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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