Likes, Follows, and Anxiety: The Teen Mental Health Crisis and Social Media

Written by: Angela Derrick, Ph.D. & Susan McClanahan, Ph.D.

Date Posted: November 14, 2024 6:13 am

Likes, Follows, and Anxiety: The Teen Mental Health Crisis and Social Media

We are in a teen mental health crisis, and it has been going on for nearly a decade. The constant pursuit of validation and belonging on social media platforms, measured by “likes” and “follows,” can significantly contribute to anxiety, depression, screen addiction, and a myriad of other negative mental health issues, especially among teenagers whose brains are still developing. Smartphones can be incredibly unsafe for young teens, and there is plenty we can do about it. We will explore resources and solutions in parenting and policy-making for families, communities, schools, and the nation.

Lately, as we are out and about in our communities, we have noticed droves of parents reading “The Anxious Generation“ by Jonathan Haidt. Haidt explores the complex and troubling effects of smartphones and social media on adolescent mental health. He is concerned about what he coins as a transition from a “play-based childhood” encompassing Millennials, Gen X, and prior generations to a “phone-based” one that landed squarely on the shoulders of Gen Z.

He makes a case that Gen Z’s parents tended toward an over-attentive and fearful style of parenting (vigilantly guarding against perceived threats in the real world). Simultaneously, there was a complete lack of guard rails regarding screen time and social media usage (arguably the much more significant threat to well-being). These two circumstances were part of a perfect storm that marked the transition from a play-based to a phone-based childhood. This crossing over spiked a mental health crisis in young people beginning in the early to mid-2010s and has continued to this day.

Play-Based Childhood Definition

Jonathan Haidt describes a play-based childhood as one where children engage in unstructured, self-directed play, often outdoors and with minimal adult intervention. This type of play is essential for building resilience, creativity, and problem-solving skills in young people. Children also experience real-life conditions where they learn valuable lessons in navigating risk, resolving conflicts, building community, and learning the social skills essential for nurturing what will become a generation of mentally healthy adults.

Gen X Play-Based Childhood

In my childhood, especially during the summers, a typical day at around age 11 went like this:

• I set my alarm and got myself up at a ridiculously early hour to get to swim team practice.
• I ate breakfast (probably cereal).
• Next, I jumped on my bike and rode to the pool, where I met up with about 15 other kids and the coach and spent the next 2 hours training.
• After practice, I rode my bike home to eat, then set off again to meet up with friends.
• As a group, we devised our schedules for how we were going to fill our day: sometimes, we went to the pool, or we spent the afternoon at each other’s house making art or trying to build something; we often invented wild stories of what we wanted to do when we grew up (own a gas station as a cover for our real careers as private eyes).
• I was expected back home at dinner and spent family time for the rest of the evening.

Even Millennials with cell phones and so-called helicopter parents still had play-based childhoods. It wasn’t until the advent of iPhones with front-facing cameras, the newly available “like” and “repost” options on social media platforms, the industry’s intense competition for our attention, and the implementation of high-speed internet that caused the entire game to change rapidly and drastically.

Phone-Based Childhood

Haidt describes a phone-based childhood as one in which children spend significant amounts of time on smartphones and other digital devices at the expense of traditional play and real-time interactions.

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Communication

Synchronous or face-to-face communication allows us to take in body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. With practice, we acquire the social skills needed to become a well-rounded, thriving adult. In contrast, asynchronous, screen-based interactions on the internet are one-to-many and involve delays in responses with no ability to glean information from facial expressions and other live indicators, leaving young people lacking or unpracticed in necessary social skills.

Not all digital interactions are asynchronous; for example, face time counts as synchronous as it is one-to-one and in real-time.

The Reshaping of Childhood

Instead of engaging in imaginative play and exploration,  children from a phone-based childhood are often absorbed in social media, games, and other online content. We are convinced that the widespread adoption of smartphones from a young age has fundamentally reshaped childhood and rewired children’s brains. This rewiring is often in ways that leave young people unprepared for real-life challenges. It has also contributed to a sharp increase in adolescent mental health struggles such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, to name a few.

