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This supports my claim by showing how people really do function like this in the real world today. The picture was published by "BizzaroComics.com". The purpose of this picture is that it gives a great example of a big problem in today's time.

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The article was published in 2021. It explains how smartphones can cause more physical problems to teens. The article was published by "SpyDrill.com". The information explained in the article supports my claim because it shows all the bad things that phones could cause physically.

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Let's see a conversation between Jake and her mother that almost every parent with a child can relate to. (Jake just returned from the birthday party of his friend. And he's really upset.)

Mother: Hi Jake, How was the party?

Jake: Hi mom, the party was good.

Mother: What happened Jake, you look upset, any problem?

Jake: Mom, almost all of my friends have a smartphone except me. And it is really awkward when they show me their phones and ask me to show them my cellphone.

Mother: Jake, not again. I've given you PlayStation. But don't expect me to give you a cellphone at this early age.

Jake: Mom, it's not that I'm asking for a cellphone just because I wanna brag in front of my friends. I want it because it's gonna help me with my homework too. Moreover, the teacher is gonna send assignments on the phone from next week.

Mother: Is that so? Ok, I'll arrange one for you in one or two days.

Jake: Thank you, mom. It's really nice of you.

If you have a teen in your house then this conversation might have given you a feel of Deja Vu. It's really common that the students start demanding cellphone in early teenage. But the thing is that are you convinced by your child for providing them a cellphone. And that too without finding out its bad effects on kids, just like Jake's mother?

If yes, then you need to stop right away and have a look at this list where we have mentioned some negative effects that a smartphone carries along with itself. Along with these harms we have also provided some safety measures that you can take to avert these dangers.

Negative Effects Of Smartphones On Teenagers

1. Physical Fallouts

Not just one or two, there are plenty of serious problems that can be caused by the use of cellphones. Starting from the head to toe, almost all the body parts get affected negatively with the excessive use of smartphones.

The cellphones emit the blue light that can give serious damage to the eyes when used for a long time. This blue light causes chemical reactions in the eyes which can damage the eyes in plenty of ways.

You might notice redness in your child's eyes, he/she rubbing the eyes continuously, or maybe they can complain about the blur vision too. In the worst case, they might end up permanently damaging their eyes.

Other than that, the problems related to joint pain, neck pain and headache are quite common. It might sound like a fancy talk but in some cases, the kid can develop cancer too.

2. Anxiety And Mental Attacks

Why do you think cellphone addicts check their phones every few minutes? Simple, they are tightly being held in the hands of anxiety. And the use of a cellphone might also lead your kid on the same path.

The continuous use of the cellphone can easily make the changes in your kid's behavior noticeable. The teen will start taking stress and become anxious about every little thing. Mood swings might also occur very frequently.

This kind of behavior can be easily noticed in adults too. So how can you expect teenagers and students to not get affected by anxiety?

You will start noticing their impatience in very little things. Like WiFi not working, not getting immediate replies, video buffering, etc.

3. Cyber Attacks

While using social media platforms like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook the child exposes itself to the whole world. Anyone from any corner of the world can view the profile of your child making it the biggest negative effect of a smartphone.
Related Read:
Now, what if some anonymous person downloads the photos of your kid, edit them in an inappropriate way and circulate it on the internet? And we all know how easily things get viral these days.

You might be thinking that the kid can easily make their account private in order to tackle that problem. But what if that person directly hacks the account of the teen? In that case, you'll see the situation getting out of your hands and you'll feel helpless. It sounds terrifying but these things are quite common these days.

This was just an overview of the cyber attacks. There are hundreds of other possible ways through which your kid can get trapped by the cyber attacks.

So, when they don't own a smartphone there's no way they can use social media. Hence, saving themselves from the bite of cyberattacks.

4. A Cut Off From The Real World

Smartphones and addiction are like Tom and Jerry, as the addiction is always chasing the smartphone. Especially when we are talking about teenagers here.

Today the smartphones are introduced with hundreds of exciting features that can easily grab the attention of teens for hours. Moreover, social media adds fuel to the fire.

All these things altogether affect the kids in such a way that they totally become unaware of the activities going around them.

