Title: Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health | University of Nevada, Reno
Headings: Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health: Statistics, Tips & Resources
Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health: Statistics, Tips & Resources
Statistics About Social Media’s Impact on Youth Mental Health
Mental Health Conditions Tied to Young People’s Use of Social Media
Social Media and Mental Health: Tips and Resources for Teens and Children
Set Limits on the Time Spent on Social Media
Be Aware of How Using Social Media Makes You Feel
Avoid Falling into the Negativity Trap
Remember That What You See on Social Media Isn’t Real
Social Media and Mental Health: Tips and Resources for Parents
Keep Tabs on How Your Children Feel When Using Social Media
Monitor Children’s Social Messages to Ensure They Aren’t Harmful
Set and Enforce Guidelines for Children’s Social Media Use
Be a Stellar Example of Appropriate Social Media Use
Social Media and Mental Health: Tips and Resources for Teachers
Know the Signs of Harmful Social Media Use by Students
Provide Students with Positive Examples of Social Media Use
Teach Appropriate Social Media Skills
Social Media and Mental Health: Making a Positive Difference
Recommended Readings
Sources

Content: social media benefits adolescents and teens by helping them develop communication skills, make friends, pursue areas of interest, and share thoughts and ideas. As with every technology, there is a side that is not so good. In particular, social media can have a negative impact on teens who suffer from, or are susceptible to, mental illness. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that the lifetime prevalence of any mental disorder among adolescents is 49.5%, and 22.2% of adolescents will suffer from a severe mental impairment in their lifetimes. Also, young adults (age 18 to 25) have the highest incidence of mental illness of any adult age group: 25.8%, compared to 22.2% for ages 26 to 49, and 13.8% for ages 50 and up. The three most popular social media platforms among teens are YouTube (used by 85% of teens, according to Pew Research Center’s 2018 survey), Instagram (72%) and SnapChat (69%). The percentage of teens who report using Facebook declined to 51% in 2018 from 71%, according to a 2014-2015 teen survey. According to a 2018 report issued by the GlobalWebIndex, people ages 16 to 24 spent an average of three hours and one minute using social media each day. However, research reported in the journal JAMA Psychiatry found that adolescents who use social media more than three hours per day “may be at heightened risk of mental health problems, particularly internalizing problems.”