Excessive screen time, in general, and hours on social media, in particular, can negatively impact the mental health of adolescents and is linked to several mental health issues. Here are just a few ways that social media causes these difficulties:

Everyone, especially teenagers, struggles with comparison culture. Young people are out-matched by highly curated images that bend reality with filters and idealized pictures made possible through heavy editing. This constant projection of unattainable standards can lead teens to compare themselves negatively to others, causing feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. These pictures and videos are insidious and overwhelming, especially when the algorithms start feeding our teens larger volumes of problematic imagery to keep them obsessively engaged at best and addicted at worst.

Fear of missing out is another mechanism that causes harm. This phenomenon may make a cute-sounding acronym (FOMO), but it is a serious trigger. Teens see the perfect curation and outright visual exaggerations of other people’s lives and suffer anxiety that they are missing out on experiences that their peers seem to be enjoying in abundance. Social comparisons are further fueled and exacerbated by FOMO.

Most of us have had the experience of seeking validation through likes and engagement with our social media posts. A well-adjusted, mentally healthy adult can impose self-limits, reframe unhelpful thoughts, and adjust behaviors to neutralize negative influences in the social media experience. The brains of children and teens are still developing. They are much more susceptible to having their progress toward healthy adulthood hijacked by social media, sending them down an unhealthy path of looking for validation outside of themselves with a never-ending stream of people and imagery with which to compete. They also get hooked in a way that can erode their mental health. Being separated from screens and social media for a time will often bring back previous levels of well-being and mental health.

According to the Psychology Today article The Impact of Social Media on Teen Mental Health, research shows the following negative consequences:

1. Depression and anxiety: Higher levels of social media use among children and adolescents are linked to increased symptoms of depression and anxiety.
2. Sleep disruption: Excessive social media use can lead to inadequate sleep, which can disrupt neurological development and potentially lead to depression and suicidal behaviors.
3. Self-esteem and body image: Social media use is associated with low self-esteem and poor body image, which can contribute to mental health issues.
4. Gender differences: Female adolescents appear to be more significantly impacted by social media-related depression than males.
5. LGBTQ+ youth: This group faces even higher risks, with depression, suicide attempts, and suicidal thoughts being 40 percent higher than in other teens.
6. Cyberbullying: There’s a strong connection between social media cyberbullying and depression among young people.

The impacts of screen time and social media immersion are intensely serious issues facing our youth. We want to do our best to get the regulation of this “right,” as so much is at stake. We would advocate for more universal, age-appropriate norms regarding kids obtaining their first smartphones and older age norms when adolescents can more safely navigate a social media account. We also believe a great deal can be gained by restricting phone access during the school day. While doing this research, we found that this can be a contentious issue, but almost every teacher we know has negative experiences with smartphones in their classrooms.

Research shows that phones can impede the ability to learn in many ways, including constant interruptions, resulting in reduced attention spans. Smartphones in the classroom can also be incredibly isolating. In the comment section of an article on this topic, a teacher said that a new policy restricting smartphone use during the school day showed amazingly positive results. He noticed very soon after the policy’s implementation that students started talking with each other between classes, and laughter could be heard in the hallways again. What a revelation!

In a June 17, 2024 essay in the New York Times, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, called for government-mandated warning labels on social media.

Dr. Murthy stated in his essay:

One of the most important lessons I learned in medical school was that in an emergency, you don’t have the luxury to wait for perfect information. You assess the available facts, you use your best judgment, and you act quickly.

The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor. Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023, was 4.8 hours. Additionally, nearly half of adolescents say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.

It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. 

Social media addiction in teens can manifest through behavioral, emotional, and physical symptoms. Here are some common warning signs to look out for:

Loss of Interest in Offline Activities: Teens may lose interest in hobbies, sports, or activities they previously enjoyed. They may also seem uninterested in spending time with friends and family, and they may start to avoid in-person interaction and withdraw from social obligations.

Mood Swings: Heightened sensitivity to likes, comments, and followers or lack thereof may cause dramatic shifts in mood and lead to feelings of anxiety, sadness, and frustration if they are not receiving desired responses online. Likewise, an elevated mood may be tied to obtaining desired responses.

Sleep Problems: Many teens use social media late at night, likely disrupting sleep. Excessive screen time, especially before bed, can delay or fragment sleep, affecting overall mental and physical health.

