A December study found that children who have their own smartphone by age 12 are more likely to experience negative health outcomes, including depression, obesity, and poor sleep habits. Social media users discussed the study, with many agreeing with the findings and sharing personal experiences related to the mental health impacts of social media use. While some advocated banning teens from social media, others argued that these health risks predate smartphones and social media, attributing them to a lack of parental limits and role modeling of healthy behaviors.
Recommendation
Online conversations about adolescents and social media present opportunities for health communicators to share information and resources related to mental health risks and safer use. Messaging may highlight evidence that social media use can be detrimental to adolescent mental health and that teens who use social media frequently are more likely to report poor or very poor mental health. Health communicators may also share parental guidance on supporting healthier social media use, such as
Fact-checking sources: HealthyChildren.org, Yale Medicine
Communication resources: Find more tools for communicating about mental health
