A. Social media use is neither inherently beneficial nor harmful to young people. Adolescents’ online lives reflect and influence their offline lives. In most cases, the impact of social media depends on the young person’s own personal and psychological characteristics and social context, and many social media intersect with the specific content, features, or functionality offered within her platform. Masu. In other words, the impact of social media is likely to depend on what teens can do and see online, the teens’ existing strengths and vulnerabilities, and the environment in which they grew up. .3
B. Adolescents’ online experiences are influenced by both 1) how they shape their social media experiences (e.g., choosing who to like and follow) and 2). 2) both visible and unknown features built into social media platforms;
C. Not all findings apply equally to all young people. Scientific discoveries, along with knowledge about a particular youth’s strengths, weaknesses, and circumstances, provide her one piece of information that can be used to make decisions tailored to each teen, family, and community.Four
D. Adolescent development is gradual and continuous, beginning with biological and neurological changes that occur before puberty is observed (i.e., beginning at approximately age 10) and beginning at least with changes in the adolescent’s social environment (e.g., peers). , family, family). school situation) and neurological changes are complete (i.e. until about age 25).Five Age-appropriate use of social media should be based on each youth’s level of maturity (self-regulation skills, intellectual development, understanding of risks, etc.) and home environment.6 For many, adolescents mature at different rates, and there is no data available to show that at a certain age children become less susceptible to the potential risks and opportunities posed by social media use. Studies identifying a single period or age point are under development. Of these recommendations. In general, potential risks may be greater during early adolescence, when biological, social, and psychological changes are greater than during late adolescence or early adulthood.7,8
E. As researchers have found in their broader study of the internet, they find that racism (which often reflects the perspectives on which the technology is built) is built into social media platforms. For example, algorithms (i.e., the series of mathematical instructions that guide a user’s daily experience down to the posts they view) can have centuries of racist policies and discrimination encoded in them.9 Social media can become an incubator for communities and training for racist hatred.Ten The resulting potential consequences are far-reaching, including offline physical violence and threats to well-being.11
F. These recommendations are based on psychology and related fields as of this writing (April 2023). These studies completed standardized assessments of social, behavioral, psychological, and/or neurological functioning and also reported participating in specific social media features or content (or (observed) conducted on thousands of adolescents. However, these studies have limitations. First, findings suggesting a causal relationship are rare. The data needed to conclude causality is difficult to collect, and while it may be available within technology companies, it is not made accessible to independent scientists. Second, long-term (i.e., multiyear) longitudinal studies are often not available. Therefore, little is known about the association between adolescents’ social media use and long-term outcomes (i.e., into adulthood). Third, we target marginalized youth populations, including those from marginalized racial, ethnic, sexual, gender, and socio-economic backgrounds, people with disabilities, and/or youth with chronic developmental disabilities and health conditions. Relatively few studies have been conducted.