Like Me: How Social Media Is Damaging Society

Internet giants like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are facing tougher calls for regulation than ever before, as the devastating impact of social media on our children’s health begins to come to the fore.

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This week, we take a closer look at the “social generation,” exploring what needs to be done to create a safer, more positive digital environment for everyone…

DAMAGING IMPACT

Today’s millennials and Gen Zers are living in truly unprecedented times, with their smartphones now “constant companions” that alert them to updates on their friends, their favorite celebrities, and the goings on around the world. Youngsters are always-on, always updating, and always glued to their phones teenagers spend an average of nine hours per day online, with many “worried” they’re spending too much time browsing social networks.

However, it’s hard to deny that social media has, for the most part, been a force for good, connecting communities once cut off from the outside world, allowing businesses to flourish and compete with multinationals, and aiding democracy and the dissemination of positive news. But social media is also under fire, with national surveys showing teenagers are in crisis: suicide attempts have increased 25 percent between 2009 and 2017 in the US alone. What’s more, the past ten years, mental health has suffered, with the USA reporting a 37 percent increase in teens being diagnosed with clinical depression. Of course, there are a whole host of reasons why young people may be struggling: you only have to read headlines about the growing threat of terrorism, uncertain political and economic times to see why.

Attitudes towards mental health are changing, too, making it easier than ever for young people to self-identify a mental health problem, and seek the necessary therapy or medication.