Does social media affect your adolescent’s mental health?

Social networks have changed our lives, the way we communicate is no longer the same . While there are benefits to living in a digital world, there are also risks. Today’s youth miss out on developing critical social skills when they spend most of their free time online and interacting through a screen. They can also get lost in a world of unrealistic comparisons, cyberbullying, and feel left out.

Clearly, depression is on the rise among teens, the question we must ask ourselves is how much technology and social media contribute. It’s no big secret that connecting through text messages, Instagram, and Facebook can include harsh judgments and comparisons.

It’s easier to write reviews on a screen that would otherwise be difficult to verbalize face-to-face . And inarticulate abbreviated conversations can easily lead to misunderstandings. It doesn’t help that digital communication occurs at a rapid pace, which is sometimes difficult to process … too much is said in writing and important conversations need to be face-to-face

Teens use social media to connect, seek friendship and support, and even ask for help at times. A better option is to understand how and why your teen uses social media , stay connected, and know what to look for if he shows unexplained emotional changes .

SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION

The defining characteristic of a major depressive episode is a period of at least two weeks during which there is depression or loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities. For children, you are more likely to see irritability than depression. Other symptoms of depression may include the following :

• • Feelings of hopelessness

• • Loss of interest in normal daily activities

• • Irritable mood

• • Significant weight loss or gain

• • Decreased self-care

• • Insomnia or hypersomnia

• • Psychomotor agitation or retardation

• • Fatigue or loss of energy.

• • Feelings of worthlessness.

• • Excessive guilt

• • Difficult to focus

• • Difficulty making decisions

• • Physical complaints: headaches, stomachaches.

• • Social isolation

• • Recurring thoughts about death.

• • Suicidal thoughts, actions, or plans.

The symptoms of depression exhibited by adolescents are likely to negatively affect school performance (and even attendance), friendships, and family relationships. The difficult part about teen depression is that it can be gradual. Complaints of difficulty sleeping or frequent headaches seem age appropriate, and in many cases they are. However, they shouldn’t happen regularly. When your typically active and social teenager seems isolated or sad, it’s time to seek help .

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD NOT TO BE AFFECTED BY SOCIAL NETWORKS

Believe it or not, your teen wants your support and guidance, but it can be difficult to find a balance between helping and trying to fix everything. Follow these tips to support your teenager :

• • Ask questions. Ask what apps he uses but without sounding like an interrogation. Give him space to enjoy the benefits of social media. If conflicts arise on the internet, your child has to know how to handle these situations and this has to be learned from you.

• • Be a good role model . Modeling is very important during adolescence . Teens are faced with new and confusing information almost daily. Growing up in the digital age is not an easy task. When parents follow their own rules and stick to their own limits, teens learn important lessons about self-care and setting limits.

• Communication with your children. This boils down to talking to them often. Parents play a critical role in helping teens process and cope with what they are seeing on the Internet. Talk about your own experiences with social media. Have you ever experienced envy scrolling through your feed? Have you accepted a friend request that turned out to be a fake profile because you didn’t take the time to look? When parents share their own experiences and talk openly about the ups and downs of social media, teens are more likely to open up about their experiences.