The Impact of Social Media on Teenage Behavior and Development

For the past decade, as social media has begun to target kids younger and younger, it has had both positive and negative influences.

On the positive side, the ability to connect so easily, to have access to information at your fingertips, to feel a part of large communities, these are all things that create a happier and healthier sense of self.

Let's take a few minutes to examine the impact of social media on teenage behavior.

The challenge of the influence of social media in the healthy development of the psyche has become a focal point in therapy. No longer are kids and adolescents struggling with the normal "kid/teenage" angst, it's complicated by how insidious phone apps have become, and the challenges of the expectation of the constancy of connection.

Leading the pack with challenges for families of adolescents is Snapchat. Snapchat has become the major avenue of communication for teenagers. Although there are many issues for social and emotional development with this platform, the two that are creating the hardest challenges are, first, that it has the ability to erase messages instantly which prevents transparency and the ability to discuss communications that are inappropriate. And secondly, it has the capability for kids to track their friends in real time to see where anyone is, and who they are with, providing both a feeling of constant exclusion, and creating no sense of privacy. The increase in feelings of loneliness and overwhelm at being left out are topics that are constantly being discussed in any given counseling session with this age group.

How do we help our children navigate these challenging experiences? How do we teach them the importance of transparency? How do we help them appreciate that it's impossible to be a part of everything all the time?

As parents, it is important to keep conversation going about healthy phone use and what should and should not be discussed over texts. Kids need to learn that, if there is a problem, face to face communication is the safest way to resolve emotional issues. As a parent, it is good parenting practice to write up a contract with your kids about app usage and be clear about transparency and the right you, as parents, have to check the phone at any time.

Creating a safe space at home to help your kids navigate inappropriate conversations will only help them learn how better to use any social media app more safely. If you read something inappropriate on your child's phone, coming to them from a curious stand point with questions such as "how were you hoping that would have been received?" "How do you see the outcome of this conversation?" creates opportunities to teach healthy texting communication.

Brain development of adolescents is all about the here and now, so role playing conversations that may be common amongst teens and talking about ways such conversations might effect experiences and relationships long term are important. Helping your kids find activities and hobbies that help create diversions when they are overwhelmed with social media information or sad about feeling left out are also important pieces of creating healthy space for young kids and teens. If they have something they feel proud of, social media becomes secondary.

As a whole, social media can have a positive space in your child's environment. It isn't the job of the apps to teach kids how best to use them, it's our job as kids support systems to help guide them through how communication and connection is shifting, and how to use them best to have a positive influence in their lives.