Title: Social Media, Self-Esteem, and Teen Suicide
Headings: Social Media, Self-Esteem, and Teen Suicide
Social Media, Self-Esteem, and Teen Suicide
The Impact of Social Media on Teens
Warning Signs of Depression
How You Can Help Prevent Teen Suicide
Burnout, Loss, and Suicide Prevention
Allie Squires

Content: Some parents and experts have suggested that using social media exposes kids to cyberbullying, soaring standards of beauty and performance, and peer pressure, not to mention the physical effects of sacrificing sleep and exercise that can lead to poor mental health or exacerbate an existing mental health condition. These negative effects are indeed possible and not uncommon in adolescents, but it’s important to note that these effects change when you examine how a child is using social media, and how often. Teens in the U.S. who spend more than 3 hours a day on social media may be at a heightened risk for mental health issues, according to a 2019 study in JAMA Psychiatry. The study, which was adjusted for previous mental health diagnoses, concludes that while adolescents using social media more intensively have increased risk of internalizing problems or reporting mental health concerns, more research is needed on “whether setting limits on daily social media use, increasing media literacy, and redesigning social media platforms are effective means of reducing the burden of mental health problems in this population.” Therefore, since we cannot effectively quantify whether spending more time on social media is worse for teens’ mental health, whether it can be used as a positive or negative coping mechanism for existing mental health conditions, or even whether increasing media literacy nullifies the negative effects observed in adolescents, experts say that there is not enough evidence to support social media use as a factor in adolescent suicide. It is also worth nothing that similar statistics of adolescent suicide are not prevalent in other countries where social media has likewise increased. At your practice, this research may boil down to a couple of simple conclusions. For one, attributing overuse or even general use of social media to a patient’s mental health concerns is a broad answer to an individual patient’s often complex circumstances. Secondly, a review by Pew Research explored the opinions of teens on their use of social media and found that while bullying, peer pressure, and high standards of performance were a concern, 31% adolescents find social media a great tool for communication, expressing sexuality and identity, accessing information, and exploring interests. How could this be a positive thing?