Mental Health Monday: How unlimited social media use impacts teens

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Social media and children is a constant concern for parents. Statistics show more children are hurting themselves because of situations involving social media, leaving many parents looking for answers.

Congress grilling CEO's of major tech companies last week is a story that continues to top headlines after Mark Zuckerburg, Meta's CEO, made a shocking apology. "No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered," he said, "And this is why we invested so much and are going to continue doing industry leading efforts to make sure that no one has to go through the types of things your families have had to suffer."

But some, not entirely buying it. Licensed Clinical Social Worker Stefanie Westover says, "They're making some effort in that direction, but it doesn't look sincere and it's certainly not adequate."

Research from the US Surgeon General's Advisory has shown social media can have both positive and negative effects. Teens saying they feel more connected to others and can maintain friendships, but in return, can leave them feeling bad about themselves and 'doom scrolling' – spending hours on their devices.

These behaviors can be damaging to mental health. Westover says, "So many of these teens can now tell me... 'I want to stop. I know this is harming me... I don't know how to stop.' And that breaks my heart when they are beginning and the research shows they're beginning to show the signs of addiction, that their brains are adapting to wanting more and more input. Many of them tell me full length movies are too long, their attention spans are decreased. There is a correlation between high media use and having ADHD."

When weighing the different impacts it can make for children, researchers say the harm of unlimited social media often outweighs the benefits. "Overall, there is significant evidence that we're really harming children by giving them a limited access to social media," Westover says.

So whose responsibility is it when it comes to protecting and limiting kids online... Parents or these big CEO's? The potential answer: both. "We need a village approach," Westover says, "We need to come together as an international community to say our children are hurting and we need to stop the hurt."