The study shows that about half (46 percent) of parents of teens are worried about their teen being exposed to explicit content online. This is a valid concern, of course. Adults know explicit content is ubiquitous online and can be damaging to see. But there are ways to mitigate the spread of explicit content, from changing the settings in their kids’ phone to preventing and monitoring such content with apps like Bark.
But just as alarming as the availability of explicit content to teens, if not more so, is that the amount of time teens spend on social media can lead to anxiety and depression. About 40 percent of parents polled were worried about teens and social media as it relates to productivity, and less than 30 percent of parents worried their child may struggle with anxiety or depression because of social media use. Almost half of parents surveyed said “they are only a little or not at all worried about social media causing anxiety or depression in their teen.”
Unfortunately, the time teens spend online consuming social media should be cause for alarm, particularly due to the adverse effect it has on their mental health.
Surveys show half of older teens confess to a near-constant presence online. According to Pew, 36 percent of 13-14 year olds use it “almost constantly.” More than 50 percent of 15-17 year olds say the same. Teens obsessively use social media; 67 percent use TikTok, 62 percent use Instagram, and 59 percent use Snapchat. About 95 percent use YouTube. Congress is moving to pass a bill that bans the legislature from even having TikTok due to its origins in China; parents might want to evaluate their teens’ interactions with the app.
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As for the volume of use, one recent study showed teens are consuming media on their smartphones for up to nine hours a day.
Excessive screen time in and of itself is damaging, for a lot of obvious reasons. Constant media consumption inhibits healthy activities associated with childhood, like spending time outside, exercising, talking to friends and family, and even doing homework. If it interferes with sleep, that’s even worse.
Ample research shows too much smartphone use produces significant anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation in teens. Teens log on to social media or spend time online trying to make connections, but end up feeling more alone and sad than ever. Faceless communication not only produces feelings of isolation and loneliness but, conversely, increases instances of cyber bullying, susceptibility to sex trafficking, and more.
Though I’ve banned most social media, I’ve still battled smartphone time with my own kids, two of whom are teenagers. If I’m honest, a lot of the time I wish I could throw my kids’ smartphones into the nearest lake. The convenience of communication—when they need a ride home from school after practice, for instance—often feels like it isn’t worth the battle to keep their screen time low and productive, and continue to encourage “real-life” activities outside and with friends and family. I understand the addiction and often tell them I’m not sure how I would have handled having a smartphone as a teen. As an adult, I too, struggle with overuse.
In a recent interview with the BBC to promote a new film about a mother and daughter navigating social media use, actress Kate Winslet expressed her views on teens and social media—and her concern mirrors the trends. “I do definitely feel that the world of social media is frightening to parents because we don’t really know what’s there,” she said. “We don’t know how our children are using it. We don’t know the effects that it’s really having on them.” Later she added, “I really do struggle with social media,” and expressed a desire for the British government to regulate it more.
I don’t think the U.S. government should regulate social media and teen smartphone use, but it is a vital topic for parents to understand and take seriously. Unfortunately, now, parents don’t just have to worry about real-world dangers, but all the ones lurking online and the effects they have on teenagers and their mental health.
Nicole Russell is a mother of four who has worked in Republican politics. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, and the Washington Examiner. She is an opinion columnist at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.