Social Media Reset: Empowering Teens in the Age of Digital Comparison
By: Jack Vaughan
The term “high potency” is typically reserved for conversations regarding THC and the alarming rates of drug-induced psychosis that are sweeping the nation. However, I would argue that teens are living in high potency times, in-general. From the substances they imbibe to the content they consume; the teenage world can be a deluge of high potency risks and repercussions. And social media is certainly no exception to this phenomenon. Social media, if anything, has proven to be the precipitous rise, and ongoing fallout, of the highest potency content ever created.
On the surface, social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok seemingly provide fun ways for teens to express themselves, but the endless stream of “picture-perfect” content and its creators has led to a wave of social comparison that has never been seen before in the history of our species. Naturally, this has heavily contributed to the ongoing teenage mental health crisis. So, how can we help teens hit a “reset” and empower them to develop healthier habits around social media?
Before we get there, let’s take a closer look at the teenage brain and how it is uniquely attuned to social comparison during this developmental stage.
First of all, teenage brains are in a constant state of building and shaping the neural pathways related to social and emotional processing (i.e. the limbic system). As these pathways evolve, teens become acutely aware of social rewards like peer validation as well as threats like exclusion -- a phenomenon that motivates them to constantly draw social comparisons. Additionally, the teenage brain has higher baseline dopamine levels along with increased dopamine receptor densities in the reward pathways compared to adults. This powerful combination amplifies the rewarding effects of social media, which can lead to addictive tendencies and the negative effects of dopamine saturation if left unchecked. Furthermore, a teen's underdeveloped prefrontal cortex typically lacks the adult brain’s meta-cognitive capacities for perspective and big-picture thinking, causing them to be susceptible to over-interpreting their peers’ posts as reflections of truth / benchmarks of worth.
Given these neurobiological factors, it’s no wonder that teens are highly susceptible to social media. Here’s some of the latest research regarding the effects of social media on teenage wellbeing in general:
A 2022 study in JAMA Network Open, which analyzed over 200,000 adolescents, found that adolescents who spent more than 3 hours per day on social media faced double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety. This study also found that 27.2% of teens surveyed met thresholds for "problematic social media use," indicating potential addiction.
In 2021, research published in “Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking” concluded that the frequency of social media use predicted poorer sleep quality, lower self-esteem, and higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms in teenagers.
A 2022 survey of high school students uncovered that 60% felt “addicted” to social media, while 50% linked it to increased feelings of ugliness, insecurity, and anxiety about their popularity.
In 2022, research conducted by the Boston Children’s Digital Wellness Lab concluded that there was a significant correlation between social media use and poor body image. When asked about the impact of social media on their body image, nearly half (46%) of adolescents aged 13–17 said that social media makes them feel worse and only 14% said it makes them feel better.
So, how can caring adults help empower teens to harness social media for connection and positive expression while mitigating these risks to mental health? Here are some ways:
Foster an open dialogue with your teen to better understand how they use social media and the way it makes them feel. It is important not to vilify social media which remains an integral part of how today’s teens express themselves as well as foster their identities and social relationships.
Help your teen realize that “likes” do not define their worth and that everyone presents idealized versions of themselves online.
Assess whether your teen’s use of social media is mainly active (creating content) or passive (consuming content). Research shows that active posting, like sharing art, is less detrimental than passive scrolling. If possible, try and encourage social media use as a platform for creativity.
Help your teen identify and mute accounts that cause them to make “upward comparisons” and feel negatively about their body image and self-worth.
Encourage your teen to take social media breaks and replace the time with in-person activities and socialization.
While social media may affect some teens more than others, there is no doubt that it is a double-edged sword for the majority of teenagers today. In the blink of an eye, a young person’s feed can flip from providing a meaningful connection with a peer to eliciting a social comparison that is corrosive to their self-worth. Thus, equipping teens with an education on safe social media usage as well as supporting healthy boundaries around their usage is paramount to supporting their psychological wellbeing.
With bespoke services and state-of-the-art care, YPM is here to help young adults and teenagers overcome the detrimental effects of social media and learn how to safely navigate the waters of such “high potency” content.