Life as a teen without social media isn’t easy. These families are navigating adolescence offline

By JOCELYN GECKER
AP Education Writer

WESTPORT, Conn. (AP) — The damaging consequences of social media are increasingly well documented, so some parents are trying to raise their children with restrictions or blanket bans on social media use. Teenagers themselves are aware that too much social media is bad for them, and some are initiating their own social media “cleanses” because of the toll it takes on mental health and grades. But it is hard to be a teenager today without social media. Teens who don’t use social media say they miss out on a lot of drama, but they also miss information they need for clubs and classes.