SOCIAL MEDIA AND ADOLESCENTS
John A. Yozwiak, Ph.D.
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Department of Pediatrics
Division of Adolescent Medicine
OVERVIEW
Nature and Trends of Social Medical Use
Possible Pitfalls of Social Media Use
Benefits of Social Media Use
Recommendations
• Parents, Adolescents, Clinicians
SOCIAL MEDIA USE
88% have or have access to a mobile phone of some kind; 73% have smartphones
92% of teens report going online daily; 24% go online “almost constantly”
Facebook (71%), Instagram (52%), Snapchat (41%), Twitter (33%), Google+ (33%)
71% use more than one social network site
Potential Pitfalls of Social Media Use
WELL-BEING
adolescents’ bad sleep quality was associated with greater mobile phone use and the number of devices in the bedroom
older adolescents who used social media passively by solely viewing content reported declines in well-being and life satisfaction
adolescents who used Instagram to follow strangers and engage in social comparison had higher depression symptoms
CYBERBULLYING
Any deliberate behavior performed through electronic or digital media by individuals or
groups that repeatedly communicates hostile or aggressive messages intended to inflict harm or
discomfort on others (Tokunaga, 2010).
FORMS OF CYBERBULLYING
flaming – online fights using electronic messages with angry and vulgar language
harassment – repeatedly sending nasty, mean, and insulting messages
denigration – sending or posting gossip or rumors about a person to damage his/her reputation or friendships
trickery/outing – talking someone into revealing secrets or embarrassing information, then sharing it online
FORMS OF CYBERBULLYING
exclusion – intentionally and cruelly excluding someone from an online group
cyberstalking – repeated, intense harassment and denigration that includes threats or creates significant fear
impersonation – pretending to be someone else and sending or posting material to get that person in trouble or danger, or to damage that person’s reputation or friendships
CYBERBULLYING
cyberbullying is pervasive; can reach a wide audience
cyberbullying is an opportunistic offense
may be less opportunity for bystander intervention
there are no groups who regulate cyberbullying
cyberbullies may be anonymous
cyberbullies cannot see their victims’ emotional reactions
CYBERBULLYING
Middle school• 16% reported being a victim in the past year• 62% of these students were victimized at least once or twice in
the past 30 days
High School• CDC: 16.2% of high school students were victims in the previous
12 months
College• in a survey of over 1,000 students at one U.S. and two Canadian
universities 8.6% reported experiencing Internet harassment
CYBERBULLYING AND TRADITIONAL BULLYING
about one-third experience traditional bullying and cyberbullying
victims of traditional bullying in the previous six months are more than 2.5 times as likely to be victims of cyberbullying
there are moderately high associations between cyberbullying and traditional bullying (r = .35 for males; r = .37 for females)
CYBERBULLYING AND TRADITIONAL BULLYING
The results of recent research may shed more light on the association:
• electronic victimization only is rare, and face-to-face encounters remain a common context for victimization
• electronic victimization led to an increase in depression only when combined with traditional victimization
EFFECTS OF CYBERBULLYING
victims are at higher risk of both suicidal ideation and suicide attempts
academic problems, absences, truancy
skipping school, weapon carrying, detentions, expulsions; other deviant behaviors (e.g., alcohol use, police contact)
depression, social anxiety, low self-esteem
headaches, recurrent abdominal pain, sleep difficulties
perpetrators are not immune to problems
PROBLEMATIC INTERNET USE
disrupted family relationships
poor academic functioning
neglect of daily activities
internalizing and externalizing disorders
prevalence: between 1.5% and 8.2% (based on surveys in the United States and Europe)
INTERNET ADDICTION CONTROVERSY
Arguments in favor of a diagnosis of Internet Addiction:
• individuals with this problem may be more motivated to seek help
• more attention would be drawn to the groups at risk, as well as prevention, intervention, and research efforts
• possible similarities with substance dependence
INTERNET ADDICTION CONTROVERSY
Arguments against a diagnosis of Internet Addiction:
• the Internet is used for the realization of existing addictive tendencies
• problematic use is a manifestation of other psychological difficulties
• “addiction” refers to a physiological dependence
• the Internet is a part of modern life
Potential Benefits of Social Media Use
PEER AFFILIATION
adolescents with strong offline social skills appear to have more online connections and contacts
some who have more limited social success offline appear to derive more enhanced relationship satisfaction online
adolescents who post more negative messages open themselves up to negative feedback from others
IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT
allows adolescents to express themselves in broader ways and to receive feedback from others
adolescents have the chance to join groups that reflect different aspects of their identity
social media sites might provide a context for adolescents to interact with peers who are different
support groups can be important resources to share experiences and make meaning out of their suffering and challenges
HEALTHCARE DELIVERY
complement or streamline care provided at routine office visits
direct patients to social medial platforms with information on preventative topics and topics that may be covered at an upcoming visit
follow patients between office visits to increase compliance with recommendations
HEALTH EDUCATION
peer-to-peer healthcare for patients with common diseases or interests
explore stigmatized topics anonymously
online support groups and forums
beware of misinformation, delays in seeking out traditional resources, sites that promote unhealthy behaviors
CHALLENGES OF USING SOCIAL MEDIA IN HEALTHCARE
provider reimbursement for healthcare delivery through social media
integration of social media generated content into healthcare records
privacy and confidentiality
inaccurate or misinterpreted information on social media sites
transient popularity of social media sites affects sustainability of educational efforts
RECOMMENDATIONSPARENTS
know what social media sites are visited
place limits on hours per day of social media as well as types of social media; consequences for inappropriate use
discuss appropriate use, online citizenship and safety, being wary of online solicitation, avoiding communications that can compromise privacy and safety
develop a network of trusted adults
RECOMMENDATIONSPARENTS
promote obtaining one hour of physical activity and 8-12 hours of sleep (depending on age)/day
disallow sleeping with devices in bedrooms
designate media-free times (e.g., family dinner) and media-free locations (e.g., bedrooms)
avoid exposure to devices or screens for one hour before bedtime
discourage entertainment media during homework
RECOMMENDATIONSPARENTS
promote activities that are likely to facilitate development and health
communicate guidelines to other caregivers (babysitters, other relatives)
discuss with children early and often their friendships and relationships to develop and maintain communication about these issues
model appropriate use
RECOMMENDATIONSADOLESCENTS
ignore encounters if the events are minor teasing
responding in anger may provide the bully with a “win” and encourage more bullying
keep a log of the bullying instances
think before you click; Take 5
technological coping strategies
focus on moderation, controlled and balanced use
RECOMMENDATIONSHEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
be informed about the technologies used
assess social media habits during the clinical interview
educate on appropriate use of social media, potential consequences of high-risk use
for patients with SH or ED – assess whether pro-SH and pro-ED sites are visited
educate parents about online risks, and encourage them to monitor their adolescent
TOOLS
Family Media Use Plan
Media Time Calculator
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
research is needed to explore the effect of contextual factors
the impact of social media sites’ encroachment on adolescents’ alone time
longitudinal data to explore the direction of causality between cyberbullying and mental health and academic functioning
identify youth at risk
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