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The perks of living without social media

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The perks of living without social media

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K6Pftsw3w7h_k2a36-u2ez-DsNgn63HcZwH0HfWEUWs/edit?usp=sharing

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The Perks of Living Without Social Media | Cal Newport

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https://www.itgeared.com/why-are-there-so-many-ads-on-instagram/

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Why Are There So Many Ads on Instagram? | ITGeared

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We have all asked ourselves this question, and this article will help you understand why there are so many ads on Instagram.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B_9kU_8ZnPu1XobLXp83rdL3C8CSlgvJgD4CPrXvjpU/edit?usp=sharing

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EV4KZgdA7c0LqKuIC7WRQ83CC3emM5Nm7TZrJh4edMI/edit?usp=sharing

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How does social media affect teenagers? Like any form of technology, social media has both an upside and a downside. And when it comes to the social media effects on teens, there are significant pros and cons to take into account.

On the plus side, platforms like TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat can be lifesavers for teens who feel isolated or marginalized, particularly LGBTQ teens. In addition, social media helped teens feel more connected and not as lonely during the pandemic.

But the impact of social media on youth can also be significantly detrimental to mental health. In particular, social media and teen depression are closely linked. Furthermore, overuse of the apps exposes teens to cyberbullying, body image issues, and tech addiction, and results in less time spent doing healthy, real-world activities. And while the majority of parents believe they know what their child is posting on social media, according to a Pew Research poll, a survey of teens found that 70 percent of them are hiding their online behavior from their parents.

Are teens and social media platforms a good mix, or does social media use lower teen well-being? Why is social media bad? This has become one of the more controversial questions regarding social media's effects on teens, with studies showing varied results.

According to a recent report released by Common Sense Media on social media's effects on teens, about half of the 1,500 young people surveyed said social media is very important for them in order to get support and advice, feel less alone, and express themselves creatively, as well as for staying in touch friends and family members. And 43 percent said that using social media makes them feel better when they are depressed, stressed, or anxious. Among LGBTQ youth, 52 percent said social media helps them feel better when they are experiencing these difficult emotions.

On the other hand, the report also showed a strong association between social media and teens feeling depressed. Youth with moderate to severe depressive symptoms were nearly twice as likely to say they used social media almost constantly: One-third of teens with depression reported constant social media use, as compared to 18 percent of young people who did not have depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the more severe their symptoms were, the more anxious, lonely and depressed they felt after using social media. Clearly, social media does not help teens who are already feeling depressed and seems to contribute to their negative outlook.

Is social media part of the reason that teen depression has drastically increased over the last decade? Surveys of US adolescents show that teen depressive symptoms and suicide rates showed marked increases between 2010 and 2015, especially among females.

Some researchers theorize that the increase in social media and overall screen use between those years could account for these changes. The adolescents surveyed who spent more time on social media sites were more likely to report mental health issues. Those who spent more time on real-life activities, such as in-person social interaction, sports, exercise, homework, and print media, were less likely to report these issues.

Over the last decade, this theory has been borne out by a large body of research linking teenagers' use of social media with increased teen depression. These studies show that the frequency of a teen's use of social media has a clear correlation to their mental health.

For example, in a 2018 study, 14- to 17-year-olds who used social media seven hours per day were more than twice as likely to have been diagnosed with depression, treated by a mental health professional, or taken medication for a psychological or behavioral issue during the last year. This was compared to those who used screens only about an hour a day.

Many experts believe that the constant overstimulation of social networking shifts the nervous system into fight-or-flight mode. As a result, this makes disorders such as ADHD, teen depression, oppositional defiant disorder, and teen anxiety worse. However, some research on social media and teen depression shows that the causality goes the other way-i.e., when teens are depressed, they look at social media more often. In one study of 600 young people, researchers found that social media use did not predict depressive symptoms, but greater depressive symptoms predicted more social media use over time.

"Some experts argue that young people's use of social media is adding to their depression; others that their depression leaves them so uninterested in other activities that they turn to social media by default. [Our] research suggests a third possibility: that many young people who are experiencing depression- whatever the cause-are purposely and proactively using social media and other digital tools to protect and promote their own well-being."
- Common Sense Media report

Additional Psychological Effects of Social Media on Youth

A study by researchers at University College London tracked three years of social media use by 13,000 teenagers, starting when they were 13. The teens also self-reported about their social media experiences and their mood and well-being.

