Are Teens depressed by Facebook?

by Aimee Keenan-Greene

The next time you take the kids to the doctor, you may hear them asked a new question during the exam: Are you on Facebook?

“For some teens and tweens, social media is the primary way they interact socially, rather than at the mall or a friend’s house,” said Gwenn O’Keeffe, MD, FAAP, co-author of the clinical report. “A large part of this generation’s social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones. Parents need to understand these technologies so they can relate to their children’s online world – and comfortably parent in that world.” 

A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics says social media make a significant impact on school-aged and adolescent patients, both positive and negative. Tweens and teens have a limited capacity for self-regulation and are susceptible to peer pressure, they are at some risk as they engage in and experiment with social media.
 
“The Impact of Social Media Use on Children, Adolescents and Families”  (April 2011, Pediatrics) guidelines include recommendations for pediatricians to help families navigate the social media landscape, including advice for parents on how to talk to children about their online use and issues like cyber-bullying, sexting, and time management.   

According to a Common Sense Media poll, more than half of adolescents log on to a social media site more than once a day. 
 
Almost a quarter, 22 percent,  of teenagers log on to their favorite social media site more than 10 times a day.

Seventy-five percent of teens now own cell phones, and 25 percent use them for social media, 54 percent for texting, and 24 percent for instant messaging. According to the report, all this time online could be causing 'Facebook Depression' in children who instead of feeling connected, feel isolated. 
 
“Some young people find the lure of social media difficult to resist, which can interfere with homework, sleep and physical activity,” Dr. O’Keeffe said. “Parents need to understand how their child is using social media so that they can set appropriate limits.”  
 
Earlier this month Rhode Island lawmakers heard from the cyberbullying task force that's looking into ways to help schools discipline students who harass classmates, while helping the victims. 


Additional Resources: 

AAP's SafetyNet for an in-depth guide to keeping your kids safer online.


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