Edward-Elmhurst Health: Finding balance with social media and teens

First it was a challenge to remove items from the school bathroom. Then a TikTok challenge urged students to slap a teacher. Next, students were encouraged to bring a weapon to school, prompting some schools across the country to shut down for a day and forcing others to increase security measures.

While social media sites like TikTok, Snapchat or Facebook helped fill the need for social connection during the pandemic, there has been a negative side. As more teenagers have turned to social media, they've became more emboldened in their comments or actions.

The TikTok challenges are a good example. In one, students were challenged to remove items from their school bathrooms. In the days that followed, schools reported an increase in vandalism at their schools, particularly in the bathrooms. Some schools had to limit access to school restrooms in an attempt to avoid vandalism.

School administrators found themselves dealing with an increase in fights among students as well as the videos of those fights that inevitably appeared on social media feeds moments after the fight.

Life as a teenager is difficult enough under normal circumstances. Add the challenges since the pandemic began and it’s easy to understand there is more anxiety among students. Growing research suggests the prolonged use of social media can increase feelings of anxiety and inadequacy, especially in young people.

To find balance, first look at the core reason teens are using social media. Some may crave the approval of their peers. Others may be seeking fame and hope to be the next social media sensation. Some may just be looking to connect with friends.

Parents can help teens examine the motivators behind their actions and encourage them to find some balance in their social media use and how they interact with others.

Rather than looking to the latest TikTok challenge to gain likes or views, talk to teens about what they value and if that challenge moves them toward their values or away from them. Steering a child toward activities that support the values that are important to them can help improve their self-worth.

Helping teens find safe ways to increase their interactions with others, rather than through a social media app, can also be helpful in moving them away from the negative influence of social media and find balance in their life.

Learn more at EEHealth.org/services/behavioral-health. Listen to this Health 360 with Dr. G podcast episode, “Social media and kids: what’s healthy, what’s harmful?” at EEHealth.org/podcast.