They get so much involved in those activities that they start ignoring society, relatives and even their parents. What worsens the case is that they start ignoring the physical activities too, which can leave a profound effect on their health.

5. Eating And Sleeping Disorders

There are unlimited things to do using a cellphone, but limited hours for sleeping. And that is the main reason for sleeping disorders that take place with the use of cellphones.

I'm not exaggerating the fact here but every 2nd person uses the cellphones late till night, especially the students and teenagers.

Due to the schools and classes in the morning, unwillingly they have to wake up early with an unhealthy sleep. And the same schedule continues every day.

It might not sound like a big issue but sleeping disorders lead to insomnia, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and other serious problems.

The same is the case when the diet gets affected by the cellphones. And the kid will feel lousy and week every time. Moreover, the big issues mentioned above can also take place due to eating disorders too.

6. Adult Content

The use of the mobile phone leads to the use of the internet and the use of the internet leads to adult content. And we don't even need to tell that the Adult content can be harmful to the kids.

About 90% of the content on the internet is related to nudity and pornography. Even if the kids are not willing to go for the sensual content, sometimes the content appears automatically on the mobile screen.

Moreover, lying about the age and entering these sites is a piece of cake. Sometimes, these sites ask for personal details too like email id, credit card details, etc. and it can be even more dangerous.

There are keen hackers spread all over the internet. These hackers are willing to use the personal information of others for some personal benefits. And they don't care even if it distorts other's life.

Why just web, even social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook are packed with the off-color content. So, allowing the child to use the cellphone, without taking precautions is not less than a sin for the parents.

How To Tackle These Threats

We all can't deny that keeping aside these dangers of using smartphones, they have some positive effects too. It can act as a source of gaining knowledge, entertainment, and other basic features like clock, alarm, a reminder is truly helpful in day to day life.

On top of that, smartphones are very necessary for teenagers to cope up with the society. So putting a restriction over the use of a cellphone is not gonna do any good for your kid. In fact, it can cause differences between you and your child.

All you need to do is tackle these threats. And once it's done, you don't need to worry about anything else.

1. Monitoring Apps

This one thing can do wonders for you as well as your kid. A good monitoring app like FlexiSPY comes with features that can resolve all the issues related to the harms of using a cellphone.

Problems like cellphone addiction and eating disorders can be easily resolved by blocking the apps remotely with the spying app. You can also set the timer for using the apps. The apps will not open once the time elapses.

Monitoring apps also make it possible to block the sites that are not appropriate for the kids. If the child uses some abusive words while talking to someone on social media, they can easily be tracked with the keylogger.

The searches made by the kid on the browser and social media platforms will also appear to you. You can also keep an eye on the type of feed that the kid likes to watch on social platforms.

You will be able to keep a complete watch over your child remotely. So any threat of cyber attack that might take place can also be detected by you.

2. Personal Guidance

All the other safety measures taken are on one side and personally guiding your child is on another side. It is always suggested to the parents to talk to the kids about the harm that cellphones can do.

Personally talking to the kids can leave a profound effect on the mind of the kid. And they will themselves try to avert doing the things which are not in their favor.

Also, tell them how monitoring apps can be in their favor and how they will always be secure with them. It will surely help you secure your kids while maintaining a healthy relationship between the two of you.

3. Take Cellphones At Night

The night is made for sleeping. So don't let your kids break this rule of nature and simply take away their smartphones at night.

You can't keep a watch over your kid at night, even with the monitoring apps. And the cellphone is like a magnet that always grabs the attention of the teens and students.

Moreover, the radiation from the phone can be very dangerous for the kids when they sleep, keeping their cellphones by their side.

So it doesn't matter that they feel bad about it or not, but make sure that your child doesn't have a cellphone at night.

Final Words

So here we rest our article about the negative effects of smartphones on teenagers and students. Reading this article might change your mind and you might not be giving the smartphone to your kid.

But you don't need to panic because these solutions might look limited but they are perfect to save your kids from the adverse effects of cellphones.

If you think you have some other suggestions too then don't forget to share them in the comments below.

