According to the Pew Research Center, 69% of parents with children aged 13 to 17 say growing up is harder today than it was in 2004. And 44% of people aged 13 to 17 say the same. What they don’t completely agree on is why it’s more challenging to deal with adolescence now than it was before. Parents blame social media. But kids blame more pressure and expectations.
Social media has the biggest impact on adolescence. In his best-selling book “The Anxious Generation,” NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt says smartphones and social media have harmed the mental health of teens. Haidt focuses on people born after 1995 in his book. Zac Rausch, Haidt’s lead researcher and associate research scientist at the NYU-Stern School of Business, told CNBC Make It that having a phone during adolescence can be especially harmful.
Young age groups have a huge influence on social media
The biggest impact of social media is during puberty, particularly during early puberty, the period between 9 and 15 years of age. One reason is that online interactions often do not lead to face-to-face contact, which is essential for increasing and maintaining happiness. “We used to use flip phones to connect with each other so that we could eventually meet face-to-face. The online world is the exact opposite. We connect to stay there. We argue that this is not enough,” says Rausch. Haidt also says that widespread use of social media may change the chemistry of young people’s brains.
Nowadays children have to face these problems
‘Haidt told The Atlantic “Children going through puberty online are more likely than teens of previous generations to experience social comparison, self-consciousness, public embarrassment, and chronic anxiety, which can potentially put the developing brain into a habitual state of defensiveness,” she wrote for .
In his 2023 report on our epidemic of loneliness and isolation, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy also warned about the dangers of social media.
Several examples of harm include technology that displaces personal connection, monopolizes our attention, reduces the quality of our interactions and even lowers our self-esteem. This can lead to greater loneliness, fear of missing out, conflict and decreased social engagement. According to the Pew Research Center, parents agree with this assessment, with 41% saying social media makes it harder to keep teens, and 26% saying technology in general is the reason.
Disclaimer: Some of the information given in the news is based on media reports. Before implementing any suggestion, please consult the concerned expert.
Check out below Health Tools-
Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI)