After compiling the data, the study authors concluded that the social media effect on youth is driven by three primary factors:

Inadequate sleep-teens stayed up late to continue scrolling through their social media feeds

Exposure to cyberbullying-having harmful, false, or private content about them posted on social media

Lack of physical activity-scrolling social media on their phones or other devices meant that teens sat for longer periods of time and had less time for exercise. As a result, they missed out on the beneficial impact of exercise on mental health.

According to the study, which was published in the journal Lancet, 27 percent of the teens who frequently used social media reported high psychological stress. For teens who used social media less frequently, only 17 percent reported high psychological stress.

The Impact of Social Media on Youth Social Comparison

One way in which social media impacts teen mental health is through negative social comparison-what media psychologist Don Grant, PhD, Newport Director of Outpatient Services, calls "compare and despair." Teenagers on social media spend much of their time observing the lives and images of their peers. This leads to constant comparisons, which can damage self-esteem and body image, exacerbating depression and anxiety among adolescents.

As with other types of social comparison, teens report lower self-esteem and self-evaluation and peer pressure to look a certain way when looking at their friends on social media sites. For example, this includes looking at profiles on which peers post curated images about their significant others, social events, or accomplishments. And teens felt better about themselves when they make so-called "downward comparisons"-looking at profiles of peers with fewer friends and achievements. According to a Pew Research Center report on the negative effects of social media on teenagers, 26 percent of teens say these sites make them feel worse about their own life.
Read "Teen Mental Health and the Theory of Social Comparison."
The Negative Psychological Effects of Social Media on Teen Body Image

Body image is one primary area in which teen social comparison leads to negative emotions-not only for teen girls, but for all genders. When tees compare themselves to curated and filtered photographs of their peers and of celebrities, they often feel inferior. This can lead to lower self-esteem and negative body image. In addition, Facebook use has also been linked to a higher risk of eating disorders.

According to a survey by Common Sense Media:

35 percent of teenagers on social media worry about being tagging in unattractive photos

27 percent are stressed out about how they look when they post pictures

22 percent feel bad about themselves when nobody comments on or "likes" their photos.

Social Media Effects on Teens: Health Hazard or Healthy Inspiration?

Along with providing ways to seek help and support, social media also provides forums in which teens can encourage each other in unhealthy and dangerous behaviors. Hence, teens with eating disorders or those who self-harm can connect with others to talk about their self-destructive routines. In these online forums, obsessive calorie counting, fasting, or over-exercising are accepted and encouraged. As a result, young people may learn ways to hide or intensify the behavior, putting them at greater risk.

On the flip side, a teen social network can inspire teenagers to develop healthy habits. Thus, seeing peers eating nutritious food, doing something creative, or getting outside in nature can encourage other teens to do the same. Social networks can create peer motivation, inspiring young people to try something new, follow their dreams, and speak up about things that matter to them. Teens can also find positive role models online. Hence, the effect of social media on teenagers might actually result in more unplugged time and increased self-care behaviors.

The Negative Effects of Social Media on Teens' Identity Formation

The impact of social media on youth extends to an important part of adolescent development: the formation of one's unique identity. Hence, social media provides a forum for teens to practice skills related to identity development. These include self-presentation and self-disclosure-sharing their opinions, beliefs, and preferences.

In a longitudinal survey of 219 freshmen at a state university, researchers found that teens who expressed their opinions on social media experienced increased well-being. In addition, another study found that adolescents who communicated more online had greater "self-concept clarity"-a clearer idea of who they were. This self-awareness supports mental health. Furthermore, a research article on teens and social media concluded that social media gives teens the "autonomy to explore and experiment with their identities in a space of their own, where they have control over what, how, and with whom they share information."

Friendships, Teens, and Social Media

Friendship and social skills are additional areas in which the impact of social media on youth can be positive and negative. In the Pew Research Center report, 81 percent of teens in the survey said social media makes them feel more connected to what's going on in their friends' lives. In addition, two-thirds of teens said these platforms make them feel as if they have people who will support them through tough times.