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Negative Effects Of Smartphones On Teenagers And Students | SpyDrill

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Let's see a conversation between Jake and her mother that almost every parent with a child can relate to. (Jake just returned from the birthday party of his friend. And he's really upset.) Mother: Hi Jake, How was the party? Jake: Hi mom, the party was good.

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This article was published in 2021. It states many examples of how social media can effect mental health and how popular media platforms draw attention. The article was published by "Insider.com". The examples given in the article support my claim by showing how social media platforms pressure teens into getting involved just to fit in.

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Social media use may expose teens to peer pressure, cyberbullying, and increased mental health risk.

But, social media can also connect isolated teens and help them find supportive networks.

Parents can set limitations and communicate openly with teens about healthy social media use.

Teenagers and tweens are spending more time than ever on screens and social media.

Social media use and screen time in general has risen sharply among teens and tweens, with teens saying they spend almost an hour and a half a day on social media, according to 2021 survey results from Common Sense Media.

At the same time, mental health issues like depression have increased among teenagers since the beginning of the 2010s.

Could there be a connection?

While research has found that social media can negatively impact teenagers, there are many positive effects, as well.

Here's what experts say about how social media is affecting teens.

The negative effects of social media

Teenagers' brains are still developing, making them especially vulnerable to the detrimental aspects of social media. Here are four ways that social media might affect teens negatively:

1. Mental health

Studies have suggested that some teenagers are losing sleep due to social media use at night, and some are more distracted from it during the school day. Lack of sleep can contribute to poor school performance and even increase the risk of developing mental health issues.

"While we can't say anything yet about direct causation, we are seeing strong negative correlations in a few areas," says Neha Chaudhary, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Chaudhary says social media may be tied to depression, lowered self-esteem, and loneliness.

In fact, a large 2019 study found that young people who spend more than three hours on social media may have a higher risk of internalizing mental health disorders, such as depression or anxiety.

A large 2022 study shed light on which ages are most susceptible to the harms associated with social media. Here's what they found:

Young women seemed most sensitive to social media between ages 11 and 13, when an increase in social media use was followed by a decrease in life satisfaction a year later.

Males were more likely to have this experience around 14 or 15.

Both genders had an increase in sensitivity to social media around age 19.

Decreases in life satisfaction were followed by increases in social media use, pointing to it as a possible coping mechanism.

But research is mixed over whether social media use is directly related to an increased risk of mental health issues. For example, one 2021 study focusing on 8th and 10th grade students found that social media was not a cause of depressive symptoms in teens, except in girls who already had a low risk of depression.

2. Body image

Research has found a correlation between social media and having a negative body image. Social media can harbor an environment where it's easy for teens to compare themselves to the often edited and perfected photos of peers, celebrities, or influencers.

Linda Charmaraman, a senior research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women and director of the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab, found that 21% of teens "felt down" about themselves after looking at social media.

More than half of those teens reported that the feeling was related to their bodies.

Charmaraman says groups who were particularly vulnerable to this were women, those with large online peer networks, those who checked their social media frequently, and those who followed celebrities.

Those feelings don't end after the teenage years. In a small 2019 study of undergraduate college women, participants who looked at or engaged with an attractive female peer on social media were more likely to experience an increase in negative feelings around their body image than subjects who engaged with a family member's social media.

3. Peer pressure

Peer pressure for teenagers is nothing new. However, social media worsens this pressure because teens are exposed to and getting feedback from many more people than they would encounter in daily life.

Teens can be especially influenced by "likes" on social media sites like Instagram or Facebook.

In a small 2016 study of teenage participants, researchers created a social media feed similar to Instagram and measured the teens' brain responses. Here's what they found:

Teens were more likely to "like" photos that already had a large number of likes.

Teens' brain activity - specifically areas associated with reward processing and attention - was greater when viewing photos with more "likes."

This was true whether the photo depicted risky behavior (such as a peer holding a cannabis cigarette) or not.

These results indicate that teens learn from the social cues of their peers online and take note when they are rewarded with "likes" and attention.

