Title: Is social media bad for teens’ mental health? | UNICEF
Headings: Is social media bad for teens’ mental health?
Is social media bad for teens’ mental health?
There are risks, but they can be avoided.
Designed for excessive use
Exacerbating loneliness
Cyberbullying
Building healthy habits
Quality control
Listen to teens
The private sector’s role

Content: Usage should be moderate and balanced with real social time with family and friends. Deciding how much is too much inevitably depends on the individual’s age, character traits and the culture they are living in. However, the influences of the content adolescents encounter and the activities they participate in online are more important than actual time spent online. Instead of using social media for the kind of public broadcasting and passive browsing that may lead them to compare ‘likes’, it may be more beneficial to use it to reinforce relationships by having more one-on-one interactions with close friends through comments and messaging. Listen to teens
While adults rightly worry about the implications of excessive social media use, adolescents have a right to have their voices heard in matters that concern them. But they are rarely consulted in these debates. Teens’ own voices and experiences are important to guide emerging policy and practice. After all, young people often have more expertise with these technologies and grew up with them as their major form of communication, entertainment and information. The private sector’s role
As both the drivers and benefactors of the social media revolution, tech companies and designers should offer a range of user friendly tools that help parents create age-appropriate environments. They could also change the design to create an environment that is conducive to more meaningful conversations and less browsing and liking.