Now, an editorial in the May 2018 journal of the American Academy
of Pediatrics advocates that health-care providers add in queries about social
media use, including sexting, cyberbullying, and the impact of social media on
self-worth.
While noting that social media does provide some positive benefits
in terms of social connection and support, the researchers behind the article
noted that teens who devote the most time to it are at higher risk of negative
effects.
“Aberrant and/or excessive social media usage may contribute to
the development of mental health disturbance in at-risk teenagers, such as
feelings of isolation, depressive symptoms, and anxiety,” the authors wrote.
A study of 500 college undergrads who were active social media
users, presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological
Science in May, found that how they used social media—especially passive
consumption vs. active engagement—was associated with depression, with depressed
users more likely to:
• Score highly on a survey of social media addiction.
• Compare themselves to others they perceived as “better off than
me.”
• Say they were bothered by being tagged in an unflattering photo.