Today’s teens are more isolated and marginalized than ever before, even though they may seem “connected” through the internet and social media. Why then are teens experiencing such high rates of depression? Why are mood disorders becoming so commonly seen in the high school and college-age populations? How do we raise our children to be positive in such a negative world? Can we teach teens the skills and mindset to be happy?
For more than two decades, I have worked with teens whose lives became intertwined with virtual reality games and chat rooms, including the predecessors of the current forms of social media. Today, when I speak to school psychologists about the number one issue they encounter with distressed teens, it usually relates to social media. The significant issues school psychologists report about the source of referrals on campus involve bullying and exclusion stemming from social media. Why has social media become such a problem for teens? First, realize that the average adolescent spends at least 20 to 24 hours per week on their cell phones. This translates into one day per week lost to cell phone activity. A recent study by the Pew Research Center (“How Parents and Teens Navigate Screen Time and Device Distractions’ 2018) found that 54% of teens say they spend too much time on their cellphones, yet two-thirds of parents express concern over their teens screen times. At the same time, parents must confront their own issues of device-related dependency and distraction.
The Impact on Development:
Two thousand years ago, Romans gathered in the great Colosseum to witness drama, athletics, judgement, punishment, and all kinds of public spectacles. Today, our kids hold the “Roman Colosseum” in the palm of their hands with their cell phones. In a “Snap”, “Tweet”, or text, their lives can be altered by something posted. Add to this matrix of stress, the content of material our teens may be viewing – visual and written content that is often negative and cynical. No wonder there are popular apps for editing and photo-shopping images into a preferred self image. So many teens experience anxiety and feel pressure to “fit in”, “not miss out”, or to live up to the images they see on social media.