cement ▁Social ▁media ▁can ▁also ▁function ▁as ▁a ▁support ive ▁system ▁for ▁ad oles c ents ' ▁health , ▁because ▁by ▁using ▁social ▁media , ▁ad oles c ents ▁are ▁able ▁to ▁mobil ize ▁around ▁health ▁issues ▁that ▁they ▁themselves ▁de em ▁relevant . ▁For ▁example , ▁in ▁a ▁clin ical ▁study ▁among ▁ad oles cent ▁patients ▁under going ▁treatment ▁for ▁ob es ity , ▁the ▁participants ' ▁expressed ▁that ▁through ▁social ▁media , ▁they ▁could ▁find ▁personal ized ▁weight - loss ▁content ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁social ▁support ▁among ▁other ▁ad oles c ents ▁with ▁ob es ity ▁The ▁same ▁authors ▁also ▁found ▁that ▁as ▁with ▁other ▁types ▁of ▁online ▁information , ▁the ▁ad oles c ents ▁need ▁to ▁possess ▁necessary ▁skills ▁to ▁evaluate ▁and ▁identify ▁reliable ▁health ▁information , ▁compet encies ▁commonly ▁known ▁as ▁health ▁liter acy . ▁ ▁Other ▁social ▁media , ▁such ▁as ▁pro - an ore x ia ▁sites , ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁in ▁studies ▁to ▁cause ▁significant ▁risk ▁of ▁harm ▁by ▁rein for cing ▁negative ▁health - related ▁behav iors ▁through ▁social ▁networking , ▁especially ▁in ▁ad oles c ents . ▁ ▁Social ▁impact s ▁ ▁Dis par ity ▁ ▁The ▁digital ▁divide ▁is ▁a ▁measure ▁of ▁dispar ity ▁in ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁access ▁to ▁technology ▁between ▁households , ▁so cio e conom ic ▁levels ▁or ▁other ▁dem ographic ▁categories . ▁People ▁who ▁are ▁hom eless , ▁living ▁in ▁pover ty , ▁elder ly ▁people ▁and ▁those ▁living ▁in ▁rural ▁or ▁remote ▁communities ▁may ▁have ▁little ▁or ▁no