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How Social Media And Smartphones Can Add To Youth Mental Health Crisis; Find Out
Looking into the recently emerged crisis of the mental health of the youths as reports suggest smartphones and social media have a crucial role to play in this scenario.
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Studies point out the rising concern about youth mental health
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Smartphones and social media need to be understood more deeply
The overuse of smartphones and social media by young people has recently reached its peak, resulting in an alarming situation regarding their mental health. However, it is not tenable to affirm that the rise in mental health problems is solely caused by these technologies. Let’s find out what can be done to resolve the crisis.
Understanding the crisis
Recent studies from both sides of the Atlantic have pointed out a more worrying scenario. In America, the greater emphasis now is on mental state rather than physical health while in the UK, Covid-19 is worsening concerns pertaining to youth’s psychological state.
Australia also struggles with continuous stress on its already strained services for mental health. There has been a noted increase in levels of anxiety, especially among millennials and Generation Z over the last two decades.
For instance, in Australia alone, 40% of individuals aged between 16 and 24 years experienced a mental disorder within one year compared with 26% ten years ago.
The smartphone and social media influence
The prominence that smartphones and social media are taking can’t be ignored either. Ownership rates among teenagers are near universal with usage having shot up recently.
Similarly, there is pervasive usage of social media platforms by teens whereby many hours are spent daily on various sites according to studies conducted recently.
Steps are being taken to minimize the effects caused by smartphones together with social media. Banning mobile phones in schools plus putting age limits on access to such platforms globally is gaining momentum these days.
Nevertheless how effective these measures have been towards improving youth’s well-being still remains unknown.
Content versus interaction
Content and interactions on social media platforms do more to determine peoples’ mental health than just mere screen time. From cyberbullying to exposure to harmful content, negative online experiences can worsen any existing mental health problem.
On the other hand, it is also a platform where people get connected with others and seek solace through sharing. To navigate this complex landscape, adolescents must be equipped with critical digital literacy skills.
It is therefore important that we go beyond reducing the amount of time young people spend on screens and teach them how to evaluate online information, respond to cyberbullying, and build offline connections.
Shared responsibility
While individuals, families, and schools play a crucial role, social media providers must also step up. For instance, there is a need for governmental pressure plus regulations as ways of bringing changes but ultimately these social media companies have to act proactively toward the protection of their young users.
Dealing with the youth mental health crisis requires a combination of individual empowerment, societal responsibility as well as corporate accountability. This will help in mitigating the risks while at the same time maximizing the opportunities offered by the digital age for mental well-being among our youths.
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