For better or worse, social media has become an intrinsic part of adolescence. A majority of teens use YouTube (95%), TikTok (67%), Instagram (62%) and Snapchat (59%), according to a Pew Research Center survey of American teenagers ages 13 to 17.
In light of some studies linking social media use with an increase in teens’ mental health problems, including depression and anxiety, the American Psychological Association (APA) has released its first-ever Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence.
Written by a panel of psychological scientists, the advisory presents recommendations based on social media’s impact on young users’ “social, educational, psychological and neurological development.”