
SOCIAL MEDIA
Engagement with social media has become a reality of modern Adolescence. Understanding the rewards, risks and things you can do to keep your teen social-media-safe may have impactful outcomes for your teen’s mental health.
Rewards:
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When used Mindfully, social media offers a space for creativity, generativity, artistry, community, diversity and support for marginalized or neuro-diverse adolescents
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Social media is a great space for teens to connect with each other and the world:
Risks:
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According to the United States Surgeon General, certain social media engagement may have potentially harmful effects on children and adolescent wellbeing.
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More than 2000 families in the United States claim that social media algorithms put their children in danger and are suing major social media companies
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Other research suggests that social media use is associated with high levels of Anxiety and Depression amongst adolescents. Furthermore, increased social media use is correlated with a decrease in self-esteem.
Learning how to engage with social media in an optimal way may be imperative to curtailing these negative mental health outcomes!
How to Stay Safe:
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When engaged optimally, teens can maximize the rewards of social media while mitigating or eliminating the risks! Here are some tips for safe social media use:
Social media can be used constructively if active efforts are made to engage with it safely. “Like” is a one-hour film documentary examining the impacts of social media on adolescent mental health. Access the Film Here
