Safe Use of Social Media to Mitigate Its Negative Impact on Adolescents’ Mental Health
- MedReport Foundation
- 7 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Overview
Social media has a powerful influence on an adolescent's mental health but there are safe ways to use it to mitigate its negative impact on adolescents' mental health. This could be because of a number of reasons not limited to the long hours spent by adolescents on various social media sites consuming different content to the point of disrupting sleep and offline activities.
Accountably, different adolescents are impacted by social media use based on their uniqueness. According to research, social media has the capacity to positively or negatively impact adolescents affecting their developing brains. Adolescents aged 10 to 18 years old go through a
critical phase of brain development. At this phase, they enjoy taking risks even to the detriment of their health with mental health issues like depression springing up.
Following, in the early stage of an adolescent's life, when they start forming their own identities, the brain development is exposed to peer pressures/opinions/comparison. Long hours spent on social media clearly change the brain regions responsible for emotional learning and regulation which heightens susceptibility to social validation and castigation. Likewise, adolescents pick up the social media interactive nature.
Positive Impact of Social Media
Various social media sites have the capacity to help adolescents socialise, learn, catch up, and improve their mental health too. (1)
It can positively influence adolescents’ mental health in the following ways: ● Catch up with family and friends all around the world
● Make new friends and join groups with people of similar interest
● Seek for counsel anonymously and help the introverted ones open up about their personal problem
● Hone their communication skills while interacting with others online concerning what's on their mind.
● Discover their unique personalities and world view
Negative Impact of Social Media on Adolescents Mental Health
According to US survey, adolescents suicide and depression rate showed a stark increase in the past 5 years, especially among girls. (2) Findings from the science community suggest that the continuous use of social media in the past years can be attributed to those changes. Adolescents surveyed who spent hours on social media platforms reported more cases of mental health issues.
Compared to those who spent limited hours and more offline activities like exercise, print media, and social interaction, were at a lower rate of reporting mental health cases.
For example, 14- 17 years old with over 7 hours of social media were more than likely to have been diagnosed with depression or behavioral conditions in the recent year. (3) Compared to adolescents who spent only an hour a day on social media. The scientific explanation to this is that constant use of social media disorganizes the nervous system. Leading to anxiety, depression, and ADHD for adolescents.
On the other hand, some research points to the fact that more depressed adolescents depend on social media as a means of escape from their distress. (3)
Safe Use of Social Media to Improve Mental Health
In a 21st century world whereby social media has become a huge part of our daily lives it may not be ruled out even from adolescents. Whilst online interactions cannot beat face-to-face connection social media has its positives in the life of the adolescent.
6 measures adolescents can employ to use social media safely consist the following:
1. Purposeful Use of Social Media.
You need to have a reason to log on any social media sites. From sharing a post, listening to a Ted talk to messaging your contact ensures you are not just scrolling non-stop taking in every bit of anything you come across on your social media feed.
2. Actively Engaging.
Whichever social media site you choose to use, don't be a passive user but equally contribute your content by messaging a friend, or commenting on others posts. Research shows that when adolescents passively view other people’s post on social media it is linked to dissatisfaction and loneliness. (4)
3. Choose The Right Content.
You have the liberty to choose whose content to consume or unfollow. The right content for you are those which inspires, educates, and interests you. So audit your audience and know who you allow in your social media space.
4. Social Media is an Illusion.
Know that not everything you see on social media is not the complete truth. Hence the need to stop comparing yourself to others because you don't know what is going on behind the curtains. Comparison weighs you down and only leads to depression.
5. Fact-check Everything.
Fact-check the source of information before allowing them to rub you of your peace of mind or even sharing it to your contact because social media is one avenue bad people use to spread lies, misinformation and negativity.
6. Be Discrete Online.
When someone gets scammed online it can be such a devastating experience. Likewise, it is important to guard yourself with the following measures when online:
● The use of strong password to protect your social media account and update it often ● Apply privacy settings to choose who sees your posts or follows you ● Avoid sharing personal details with strangers like your home address, school location, or even current location, etc
● Avoid clicking on random links
Conclusion
Applying safety measures keeps the adolescent thriving mentally rather than sinking online. The safe use of social media, being an active user, choosing the right content, fact-checking
everything, and applying discretion are practical measures for adolescents to achieve safety and mental wellness.
Reference
1. Bristol CBT Clinic - Helping children and teenagers with anxiety and low mood make positive and lasting changes. Bristol CBT Clinic. Accessed April 20, 2026. https://bristolcbtclinic.co.uk/
2. Staff NA. The effect of social media on teenagers. Newport Academy. April 17, 2025. Accessed April 20, 2026.
3. Twenge JM, Campbell WK. Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Prev Med Rep. 2018;12:271-283. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003
4. Cheng W, Nguyen DN, Nguyen PNT. The association between passive social network usage and depression/negative emotions with envy as a mediator. Sci Rep. 2023;13:10097. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-37185-y
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