During the pandemic, of course, social media became one of the most frequent-and sometimes the only-way in which teens socialized with peers. But there's a difference between teens' social media friends vs. their real friends: The Pew survey found that 60 percent of teens say they spend time with their friends online on a daily or nearly daily basis, but only 24 percent spent time with their friends that often in person. These stats highlight how online connections may not translate into IRL relationships.

In addition, the more time teens spend plugged in and on social media platforms, the more cyberbullying increases. A 2020 report by the organization L1ght found a 70 percent uptick in hate speech among kids and teens across communication channels on social media and popular chat forums. More time on social media provides enhanced access to both the beneficial and detrimental aspects, further driving the negative effects of social media on teenagers.

The Addictive Quality of Social Media for Teens

Scientists have found that teen social media overuse creates a stimulation pattern similar to the pattern created by other addictive behaviors. Hence, the brain responds to social media the same way it responds to other "rewards"- with a release of dopamine. These dopamine rushes are catalyzed when a teen posts something online and is met with likes, shares, and positive comments from their peers.

"Social media use targets our limbic system through its susceptibility to intermittent variable rewards-the same basic idea behind slot machine design-that get us 'hooked' and coming back from more. Our brains keep seeking the dopamine hit that comes with the next post we see on our feed or the next reaction to something we've posted. Research also suggests that these rituals may prime the brain for other future unhealthy dependencies or addictions."
-Don Grant, PhD, Newport Director of Outpatient Services

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As the research shows, teen social media overuse is often linked with underlying issues, such as depression, chronic stress, anxiety, or low self-esteem. Hence, treatment at Newport Academy includes addressing these root causes while unplugging from phones and social media.

After just a few days, teens begin to reawaken to their IRL environment. During treatment with us, they form strong friendships, explore their inner life through journaling and meditation, spend time in nature, and experience creative offline activities.

Newport's clinical team specializes in helping teens gain the skills and self-knowledge to heal from the maladaptive behaviors, underlying causes, and negative consequences associated with teens and social media. Contact us today to learn more about our teen treatment programs and our approach to healthy device management.

Key Takeaways

The impact of social media on youth can be significantly detrimental to mental health, exposing teens to cyberbullying, body image issues, and tech addiction, and results in less time spent doing healthy, real-world activities.

Some researchers theorize that the increase in social media and overall screen use between 2010 and 2015 could account for marked increases in teen depressive symptoms and suicide rates beginning in that same time period.

Many experts believe that the constant overstimulation of social networking shifts the nervous system into fight-or-flight mode, exacerbating disorders such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, and oppositional defiant disorder.

Teenagers on social media platforms spend much of their time observing the lives and images of their peers, leading to constant comparisons, which can damage self-esteem and body image.

Mental health treatment can help teens gain the skills and self-knowledge to heal from the underlying causes and negative consequences associated with social media overuse.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Effects of Social Media on Teens

How does social media affect teenagers?

What are five negative effects of social media?

What impact does social media have on teenagers' self-esteem?

Does social media cause depression, or does depression increase social media use?

Is social media really addictive?

Sources
Curr Opin Psychol. 2022 Apr; 44: 58-68. Nature Human Behaviour. 2019(3): 173-182. Prev Med Rep. 2018 Oct 18;12: 271-283. Clinical Psych Sci. 2019, 2017. Comput Human Behav. 2015; 52: 49-58.

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The Effect of Social Media on Teenagers | Newport Academy

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How does social media affect teenagers? Discover the negative impact of social media on adolescents and its effect on their mental health.

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The impact of social media on family and marriage

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Technology does have its pros, but nobody can deny that the cons that come with it are starting to become a major problem. Especially when it comes to the internet, from parents to kids, everyone has multiple social media accounts which keeps them engaged for long periods of time. People post almost anything on their accounts, from pictures of events to minute things like telling their friends and followers that they just got their nails done.

There are many types of relationships that people develop over time, and the most important by far is the 'family relationship', of course. It is here that the impact of social media can be seen the most. Earlier, families would bond over face-to-face conversations that would be had with one another when everybody was done with their day's work and were at home, unwinding. These days, families barely greet one another, and everyone is engrossed in their own news posts on their own social media accounts. Watching videos, reacting to posts online and responding to friends seems to have become more important than even saying hello to one another. Below we discuss some further effects that social media has on family relationships.