4. Cyberbullying

Chaudhary says that social media opens the door for teens to compare themselves to their peers and deprioritize communicating in-person. "What's more is, from a mental health perspective, social media has introduced new risks: teens can now harm or be harmed by others online."

According to Chaudhary, teens on social media are more apt to say something negative or mean.

According to a 2018 Pew Research survey. 59% of teens in the United States have experienced cyberbullying. A 2019 study of college students found that experiencing cyberbullying may be tied to increased anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation.

Social media use can still be positive

However, according to the Pew survey, 31% of teens say that social media use has a "mostly positive" impact on their lives, while only 24% say "mostly negative." The other 45% said that social media's effect was neither positive nor negative.

"Social media usage can certainly have positive effects, such as a sense of social connectivity and belonging, personal contentment and self-esteem, emotional expression and control, and identity development," Charmaraman says.

In fact, more than half of teens in Charmaraman's study reported giving and receiving emotional support online.

This can be especially important for teens who have an illness, are navigating their LGBTQ+ identity, or dealing with other experiences that might be isolating.

How parents can help teenagers navigate social media

Setting limitations can help your teen learn to use social media positively without suffering from the negative associations.

"Just like you wouldn't give your child the keys to a car for the first time and let them drive away without any practice, you'll need to be there to teach them how to use social media in a healthy way," Charmaraman says. "Together, you can set rules and shared expectations that promote your teen's autonomy while safeguarding them from risks."

Research has found that parental monitoring is tied to less problematic behaviors, like social media addiction or bullying others online.

Here are a few ways that parents can help their kids foster a healthy relationship with social media:

Restrict access to social media, for example, by setting curfews or time limits on social teens' media usage. A small 2018 study of college students found that limiting social media use to 30 minutes per day can boost well-being.

Monitor social media behavior, by following teens' social media accounts or asking for access.

Communicate openly about expectations around social media. For example, discuss the impact of cyberbullying, and encourage teens to never say something online that they wouldn't say in person.

Encourage breaks, even for a short period. A 2022 study found that taking a one week break from social media was enough to improve well-being and reduce depression and anxiety.

If parents are concerned about their teens' social media use, they should talk with them about how social media is making them feel, Chaudhary says. In addition, it's important that parents model these best practices in their own social media use.

Insider's takeaway

As teens' social media use continues to increase, so do rates of mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

Research has shown that social media can interfere with sleep and that more time spent on social media sites is associated with an increased risk of some mental health disorders. Social media can also serve as a vehicle for peer pressure and cyberbullying.

However, social media isn't all bad. It allows teens a space to form their own identity and find support from online communities.

Parents can help their teens foster a healthy relationship with social media by communicating openly about the harms and benefits. They can also set time limits and encourage breaks to keep teens from spending an unhealthy amount of time online.

If you're very concerned about your teen's social media use, seek guidance from a mental health professional.

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How does social media affect teenagers? Understanding the mental health impact - and why it's not all bad

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Social media use may expose teens to peer pressure, cyberbullying, and increased mental health risk. But, social media can also connect isolated teens and help them find supportive networks. Parents can set limitations and communicate openly with teens about healthy social media use. Teenagers and tweens are spending more time than ever on screens and social media.

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This picture supports my claim by showing how anger does spread a lot faster than positive emotions. The picture was published by "CartoonStock.com." The purpose of this image is to show how anger really does spread faster than any other emotions because of the ego people gain from not being face to face with people.

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Do people use their smartphones for the wrong reasons oor just to waste time?

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Do people use their smartphones for the wrong reasons oor just to waste time?

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This picture supports my claim by showing how addiction to social media and smart devices is looked at to be normal behavior.The picture was published by "CartoonStock.com". The purpose of this image is that people who actually look up from their devices are looked at as "weird" or "not cool".

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This article was published in 2021. The article counters my claim by telling how social media can benefit by creating stronger friendships, help feeling of isolation, and create platforms for support of any kind. This article was published by "VeryWellFamily.com".

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Almost every day there are reports of cyberbullying in the news. Combine this with the fact that victims of cyberbullying often suffer significant consequences, and it is not surprising that most parents equate social media with something that is bad for kids.

