by Douglas L. Anderson, PsyD

A recent New York Times article (March 28, 2022) says this:

“Analyzing survey responses of more than 84,000 people of all ages in Britain, the researchers identified two distinct periods of adolescence when heavy use of social media spurred lower ratings of “life satisfaction”: first around puberty — ages 11 to 13 for girls, and 14 to 15 for boys — and then again for both sexes around age 19.”

I found this fascinating for a couple of reasons.  First, it tells us that life satisfaction and social media interact, and social media content and usage has a larger negative impact at certain ages.  

Second, the studies have been happening all over the world over the past decade or more, and we see consistency in what they yield in terms of results.  And here’s the surprise - the impact, although evident, is not at all as significant as we thought or tend to believe.  

For example, the article notes that:

“For all ages, participants who felt bad about their lives wound up spending more time on social media a year later. This suggests that for some people the technology may be a coping mechanism rather than the cause of their gloom.”

We know that social media increases certain areas of risk or potential harm, but it can also carry plenty of positive things like support, connection, creativity and skill mastery.

The big takeaway for me is the reminder that social media isn’t quite the monster we have made it out to be at times.  Issues exist, concerns exist, and we need to attend to those.  That is especially true when it comes to the age groups noted earlier in this article.  But we must also see the manifold benefits of social media.  Quick access to information, the ability to stay connected in ways that were once impossible, and discovering support systems that didn’t exist prior to social media - all of these are good things and helpful things.

A second important takeaway is the clear need to address this issue at a personal level rather than at the broad stroke level.  In other words, although the use of social media may be generally innocuous, it could at the same time be extremely destructive for certain individuals.  And when it is a significant problem for someone, it can be severe.

Therapists like me probably have an inclination to see the negative impact of social media because we see individuals who have been negatively impacted in our offices and in online sessions.  But we need to be reminded that what is destructive for certain individuals may not be a problem for other individuals.

If the use of social media has been destructive for you or for members of your family, good psychotherapy can help.  If you or your children need some additional help dealing with the negative impact of social media, give us a call.  River Counseling Services and Sioux Falls Psychological Services meet you where you are, offering hope.  You may schedule an appointment with the Platte office at 605-337-3444, or meet with one of our Sioux Falls Psychological Services therapists from your own computer or smartphone.  To schedule an appointment please call 605-334-2696.