safe. Creators have built multi-billion dollar empires by promoting a click-bait culture that is psychologically hurting kids.”
Dr. Gary Swanson, a child and adolescent psychologist at Allegheny Health Network, said while social media has some benefits, “the problem is, you can’t throw the whole thing out, but I don’t know how you get rid of the bad stuff and keep the good stuff.”
A recent Gallup survey found teens spend an average of 4.8 hours on social media per day, with 17-year-olds logging nearly 6 hours a day on platforms.
Swanson said adolescence and childhood represent a critical stage in brain development that can make young people more vulnerable to harms from social media.
“The sum total is, a lot of times social media is negative and a lot more harmful than it is positive,” said Swanson. “We’ve seen over the last 10 or 15 years with iPhones and social media that we’re seeing more mental health issues with teens, more depression and anxiety. Kids’ brains are still developing and they’re more vulnerable, and are especially influenced by what they’re viewing on social media and can feel badly about themselves.”
Swanson said he’s not sure what impact the lawsuit can have on the use of social media.
“I don’t have a good solution because it’s going to be hard to put this genie back in the bottle,” said Swanson.
The lawsuit also comes as the U.S. surgeon general issued a social media health advisory in May about the potential effects online platforms have on kids and teens.
The surgeon general issued a call for urgent action by policymakers, technology companies, researchers, families, and young people to gain a better understanding of the impact of social media use, maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of social media platforms, and create safer, healthier online environments to protect children.
One recent survey showed nearly 60% of teens said social media made them feel sad or poorly about themselves.
“They see pictures on Instagram of celebrities and they don’t realize those pictures are filtered and doctored, and when their body doesn’t look like that, they think something is wrong with them,” said Walentosky. “Facebook and Instagram have these algorithms that when children and teens interact with certain posts, they get targeted ads from certain supplements or drinks aimed at influencing them. It’s advertising at its extreme.”
Walentosky and Swanson recommend parents to be aware of and have access to their children’s social media accounts.
Said Walentosky, “I’d say to definitely keep a close eye on your children’s social interaction on social media. Don’t be afraid to look into what they’re looking at and who they’re interacting with.”