And while it is important for parents to instill healthy habits surrounding social media use-including limiting and monitoring time online-it is also important to recognize that social media is not a bad thing. It only becomes a bad thing when people misuse it for bullying, public shaming, and rumor spreading. In fact, research shows there are numerous benefits to social media use.

Benefits of Social Media for Youth

While the overuse of electronics and social media can certainly be a problem, there are also numerous potential benefits of social media for youth, including the following:

Strengthening friendships

Motivating kids to do good

Reducing feelings of isolation

Becoming a source of support

Building a platform

Encouraging personal expression

Accessing information

Social Media Can Strengthen Friendships

There is no doubt that friendships are a key component of teen life. When kids have healthy friendships, they not only feel accepted for who they are, but they also feel more empowered and connected to the world around them. Friends also can speak truth into their lives and encourage them to explore their dreams.

What's more, research has shown that having at least one solid friendship can go a long way in preventing bullying. In fact, bullies often target teens that are alone or isolated. But teens that have a core group of friends often have a built-in layer of protection from bullying.

More than half of teens believe that social media helps their friendships.

According to a survey by Common Sense Media, 52% of teens felt that social media improved their friendships and only 4% felt it hurt them. Additionally, the study found that nearly 30% of social media users believe that social networking makes them feel more confident and outgoing.

Social Media Is a Vehicle for Doing Good

Whether teens are developing fundraisers or supporting an important cause, social media can help them make an impact in their communities. Some social movements have started when teens leveraged social media to build awareness for an issue.

Whether they make YouTube videos or develop Twitter campaigns, teens have more impact on the world around them because of social media. Moreover, their voices are being heard more frequently.

Social media also exposes kids to important issues all over the world, not just those in their communities. As a result, they realize that social media is a way for them to help and support people even from far away. They can instantaneously make an impact on things like hunger in Africa, preserving the rain forest, or providing educational tools for kids without resources.

Social Media Reduces Feelings of Isolation

While social media can make adults feel lonelier, researchers are finding the opposite may be true for teens. One study found that even though teens have fewer friends than teens did a decade ago, they still report feeling less lonely than their counterparts. They also report feeling less isolated. Researchers suggest that the difference is social media and technology.

As teens find their niche, they are becoming more individualistic and more extroverted and have higher self-esteem. This increased individuality makes teens more secure in existing friendships and reduces feelings of loneliness overall. This is especially true if those friendships are healthy.

This research also suggests that teens are developing stronger social skills due to social media use. As technology becomes a bigger part of everyday life, solid online communication skills are important. Through social media, teens learn how to navigate social networking sites and other methods of online communication. This makes them better communicators in an increasingly digital world.

Social Media Is a Source of Authentic Support

Years ago, if teens were interested in a quirky subject or were grappling with who they were as a person, they often felt marginalized and alone. Today, teens can connect with others that share similar interests, desires, and concerns. This connection helps them feel validated and secure in who they are.

Another way teens are finding support is through online communities. For instance, kids struggling with issues like drug addiction and eating disorders now can find help and support online without ever having to leave their homes. This is especially helpful for teens in small communities or rural areas where resources may be limited.

Teens experiencing suicide ideation can even get immediate access to quality online support. One example of online support occurred when a Reddit Minecraft community talked a teen out of suicide. Aside from posting positive comments and messages, more than 50 of the users used voice conferencing to persuade the teen not to go through with it. This is a perfect example of how social media and technology can benefit teens today.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

Social Media Can Build a Platform

Your teen can use social media to begin developing an online presence that can attract the attention of colleges and future employers. For instance, some teens make YouTube videos or write blog posts on topics they are passionate about.

A young teen who has a passion for reading and writing might publish book reviews or film videos with their thoughts, ideas, and comments. As their work gains traction online, they may even develop a following which could include authors, literary agents, and publishers.

Then, when this teen applies for college, they can reference their social media accounts on college applications. This work demonstrates their creativity and maturity, but also shows that they are a self-starter.

