Safe Social Media

SOCIAL media has revolutionized the way people communicate, share information and connect with each other. However, as its use has grown exponentially, so have concerns about its po­tential negative effects on mental health, especially in young people. In response to this, the American Psycho­logical Association (APA) recently issued a health advi­sory on social media use in adolescence, emphasizing the importance of adult guidance and limit-setting in the use of social media by teenagers.

The advisory’s importance is universal. We live in a time when social media is increasingly becoming a bane than a boon. And it is not just for its massive potential to spread misinformation and disinforma­tion but also for its role in manipulating minds at an impressionable age. In Kashmir, as anywhere else, the parents allow their children unhindered access to so­cial media on their smartphones so that they don’t dis­turb them or are persuaded to have food. So, in a sense, social media is used as a pacifier in our homes. And as the children add some more years to their life, they are given separate smartphones and the freedom to use it in whatever way possible.

This is why the APA report needs to be taken seri­ously by parents everywhere including in Kashmir. The report is timely, given the growing evidence of the nega­tive impact of social media on young people’s mental health, including depression, anxiety, and loneliness. The advisory aims to provide actionable advice to help parents, teachers, and policymakers navigate this com­plex issue and reduce the potential psychological harm caused by social media.

The APA report recommends that adolescents should receive adult supervision and limit-setting, with increas­ing autonomy as they develop digital literacy skills. Par­ents and other adults should monitor teenagers’ social media feeds, talk to them about social media, encourage them to take breaks from their devices, and train them in social media literacy. This training should begin even before teenagers start using social media platforms.

One significant finding of the report is that exposure to “cyberhate” can lead to increased anxiety and depres­sive symptoms in adolescents, particularly those from marginalized groups. Therefore, adolescents should re­ceive training to recognize and critique racist messages online to reduce psychological distress.

The report also highlights the negative impact of us­ing social media for social comparison related to physi­cal appearance. The researchers suggest that adoles­cents should receive training in social media literacy to develop psychologically-informed competencies and skills that promote safe and meaningful social media use. And this is important if we want to nurture a new generation that is not only healthy in their body but also in their mind.

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