DO YOU THINK SOCIAL MEDIA IS GOOD FOR TEENS?

DO YOU THINK SOCIAL MEDIA IS GOOD FOR TEENS?

Social media is a digital platform, system, website or app that enables people to create and share content, and connect with each other. Social media plays a big role in teen culture today. Apparently ninety percent of teens ages 13-17 have used social media.

Social media have several benefits to it. Social media allows teens to create online identities, communicate with others and build social networks. These networks can provide teens with valuable support, especially helping those who experience exclusion or have disabilities or chronic illnesses. Teens also use social media for entertainment and self-expression. Social media that's humorous or distracting or provides a meaningful connection to peers and a wide social network might even help teens avoid depression.

However, social media use can also negatively affect teens, distracting them, disrupting their sleep, and exposing them to bullying, rumor spreading, unrealistic views of other people's lives and peer pressure. The risks might be related to how much social media teens use. A 2019 study of more than 6,500 12- to 15-year-olds in the U.S. found that those who spent more than three hours a day using social media might be at heightened risk for mental health problems. Another 2019 study of more than 12,000 13- to 16-year-olds in England found that using social media more than three times a day predicted poor mental health and well-being in teens.

There are steps you can take to encourage responsible use of social media and limit some of its negative effects. You can try to set reasonable limits. Encourage a bedtime routine that avoids electronic media use, and keep cellphones and tablets out of teens' bedrooms.  You can also explain what's not OK. Talk to your teen about what is appropriate and safe to share on social media. The next step is to encourage the teens to make friends in real life. This is particularly important for teens vulnerable to social anxiety disorder.

In the end, what do you get from using social media depends on how you use them. It is better to use social media wisely to avoid the negative effects of it.