In an article published in a magazine nature review psychologyGerman and British researchers described the mechanisms by which social media influences behavioral, cognitive, and neurobiological changes in adolescents, which in turn increases mental health vulnerability.
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Adolescence is accompanied by many behavioral, cognitive, and neurobiological changes that help children break away from family dependence and establish themselves as independent individuals in society.
These developmental changes can increase adolescents’ vulnerability to a variety of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and mood disorders.
Social media use among adolescents has increased rapidly in recent years.Recent estimates suggest that 95% of UK girlfriends aged 15 socializing media, meanwhile 50% of 13-17 years old in of we report There is in fact always online.
There is growing evidence that social media can potentially influence developmental changes in adolescents, placing them more susceptible to developing a range of mental health disorders.
Behavioral mechanisms linking social media use and adolescent mental health.
The authors focused on two behavioral mechanisms that may influence the impact of social media on adolescents’ mental health.
Dangerous posting behavior
Adolescents often engage in riskier behaviors than adults due to their desire to feel out of control and lack of self-regulation. Risk-taking behaviors in adolescents are known to increase the risk of developing mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.
Extreme social media posts, such as posts related to alcohol consumption, receive more likes from viewers and, as a result, become more dangerous for users who expect more likes from viewers. Drive posting behavior.
Studies examining the relationship between risky online and offline behaviors have found a positive association between adolescents’ social media use and their participation in behaviors that may put them at risk of harm or injury. It has been revealed.
Adolescents most often underestimate the risks of posting revealing information on social media. Such posts can be screenshotted and widely shared to various audiences, potentially increasing the risk of cyberbullying, online harassment, and victimization.
self-expression and identity
Adolescence is characterized by an increase in self-expression activities on social media. Adolescents frequently disclose, hide, and modify their true selves on social media to convey a desired impression to viewers.
People receive more direct and public feedback on their self-presentation on social media than in offline environments, providing more opportunities to form their identities. Existing research has found a link between increased intensity of social media use and a long-term decline in self-concept clarity.
Social media, on the other hand, helps adolescents reveal different aspects of their identities, such as race, ethnicity, and sexuality. Emerging evidence shows that transgender people receive positive feelings from disclosing their identities on supportive social media platforms.
Cognitive mechanisms linking social media use and adolescent mental health
The authors focused on four cognitive mechanisms that may influence the impact of social media on adolescents’ mental health.
development of self-concept
Self-concept is defined as beliefs and evaluations about a person’s qualities and characteristics, and can be influenced by socioemotional processes such as self-evaluation and social feedback. A negative self-concept can increase the risk of negative mental health outcomes.
The ability to personalize content may significantly increase the impact of social media on adolescent self-concept development. Adolescents who spend more time on social media have been shown to develop negative self-evaluations.
social comparison
Self-concept development can be influenced by social comparison, especially during adolescence. Obtaining personalized content on topics of interest may influence adolescents to compare themselves with the people depicted in this content. Additionally, the number of likes and reactions to self-introduction posts on social media can affect users’ perceptions of social rankings.
Such social comparisons, especially those related to body image, can have a negative impact on adolescents’ mental health and may increase their risk of developing socioemotional disorders and eating disorders.
social feedback
A heightened desire to socialize with peers and a fear of social rejection are two hallmarks of adolescent life. Existing evidence indicates that hypersensitivity to social rejection is moderately associated with depression and anxiety.
Adolescents who have already experienced peer victimization have been found to develop more severe depressive symptoms because they receive less social approval online than their peers.
social inclusion and exclusion
Online social inclusion and social acceptance can protect against emotional disorders in adolescents. In contrast, online social exclusion is associated with low self-esteem and negative emotions.
Adolescents who do not receive desired attention and feedback from social media tend to have a lower sense of belonging, meaning, self-esteem, and control.
Neurobiological mechanisms linking social media use and adolescent mental health
Overall, this comprehensive study highlights that social media has a multifaceted impact on teens’ mental health, and that it extends beyond direct contact to and by exacerbating their developmental vulnerabilities. Social media offers unprecedented opportunities for self-expression and social connection, but the complexities of adolescents’ sensitivity to social feedback and their rapidly evolving neurobiological, cognitive, and behavioral landscape These interactions also pose unique challenges.
Future research should delve deeper into how social media subtly interacts with developmental mechanisms to better protect adolescents’ well-being in the digital age. By focusing on the specific affordances of digital platforms and their potential to influence adolescent behavior and brain development, researchers hope to reduce the harms and enhance the positive aspects of social media use. Helps develop targeted interventions. These efforts require policy makers, educators, parents, and youth to work together to develop strategies that recognize the profound impact that the digital environment has on young people’s minds.
Finally, when dealing with this ever-changing digital environment, it’s important to create an atmosphere where teens can thrive both online and offline. Understanding the mechanisms of how social media impacts mental health is just the first step to reducing risks and increasing resilience for future generations.