Constant Need to Check Notifications: Compulsive checking of notifications, even in inappropriate situations (like during school, meals, or conversations), is a common sign of social media addiction. Teens may feel an urge to stay updated and anxious if they can’t check their devices frequently​.

Neglecting Responsibilities: Social media addiction can lead to neglect of schoolwork, chores, and other responsibilities. Grades may drop, and they begin to miss deadlines; time management will become a real problem.

Increased Irritability or Anxiety Without Their Phone: If teens become irritable, anxious, or uncomfortable when they can’t access their devices or are forced to take a break from social media, this is a significant warning sign. They may feel disconnected or fearful of missing out (FOMO).

Obsession with Image and Validation: Trouble with social media often includes a preoccupation with self-image and a need for validation through likes, comments, or shares. Teens may go to great lengths to post idealized photos or worry excessively about how others perceive them online.

In “The Anxious Generation,” Jonathan Haidt proposes that parents normalize age restrictions on social media (he suggests access only after age 16, while many others advocate for 18), implement phone-free policies in schools, and provide more opportunities for unstructured play and real-world interactions. He sees no upside for children aged 12 and under to have smartphones (flip phones are fine) and stresses the need for legislative changes to protect youth from tech-related harms​.

We have seen a lot of arguments against government overreach. Still, many have pointed out the societal positives that came from regulating cigarettes, for instance, especially regarding the ways the tobacco industry was targeting young people (similar to Big Tech targeting adolescents today). We can come together as a society and decide what we are or are not ok with. Are we comfortable with social media companies being entirely unfettered towards adolescents who are still developmentally vulnerable?

Here are some practical steps parents can implement to help their kids navigate these digital waters:

• Limit Screen Time: Set boundaries and monitor social media usage, establishing designated “tech-free” periods. Include your children in the monitoring process so they can be aware of their screen usage and the amount of time spent on different platforms.

• Curate Your Feed: Help and encourage your kids to follow accounts that promote education, history, art & creativity, well-being, exciting hobbies, positivity, and realistic portrayals of life. An endless list of worthwhile and fun topics can be pursued by following creators dedicated to improving their little corners of the world.  Likewise, make sure your kids are skilled at unfollowing content that makes them feel any sort of bad way about their bodies, looks, personality, or lifestyle. If accounts are causing kids to feel negative about themselves, promoting toxic diet culture, comparison culture, and celebrity almost anything (I said ALMOST anything; some celebrities are actually kind of great), normalize unfollowing and blocking if necessary.

• Focus on Real-Life Connections: Prioritize face-to-face interactions with friends and family. There is no substitute for interacting in real life (IRL) and getting as much of it as possible.

• Open Communication: Talk openly with your kids about their social media experiences and any concerns they might have. Make sure you are the place they go if they have a frightening experience or are being bullied online. Keep a calm, open line of communication so your kids feel comfortable telling you anything. 

• Digital Literacy Education: Teach teens about online safety, responsible social media use, and how to identify and manage cyberbullying. They also need to learn critical thinking skills and how to identify disinformation and misinformation. We have included some extra resources at the end of this article that can help. 

• Seeking Outside Help: If your child is showing signs of distress, depression, anxiety, or any other mental health issues, do not hesitate to get help from a qualified therapist. The faster, the better to keep the difficulties from spiraling.

Resources — NAMI Chicago

Kids, Smartphones and Social Media: The Risks and The Solutions

The Anxious Generation – Free the Anxious Generation

After Babel | Jon Haidt | Substack

The Social Dilemma

Should Big Tech be held responsible for screen time? | Gaia Bernstein | TEDxReno

iGen: The Smartphone Generation | Jean Twenge | TEDxLagunaBlancaSchool

Harmony Square

If you or someone you love is contemplating suicide, seek help immediately. For help 24/7, dial 988 for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.

At SpringSource Psychological Center, we strive to provide the most effective and compassionate care for individuals struggling with eating disorders, anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship issues.

We believe there are many paths to healing, and we can help facilitate your individual recovery journey. With offices in downtown Chicago and Northbrook, we offer in-person and virtual support.

Call SpringSource today at 224-202-6260⁠ | info@springsourcecenter.com | We offer free 15-minute initial consultations—schedule here.