Building a platform on social media can open a lot of doors for teens and help them build a positive online reputation. It also can expose them to college scholarships, college networks, and even a future career. And it can change their perspective on social media. It's no longer just a place to post silly pictures or observe digital drama. It becomes a tool they can use to share their passions and eventually find a career path.​

Social Media Allows for Personal Expression

Digital technology is the perfect tool for channeling creativity and personal expression. Whether kids enjoy singing, writing, or acting, they can share these talents with the world around them. Kids who enjoy fashion, make-up trends, or craft projects also can express themselves online. Providing this avenue of self-expression is important for teens.

Research shows that there is a direct connection between self-expression and self-confidence. When kids are given avenues for being authentic and true to themselves, they become content with who they are and happier overall.

By contrast, when they do not have many opportunities to express themselves or they do not know people with the same passions or interests, they begin to wonder if there is something wrong with them. They also question why they are not like everyone else.

Social Media Is a Tool for Gathering Information

Social media has become a source of information and news for many teens. Once they begin social networking, they can follow just about anyone with a social media account. From authors and athletes to celebrities, chefs, nonprofit organizations, and magazines, they are connected to all sorts of information.

Teens also can gather information about issues that impact them or their friends. For instance, if they are concerned a friend might have an eating disorder or a drug addiction, they can gather information about it. Or, if they want to learn more about a presidential election, climate change, or even find new ways to eat healthily, they can do so on their social media accounts.

A Word From Verywell

Overall, social media does not have to be scary. Even though it can be exploited by kids who bully others, instilling good digital etiquette and maintaining an open dialogue about online safety can go a long way in keeping kids safe online.

As a parent, make sure you are nurturing the positive aspects of social media as well as discussing the dangers. By doing so, you will help your kids develop social media savvy, a skill that will ultimately help them in the years to come.

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Why Social Media Is More Than a Vehicle for Cyberbullying With Teens

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Parents often assume social media is a bad thing. But there are some surprising benefits to its use among teenagers. Here's what you need to know.

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This picture supports my claim by showing how people use smartphones and other devices for the wrong things. The picture was published by "Simplilearning.com". The purpose of the image is to show how even adults can get trapped into social media as well and not just teens.

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This picture supports my claim by showing how someone could get attached so much that they can't walk away from it. The picture was published by "CommitStrip.com". The purpose of this is to really show how hard it can be to do other things like important work.

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This article was published in 1998 then being revised in 2021. It talks about how social media and smartphones has a high risk of causing mental health issues. The article was published by "Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research". The information stated in the article supports my claim by showing the social media and smart devices can cause mental health issues.

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Teens and social media use: What's the impact?

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Find out how to help limit the negative impact of these popular apps on your teenager.

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The article was published sometime in 2021. It talks about the many negative effects social media has on teens.The article was published by 'Child Mind Institute'. The information it talks about supports my claim because it shows how much of a negative toll social media can take on teens.

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Many parents worry about how exposure to technology might affect toddlers developmentally. We know our preschoolers are picking up new social and cognitive skills at a stunning pace, and we don't want hours spent glued to an iPad to impede that. But adolescence is an equally important period of rapid development, and too few of us are paying attention to how our teenagers' use of technology - much more intense and intimate than a 3-year-old playing with dad's iPhone - is affecting them. In fact, experts worry that the social media and text messages that have become so integral to teenage life are promoting anxiety and lowering self-esteem.

Young people report that there might be good reason to worry. A survey conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health asked 14-24-year-olds in the UK how social media platforms impacted their health and well-being. The survey results found that Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all led to increased feelings of depression, anxiety, poor body image, and loneliness.

Indirect communication

Teens are masters at keeping themselves occupied in the hours after school until way past bedtime. When they're not doing their homework (and when they are) they're online and on their phones, texting, sharing, trolling, scrolling, you name it. Of course before everyone had an Instagram account teens kept themselves busy, too, but they were more likely to do their chatting on the phone, or in person when hanging out at the mall. It may have looked like a lot of aimless hanging around, but what they were doing was experimenting, trying out skills, and succeeding and failing in tons of tiny real-time interactions that kids today are missing out on. For one thing, modern teens are learning to do most of their communication while looking at a screen, not another person.