1. Positive Impact

Here are some ways that social media can positively impact family relationships:

One of the most positive effects of social media on marriage is that couples who spend a lot of time away from each other can keep in touch with each other and feel closer to the other despite the distance.

Couples are better able to get to know their other friends and social circles since social media feeds make it easier to see what a person gets up to and the things they like doing. It often makes them feel closer to each other despite having become friends only recently.

As the case often is, children grow up, go to college and start their own lives. In cases like this, it is easier for parents to keep in touch with their children through the help of social media. With the ability to video chat and share pictures and so on, families who live away from one another are able to close that distance, even if only through cyberspace.

With the ability to share locations and tag people, families can often share locations of favourite restaurants, family moments and outings and generally have a place to keep all their happy and fond memories.

If both parents and children have seen the same posts on their social media, they can have conversations about it and can bond over other things they may share or enjoy on social media such as favourite pages that cater to certain hobbies like crafts, cooking, and others.

Brings about a sense of security since everyone knows that they can get in touch with different people at any time if they need to.

Families who have been through a divorce may find social media useful. Children can keep in touch with the parent they do not live with better if they are able to communicate with them on social media. The parents too will not feel as though they are missing out since they will be able to see posts on social media and learn about their child. They'll be able to interact more with the child, apart from their scheduled visits.

2. Negative Impact

Here are some ways that social media negatively impacts family relationships:

Social media has the ability to become very addictive. Most people find it has become a compulsion for them to check their phones every few minutes to see if they have any new notifications. In fact, the addiction is so real and so strong that it has been found that people experience the same kind of withdrawal symptoms as a drug addict if they are unable to check their social media.

The compulsive checking of social media has made face-to-face communication very difficult. Family members may communicate with each other online or on social media rather than talk to each other. A husband and wife may spend time next to each other, but their minds are engrossed in their own social entertainment as they scroll through their individual feeds. This is one of the negative effects of social media on marriage in its earliest stages.

As people tend to only post the best parts of their lives on social media, it can be very easy to imagine that that is what their lives are always like. This can sometimes lead to making families or couples very unhappy with their own lives and situations.

One of the saddest realities of social media is that it gives those with the tendency to be unfaithful another platform to put into practice this negative trait. They may be nurturing other relationships on the side that their partner may have no idea about. Before, changes in behaviour may have been an indication that something is wrong, but since the normal behaviour for people these days is to sit on their phones all the time, nothing seems amiss.

Studies have shown that there is a link between depression and increased social media usage, and adolescents are most likely to become affected by it, which in turn, affects their family relationships.

Tips to Maintain a Healthy Balance Between Social Networking and Family Relationships

Here are some ways to maintain a healthy balance and reduce the negative effects of social media on family communication:

For married couples, the best way to make sure that social media does not cause any negative effects in your relationship is if you have an open social media relationship with your partner. This means sharing passwords and never sharing, liking or reacting to anything that you know your partner would disapprove of.

Limit the things that you share on social media. Families often like what happens in the privacy of their homes to stay there, and oversharing can sometimes cause friction between two or more family members.

Don't compare your family members or way of life to that of anyone that you see online. Most often, social media accounts do not share the whole story, and you'll have no idea what is going on behind the scenes of certain pictures and videos. Your family members will not appreciate being made to feel like they are not good enough.

When you do share things on social media, make sure that you share things that are fun, pleasant and share them with your family members as a way of remembering good times. Giving them a shout out will also make them feel loved since most social communication between people happens online; and so, it is a public way of showing affection.

Since social media is not only used as a social platform but is also being used to market ideas and products and share other ideas, it can be difficult to distance yourself from it. But the best thing that you can do is to learn to limit the amount of time that you spend on social media and make time to spend with the people who are physically present in front of us.

Social Media Effects on Children
Amazing Ways You Can Spend Time With Your Family
How to Show Love and Respect to Your Spouse
Also Read:

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The Effects of Social Media on Family and Marriage

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Social media seems to be dominating this world, and it is a rare person indeed who does not have any accounts on any of the platforms. As amazing as social media seems, it does have its flaws, the most major one being its impact on the relationships we have with the people around us.

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Questions + Glossary:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y6kypFUqIF2HT6_KbKmMNFd7fci0GZYXBLsdZqBSn8A/edit?usp=sharing

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The use of social media in politics including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube has dramatically changed the way campaigns are run and how Americans interact with their elected officials.

