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Young minds on screens
Staying connected on social media helps and hinders young people
Published on October 9, 2023How can today's youth best navigate the mental health challenges posed by screens and social media?
Is social media helping young people find each other, or encouraging them to compare themselves to each other? : Michael Joiner, 360info CC BY 4.0
How can today’s youth best navigate the mental health challenges posed by screens and social media?
World Mental Health Day is 10 October. With an entire generation coming of age in a world where interacting digitally is the default option, the time is right to ask how social media impacts the mental health of young adults.
The research is split on social media’s effects.
On one hand, teenagers report a range of benefits from social media use, including providing opportunities for personal expression and social support, especially among racial, ethnic and sexual minorities. Social media is also a gateway to promote mental health literacy among young people.
On the flip side, its use can also be linked with low self-worth, fear of missing out, body image issues, depression and anxiety. Excessive social media use is strongly linked to addictive behaviours and can also perpetuate eco-anxiety.
What should caregivers, educators and young people themselves keep in mind while navigating the labyrinths of social media? How can young people use it best?
With a focus on the Indo-Pacific region, which has some of the highest numbers of social media users in the world, 360info’s special report on Young minds on screen untangles the benefits, risks and challenges in making social media better for young people and their mental well-being.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, visit https://findahelpline.com/i/iasp.
Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™.
Editors Note: In the story “Young minds on screens” sent at: 05/10/2023 07:10.
This is a corrected repeat.
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