"As a species we are very highly attuned to reading social cues," says Catherine Steiner-Adair, EdD, a clinical psychologist and author of The Big Disconnect. "There's no question kids are missing out on very critical social skills. In a way, texting and online communicating puts everybody in a context where body language, facial expression, and even the smallest kinds of vocal reactions are rendered invisible."

Lowering the risks

Certainly speaking indirectly creates a barrier to clear communication, but that's not all. Learning how to make friends is a major part of growing up, and friendship requires a certain amount of risk-taking. This is true for making a new friend, but it's also true for maintaining friendships. When there are problems that need to be faced - big ones or small ones - it takes courage to be honest about your feelings and then hear what the other person has to say. Learning to effectively cross these bridges is part of what makes friendship fun and exciting, and also scary. "Part of healthy self-esteem is knowing how to say what you think and feel even when you're in disagreement with other people or it feels emotionally risky," notes Dr. Steiner-Adair.

But when friendship is conducted online and through texts, kids are doing this in a context stripped of many of the most personal - and sometimes intimidating - aspects of communication. It's easier to keep your guard up when you're texting, so less is at stake. You aren't hearing or seeing the effect that your words are having on the other person. Because the conversation isn't happening in real time, each party can take more time to consider a response. No wonder kids say calling someone on the phone is "too intense"- it requires more direct communication, and if you aren't used to that it may well feel scary.

If kids aren't getting enough practice relating to people and getting their needs met in person and in real time, many of them will grow up to be adults who are anxious about our species' primary means of communication - talking. And of course social negotiations only get riskier as people get older and begin navigating romantic relationships and employment.

Cyberbullying and the imposter syndrome

The other big danger that comes from kids communicating more indirectly is that it has gotten easier to be cruel. "Kids text all sorts of things that you would never in a million years contemplate saying to anyone's face," says Donna Wick, EdD, a clinical and developmental psychologist. She notes that this seems to be especially true of girls, who typically don't like to disagree with each other in "real life."

"You hope to teach them that they can disagree without jeopardizing the relationship, but what social media is teaching them to do is disagree in ways that are more extreme and do jeopardize the relationship. It's exactly what you don't want to have happen," she says.

Dr. Steiner-Adair agrees that girls are particularly at risk. "Girls are socialized more to compare themselves to other people, girls in particular, to develop their identities, so it makes them more vulnerable to the downside of all this." She warns that a lack of solid self-esteem is often to blame. "We forget that relational aggression comes from insecurity and feeling awful about yourself, and wanting to put other people down so you feel better."

Peer acceptance is a big thing for adolescents, and many of them care about their image as much as a politician running for office, and to them it can feel as serious. Add to that the fact that kids today are getting actual polling data on how much people like them or their appearance via things like "likes." It's enough to turn anyone's head. Who wouldn't want to make themselves look cooler if they could? So kids can spend hours pruning their online identities, trying to project an idealized image. Teenage girls sort through hundreds of photos, agonizing over which ones to post online. Boys compete for attention by trying to out-gross one other, pushing the envelope as much as they can in the already disinhibited atmosphere online. Kids gang up on each other.

Adolescents have always been doing this, but with the advent of social media they are faced with more opportunities - and more traps - than ever before. When kids scroll through their feeds and see how great everyone seems, it only adds to the pressure. We're used to worrying about the impractical ideals that photoshopped magazine models give to our kids, but what happens with the kid next door is photoshopped, too? Even more confusing, what about when your own profile doesn't really represent the person that you feel like you are on the inside?

"Adolescence and the early twenties in particular are the years in which you are acutely aware of the contrasts between who you appear to be and who you think you are," says Dr. Wick. "It's similar to the 'imposter syndrome' in psychology. As you get older and acquire more mastery, you begin to realize that you actually are good at some things, and then you feel that gap hopefully narrow. But imagine having your deepest darkest fear be that you aren't as good as you look, and then imagine needing to look that good all the time! It's exhausting."

As Dr. Steiner-Adair explains, "Self-esteem comes from consolidating who you are." The more identities you have, and the more time you spend pretending to be someone you aren't, the harder it's going to be to feel good about yourself.

