New age technology and social media: adolescent psychosocial implications and the need for protective measures

Abstract

Purpose of review In recent years, breakthroughs and advancements in new age technology have revolutionized the way children communicate and interact with the world around them. As social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat continue to grow in popularity, their usage has raised concerns about their role and impact on adolescent development and behavior. This review examines the psychosocial implications of social media usage on youth outcomes related to body image, socialization, and adolescent development. It discusses ways that clinicians and parents can effectively safeguard their children from the potential threats posed by digital media while providing a fact sheet for parents that addresses these concerns and summarizes recommended strategies to combat them. Recent findings While social media platforms continue to experience surges in popularity, mounting evidence suggests significant correlations between their usage and adolescent mental health and behavioral issues. Increased social media usage has been linked to diminished self-esteem and body satisfaction, elevated risk of cyber-bullying, heightened exposure to pornographic material, and risky sexual behaviors. Summary Given how new age technology is steadily permeating everyday life, greater efforts are needed to inform adolescent users and their families about the negative consequences of social media usage. Pediatricians and parents must take cautionary measures to reduce psychosocial risks and ensure the online safety of children.

Social Media Exposure, Psychological Distress, Emotion Regulation, and Depression During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Community Samples in China

“…For example, one item provides the following four options: "I do not feel sad" (0), "I feel sad" (1), "I am sad all the time and I can't snap out of it" (2), and "I am so sad and unhappy that I can't stand it" (3). The total possible score ranges from 0 to 63, and participants can be categorized as being at one of four levels of depression severity according to their total score: no or minimal depression (0-13), mild depression (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19), moderate depression (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28), and severe depression (≥29). The Chinese version of BDI-II was reliable on assessing depressive symptom (51).…”

“…Beyond establishing prevalence, it is important to identify factors associated with higher and lower risk of depression among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Massive social media use was found to be associated with poor sleep quality, elevated depressive symptoms, and behavior issues in adolescents, such as cyberbullying ( 15 – 17 ). Previous research demonstrated that greater exposure to trauma-related media information was associated with an increased risk of developing mental health problems over time.…”

Adolescentes na Era Digital: Impactos na Saúde Mental

“…Essas plataformas podem influenciar na autoestima do adolescente, na imagem e aceitação do próprio corpo. Muitas adolescentes são pressionadas pela sociedade a se adequarem a determinados padrões de beleza e recorrem com mais frequência a softwares de edição de imagens, o que pode aumentar a prática de cyberbullying e transtornos relacionados à imagem corporal (Kelleghan, et al, 2020;Shah et al, 2019). As adolescentes tendem a acessar a internet com mais frequência e a relatar sentimentos de solidão e desconexão social (Coughlan et al, 2021;Lupton & Deborah, 2021), em que se observa mais comportamentos de comparação com as fotos/imagens das demais colegas e mais relatos de transtornos alimentares (Lonergan et al, 2020) especialmente aquelas com transtornos psiquiátricos devido à baixa autoestima e insegurança nos relacionamentos (Durkee et al, 2012).…”

“…Os aplicativos e plataformas (YouTube, Tumblr e Instagram) geralmente atendem melhor às necessidades e mais acessados (Lupton, & Deborah, 2021). Os profissionais da saúde são incentivados a discutir e auxiliar os adolescentes sobre as questões relacionadas à imagem corporal, autoestima, pornografia e no reconhecimento de que as imagens da mídia são geralmente editadas e aprimoradas, assegurando-os sobre as consequências negativas de um uso indiscriminado desses recursos (Shah et al, 2019;Strasburger, Jordan, & Donnerstein, 2010).…”

“…À medida que a tecnologia se torna uma parte maior das atividades diárias dos adolescentes, as vantagens e desvantagens das mídias digitais sobre o desenvolvimento psicossocial do adolescente são motivos de preocupação (Shah et al, 2019). Como aspectos positivos desse avanço da disseminação de tecnologia, os adolescentes relatam que a comunicação virtual possibilitou o uso de novas linguagens, o que pode favorecer a liberdade de expressão e o espaço virtual configurou-se como um laboratório social para a vida real, de modo que o acesso à internet pode auxiliar na superação das dificuldades sociais, conflitos emocionais e timidez (Comitê Gestor da Internet no Brasil, 2016).…”