Social media can be harmful to kids and teens because it exposes them to cyberbullying, negatively impacts their mental health, creates unrealistic expectations about life and self-worth, and can lead to addiction that interferes with their daily lives and responsibilities. To protect their well-being, it is important for parents, educators, and teens themselves to set healthy boundaries and use social media responsibly. We asked students what questions they have regarding social media being bad for kids and teens.

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Q) Does social media help teens  focus on their studies?

A) Social media can have both positive and negative effects on kids' and teens' ability to focus on their studies, but it can cause distractions while doing school work by getting notifications from certain apps or messages and when they go to check their phone they will start to pay more attention the it than to their work.

Q) Does being on social media reduce their sleep time?

A) It does indeed reduce their sleep because excessive screen time (especially at night) can lead up to sleep deprivation which can affect their academic performance. 

Q) Does it cause social anxiety?

A) Yes, social media can contribute to social anxiety, but its effects depend on how it is used which can also let them think about "Composition Culture" which lets them think that life on social media is perfect and which makes them rely on social media for everything and can weaken face to face social skills.

Q) Is it causing cyberbullying?

A) Yes, social media plays a significant role in enabling cyberbullying. While it isn’t the direct cause, it provides a platform where bullying can occur more easily and anonymously and can cause public humiliation, 24/7 access,Anonymity & Lack of Consequences, and Comparison & Pressure which makes it worse for the kids/teens on social media.

Q) Is it ok to be on on social media for people under 13?

A) Most social media platforms, like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat, have a minimum age requirement of 13 due to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act in the U.S. This law is designed to protect kids from data collection and inappropriate content.

Q) Does social media help teens/kids boost their self esteem ?

A) Social media can both help and harm teens' and kids' self-esteem, depending on how it is used by some kids seeing photos of certain people can make them feel like they aren't good enough while there are also negative comments,validation , and  unrealistic beauty standards that make kids/teens lose their self esteem.

Q) Does social media cause depression?

A) Social media can contribute to depression, but it doesn’t directly cause it. Its effects depend on how often it's used, how it's used, and a person’s overall mental health unless the kid/teen is going through cyber bulling, getting negative comments, etc.

Q) Does social media cause kids to not have fun outdoors?

A) Yes, social media can lead to kids spending less time outdoors, but it depends on how they balance screen time with other activities when it comes to them having a screen time addiction and can cause parental concerns.

Q) Does it cause kids/teens to talk to older people?

A) Yes, social media can make it easier for kids and teens to talk to older people, but it can also create risks if not monitored carefully and can cause them to not act of age, and exploitation.

Q) Does social media cause kids/teens to have a change in behavior?

A) Yes, social media can lead to changes in behavior in kids and teens by causing them lack of face to face interaction, can increase anxiety and stress, attention issues, risky behavior, and sleep disruptions.  

These are examples of what kids can be doing instead of being on their phones.

By: Nayeli, Aria, and Nataly