Instagram and Other Social Apps Can Affect Your Teen’s Mental Health
Social media is a great attraction for people, especially kids and teens. They demand cell phones only to use social media apps. According to a recent study by Common Sense Media, teens spend about nine hours every day on social media.
If you deeply think about this study, you will realize that they are spending most of their time in front of their screens, using social media apps, especially Instagram and Facebook. They are using these apps to interact with their friends and the rest of the world. Now, spending this amount of time on social media can be alarming for their mental health.
While we cannot ignorethe several benefits we can derive from the use of social media, the need for staying online all the time and competing for attention can take a toll on your teen’s mental health. It is true that parents are bringing the parental control app into use to track their kids on social media.
How Bad Can Instagram and Social Media Be for Kids?
There are two aspects to everything. Just like any other platform, even Instagram and other social media apps have their own advantages and disadvantages. Kids and teens can make new friends through social media, they can increase their knowledge about several topics, they can also exchange lots of information, and stay up-to-date with the latest internet trends.
However, if we look at the downside of social media, we realize that its disadvantages may overweigh its advantages especially when it is about kids and teens using them. The Royal Society for Public Health in the UK surveyed around 1500 teens as well as young adults about their social media habits.
In the survey, it was found that Instagram, coupled with other social media apps were associated with increased levels of depression, anxiety, bullying as well as fear of missing out (FOMO). These social media platforms can also cause teens to have a negative body image and poor sleeping habits. On the other hand, spending too much time in front of screens can also make your kids develop poor eyesight and poor posture. They may also lose concentration in their studies and other physical activities.
Many health experts and consultants have suggested that the more time teens spend on social media, the more likely they are to develop signs of anxiety and depression. When kids are using social media, they feel they are obligated to check, browse, and respond to likes, comments, and requests on multiple social media apps. This job becomes just too much for them and starts taking a toll on their mental health.
Harmful Aspects of Instagram for Teens
Let’s talk about the harmful aspects of Instagram and other social media apps for teens. One of the most harmful aspects of Instagram is that the comparison teens make with others on the platform. It is pretty easy for teens to start comparing themselves to others.
Just with one swipe on their screen, they can see photos and videos of their friends and followers on the app and become fascinated by them. However, they don’t realize that what they see on social media, especially in those photos and videos is not always the true depiction of real life.
Mental health experts say that drawing physical comparison to other Instagram influencers and models is a big issue with social media. It’s easier to get drawn to filtered and heavily photoshopped photos on social media without realizing they are not the true reflection of someone’s personality.
When teens start drawing comparison to fake and unrealistic models and idols on social media, they can end up having low self-esteem, poor body image, fear of missing, and low self-doubt. Teens feel the pressure to create and upload content that matches up with their social media peers and idols. In an attempt to perfect their selfies, they spend a lot of time on social media to live up to the unrealistic expectations created on these platforms.
How to Not Get Influenced by Social Media?
It’s better to put aside the idea of having your teens give up social media entirely. They won’t quit using Instagram and other social media apps. However, you can teach your teens to adopt healthier ways to use social media.
Parents can always install parental control apps on their devices to control and monitor their social media usage. Besides using parental control solutions, they should make it a priority to teach their teens to protect themselves from harmful online threats lurking on social media apps.
Teens should always be aware of the harmful effects of social media. They should constantly question themselves whenever they experience something good or bad on the internet so they can make a better judgment.
In case your teen is fed up with using social media too much, they can cut down the time by using it only once a week. For instance, they can make rules such as Facebook Friday, Snapchat Saturday, or Twitter Tuesday. They can also limit the use of social media by setting time limits for each social media app. For example, they can limit usage on each social media app to 15 minutes per day.
You can also teach your kids to use social media in a positive way rather than focusing on its downside only. They can use platforms like Instagram and Facebook to get involved with the organizations they support.
Parents can make their teens follow all the above-mentioned tips to stay away from the negative and harmful effects of social media. If you feel your kid is experiencing feelings of anxiety and depression, be sure to make them talk to your doctor today.