The prevalence of social media in politics has made elected officials and candidates more accountable and accessible to voters. And the ability to publish content and broadcast it to millions of people instantaneously allows campaigns to carefully manage their candidates' images based on rich sets of analytics in real time and at almost no cost.

Direct Contact With Voters

Social media tools including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube allow politicians to speak directly to voters without spending a dime. Using social media allows politicians to circumvent the traditional method of reaching voters through paid advertising or earned media.

Advertising Without Paying For Advertising

It has become fairly common for political campaigns to produce commercials and publish them for free on YouTube instead of, or in addition to, paying for time on television or the radio.

Often, journalists covering campaigns will write about those YouTube ads, essentially broadcasting their message to a wider audience at no cost to the politicians.

How Campaigns Go Viral

Twitter and Facebook have become instrumental in organizing campaigns. They allow like-minded voters and activists to easily share news and information such as campaign events with each other. That's what the "share" function on Facebook and "retweet" feature of Twitter are for.

Then-candidate Donald Trump used Twitter heavily in his 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump said,

"I like it because I can get also my point of view out there, and my point of view is very important to a lot of people that are looking at me."

Tailoring the Message to the Audience

Political campaigns can tap into a wealth of information or analytics about the people who are following them on social media and customize their messages based on selected demographics. A campaign may find one message appropriate for voters under 30 years old will not be as effective with those over 60.

Fundraising

Some campaigns have used so-called "money bombs" to raise large amounts of cash in a short time.

Money bombs are typically 24-hour periods in which candidates press their supporters to donate money. They use social media such as Twitter and Facebook to get the word out and often tie these money bombs to specific controversies that emerge during campaigns.

The popular libertarian Ron Paul, who ran for president in 2008, orchestrated some of the most successful money-bomb fundraising campaigns.

Controversy

Direct access to voters also has its downside. Handlers and public-relations professionals often manage a candidate's image, and for good reason: Allowing a politician to send out unfiltered tweets or Facebook posts has landed many a candidate in hot water or embarrassing situations.

A good example is Anthony Weiner, who lost his seat in Congress after exchanging sexually explicit messages and photos with women on his Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Weiner lost the New York mayor's race following a second scandal and ended up serving prison time when one of his "sexting" partners turned out to be underage.

Asking for feedback from voters or constituents can be a good thing. And it can be a very bad thing, depending on how politicians respond.

Many campaigns hire staffers to monitor their social media channels for a negative response and scrub anything unflattering. But such a bunker-like mentality can make a campaign appear defensive and closed off from the public.

Well-run modern-day campaigns will engage the public regardless of whether their feedback is negative or positive.

Weighing Public Opinion

The value of social media is in its immediacy. Politicians and campaigns do absolutely nothing without first knowing how their policy statements or moves will play among the electorate.

Twitter and Facebook both allow them to instantaneously gauge how the public is responding to an issue or controversy. Politicians can then adjust their campaigns accordingly, in real time, without the use of high-priced consultants or expensive polling.

One reason social media is effective is that it engages younger voters.

Typically, older Americans tend to make up the largest portion of voters who actually go to the polls. But Twitter and Facebook have energized younger voters, which, in turn, had a profound impact on elections.

President Barack Obama was the first politician to tap into the power of social media during his two successful campaigns.

The Power of Many

Social media tools have allowed Americans to easily join together to petition the government and their elected officials, leveraging their numbers against the influence of powerful lobbyists and monied special interests.

Make no mistake, lobbyists and special interest still have the upper hand, but the day will come when the power of social media allows like-minded citizens to join together in ways that will be just as powerful.

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Social Media in Politics - Twitter and Facebook as Campaigns Tools

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How political campaigns are now using Twitter and Facebook to energize their supporters. Find out why some candidates get into trouble on social media.

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The impact of social media on self-esteem

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The impact of social media on self-esteem

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https://padlet.com/gwalleyv/companies-and-social-media-addiction-4g49rjyaca1snc6i

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The effects of social media on our behavior

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The effects of social media on our behavior

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x2icqj6PaV4eotbwlJHP_6L7-ER76tScgvGUWec5pWg/edit