Contents
- 1 How is social media bad for kids mental health?
- 2 Why social media is not good for mental health?
- 3 How social media is destroying mental health?
- 4 Why social media is bad for kids?
- 5 How does social media affect behavior positively?
- 6 How social media affects your brain?
- 7 How social media affects mental health pros and cons?
- 8 How social media is destroying your life?
- 9 Why social media is destroying your life?
- 10 Is social media dependence a mental health issue?
- 11 What are 3 risks of social media?
- 12 What is the most kid friendly social media?
- 13 Is social media good for kids or bad?
The time our kids spend online has a direct effect on their mental health. Too much time on social media can lead to bullying, depression, and anxiety. Spending more than four hours a day online significantly increases a child’s risk of becoming hyperactive and inattentive, and decreases feelings of self-worth.
However, multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. Social media may promote negative experiences such as: Inadequacy about your life or appearance.
When people use social media, dopamine is released from the reward center in people’s brains. This makes social media platforms addictive, which leads to serious depressive disorders such as anxiety and depression. “There are definitely more negative impacts than positive impacts.
They’re changing childhood. They increase anxiety and depression. They interfere with sleep. They can expose kids to sexual content.
The good impact of social media: It allows people to explore and become actively involved without the fear of rejection. While no one advocates spending hours after hours gaming, social media games can build social connections, improve a person’s self-efficacy, boost their cognitive flexibility and self-control.
Social media has the ability to both capture and scatter your attention. Not only does this lead to poorer cognitive performance, but it shrinks parts of the brain associated with maintaining attention.
Impacts of Social Media on Mental Health
- Pro – Increases communication and raising awareness.
- Con – Promotion of fake news.
- Pro – Can help combat feelings of loneliness and isolation.
- Con – Can also increase feelings of loneliness.
- Pro – Normalises help seeking behaviour.
- Con – Can promote anti-social behaviour.
There’s bad news for those self-proclaimed social media “addicts”: multiple studies from the last year show that too much time spent on your favorite platforms can make you depressed and less satisfied with life. It starts early, too; even young teens report negative effects from social media obsession.
In How Social Media is Ruining Your Life, Katherine explodes our social-media-addled ideas about body image, money, relationships, motherhood, careers, politics and more, and gives readers the tools they need to control their own online lives, rather than being controlled by them.
“I’ve encountered many young children as well as teenagers and adults who have become obsessed with social media, using it as a tool to guide their self-esteem and self-worth.” However, Sophy explains that these are ” false measures, and when reality sets in, anxiety, depression and other psychiatric issues begin to
The risks you need to be aware of are:
- cyberbullying (bullying using digital technology)
- invasion of privacy.
- identity theft.
- your child seeing offensive images and messages.
- the presence of strangers who may be there to ‘groom’ other members.
The best social networks for younger children
- Kidzworld. Kidzworld is one of the most comprehensive social media platforms out there, offering everything from free online arcade-style games and safe chat rooms to the latest movie and TV reviews.
- GromSocial.
- PopJam.
- Messenger Kids.
Psychologists have long observed bad effects of social media on the mental health of children. One finding suggests that children spending more than three hours a day on social media are twice as likely to suffer from poor mental health. Their immersion in a virtual world delays their emotional and social development.