Stalking (and being ignored)

Another big change that has come with new technology and especially smart phones is that we are never really alone. Kids update their status, share what they're watching, listening to, and reading, and have apps that let their friends know their specific location on a map at all times. Even if a person isn't trying to keep his friends updated, he's still never out of reach of a text message. The result is that kids feel hyperconnected with each other. The conversation never needs to stop, and it feels like there's always something new happening.

"Whatever we think of the 'relationships' maintained and in some cases initiated on social media, kids never get a break from them," notes Dr. Wick. "And that, in and of itself, can produce anxiety. Everyone needs a respite from the demands of intimacy and connection; time alone to regroup, replenish and just chill out. When you don't have that, it's easy to become emotionally depleted, fertile ground for anxiety to breed."

It's also surprisingly easy to feel lonely in the middle of all that hyperconnection. For one thing, kids now know with depressing certainty when they're being ignored. We all have phones and we all respond to things pretty quickly, so when you're waiting for a response that doesn't come, the silence can be deafening. The silent treatment might be a strategic insult or just the unfortunate side effect of an online adolescent relationship that starts out intensely but then fades away.

"In the old days when a boy was going to break up with you, he had to have a conversation with you. Or at least he had to call," says Dr. Wick. "These days he might just disappear from your screen, and you never get to have the 'What did I do?' conversation." Kids are often left imagining the worst about themselves.

But even when the conversation doesn't end, being in a constant state of waiting can still provoke anxiety. We can feel ourselves being put on the back burner, we put others back there, and our very human need to communicate is effectively delegated there, too.

What should parents do?

Both experts interviewed for this article agreed that the best thing parents can do to minimize the risks associated with technology is to curtail their own consumption first. It's up to parents to set a good example of what healthy device usage looks like. Most of us check our phones or our email too much, out of either real interest or nervous habit. Kids should be used to seeing our faces, not our heads bent over a screen. Establish technology-free zones in the house and technology-free hours when no one uses the phone, including mom and dad. "Don't walk in the door after work in the middle of a conversation," Dr. Steiner-Adair advises. "Don't walk in the door after work, say 'hi' quickly, and then 'just check your email.' In the morning, get up a half hour earlier than your kids and check your email then. Give them your full attention until they're out the door. And neither of you should be using phones in the car to or from school because that's an important time to talk."

Not only does limiting the amount of time you spend plugged in to computers provide a healthy counterpoint to the tech-obsessed world, it also strengthens the parent-child bond and makes kids feel more secure. Kids need to know that you are available to help them with their problems, talk about their day, or give them a reality check.

"It is the mini-moments of disconnection, when parents are too focused on their own devices and screens, that dilute the parent-child relationship," Dr. Steiner-Adair warns. And when kids start turning to the internet for help or to process whatever happened during the day, you might not like what happens. "Tech can give your children more information that you can, and it doesn't have your values," notes Dr. Steiner-Adair. "It won't be sensitive to your child's personality, and it won't answer his question in a developmentally appropriate way."

In addition Dr. Wick advises delaying the age of first use as much as possible. "I use the same advice here that I use when talking about kids and alcohol - try to get as far as you can without anything at all." If your child is on a social media platform, Dr. Wick says that you should friend them and monitor their page. But she advises against going through text messages unless there is cause for concern. "If you have a reason to be worried then okay, but it better be a good reason. I see parents who are just plain old spying on their kids. Parents should begin by trusting their children. To not even give your kid the benefit of the doubt is incredibly damaging to the relationship. You have to feel like your parents think you're a good kid."

Offline, the gold standard advice for helping kids build healthy self-esteem is to get them involved in something that they're interested in. It could be sports or music or taking apart computers or volunteering - anything that sparks an interest and gives them confidence. When kids learn to feel good about what they can do instead of how they look and what they own, they're happier and better prepared for success in real life. That most of these activities also involve spending time interacting with peers face-to-face is just the icing on the cake.

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How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers - Child Mind Institute

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How does social media affect teens? Experts say kids are growing up with more anxiety and less self-esteem due to social media. Read advice for parents from specialists in our article.