Are The Kids Alright?

If you have grandchildren or teenagers and have been paying attention, you’ve likely noticed the growing concern about social media and its potential negative impact on teens’ mental well-being. This is not a passing trend but a pressing issue that demands our attention. Perhaps you’ve heard of Johnathan Haidt, a social psychologist and author whose studies primarily revolve around morality. Recently, he has turned his attention to the alarming issue of teens’ addiction to social media and the potential harm it can cause to their mental health.

In his book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness (2024), Haidt, a respected authority in the field of moral psychology, espouses the ill effects of social media in the last decade and how it is shaping the minds of our children. While not backed by empirical evidence, his thoughts and writings have motivated many people to support social media regulation.

Anxiety Induced Platforms

While Haidt has discussed issues of anxiety and depression among young people, and the cause of this, he believes, is the constant comparison and validation-seeking behavior encouraged by social media platforms and, to a broader extent, the addiction to social media that distracts from face-to-face interactions, hobbies, and healthy development. It is unclear if he is a proponent of social media regulation; however, his ideas have spurred an interest among parents and politicians.

Even though Haidt does not apply the scientific method to answer his hypothesis on teen discontent and the adverse effects caused by social media, he has hit a nerve resonating in the minds of parents, teachers, and politicians that something must be done.

Does Social Media Lead to Mental Illness?

If you search the web about the dangers of social media, you will find that there are many more articles in favor of saying that social media harms teens’ mental health than it benefits their self-esteem.  According to Candice L. Odgers, Director of Research and Faculty Development, School of Social Ecology at the University of Virginia, stated, “Johnathan Haidt is telling a scary story about children’s development that many parents are primed to believe.” Odgers says Haidt’s belief that digital technologies are rewiring our children’s brains is not backed by science.

The trouble with all this? Despite these dire warnings, study after study has failed to uncover robust evidence that social media harms adolescents’ mental health. The Surgeon General acknowledged the lack of evidence in the 2023 advisory, stating that “robust independent safety analyses on the impact of social media on youth have not yet been conducted”—but that isn’t what policymakers, teachers, and parents are hearing. Instead, they hear that social media is the cause of the youth mental health crisis and that we should be scared when young people use it. [cm_simple_footnote id=3]

What is the Answer?

There is no answer to satisfy parents, educators, and politicians inclusively. Many teachers want cell phones banned from the classrooms. However, the unique juxtaposition is the very thing they want to be prohibited helps kids find solutions to bullying and harassment by accessing mental health information crucial to their development.
Very real concerns exist about kids’ mental health, and they are not being monitored. People often look to government and education to make policy and solve problems. It would be great if it were so easy. Perhaps the most beneficial way is for parents to get more involved in their teens’ use of social media—not by banning their use, but simply by being educated about what platforms their kids are using, who they are talking to, and what they are using it for. Most parents/caregivers don’t understand what they are doing and why they are on them continually. Having simple conversations and looking over their shoulder to see what they are doing will go a long way, not like a creepy stalker, but as a genuinely interested parent who wants to learn.

There is a great website with lots of information on how to keep your kids/grandkids safe.  It also provides tips and learning for parents/caregivers on all things tech. ConnectSafely was founded in 2005 by technology journalist Larry Magid, founder of SafeKids.com, and Anne Collier of NetFamilyNews.