Social Media Causes Depression in Teens & This is Why

Does your teen hibernate in their bedroom on Social Media for hours on end? Every time you pop in their room, they have their phone in front of their face? And when they finally decide to make an appearance (Likely, to rummage through the kitchen for food) their phone is in their hand at all times?

Or maybe your teen doesn’t hibernate in their room but you notice how much they LOVE their phone.

If any of this sounds familiar, you’re in the right place!

Lack of social Interactions | Social Media

Social Media decreases social face to face interaction. As our kids grow up, it’s important that we teach them the social skills they need in order to grow & thrive in this world.

For example, relying on social media for social interactions rather than encouraging teens to have in person conversations, could lead them to be socially awkward and/or end up giving them anxiety.

Too often nowadays we hear, “social anxiety” – this is exactly what creates that thought process.

Comparison | Thinking others live a perfect life

The amount of time teens spend on social media comparing their lives to others, is extremely unhealthy.

Everything looks “perfect” on the internet

This dangerous thought sets them up for failure! Constantly comparing their life with others looks so perfect, ends up holding them back from truly enjoying the life they live themselves.

Gossiping | Bullying on Social Media

Social Media gives teens the time and opportunity to gossip, cause drama and bully others behind the phone.

One thing teens don’t fully understand is that no matter what you share on social media, it will always get back to others – and it will also never go away.

Lack of confidence

Selfies, likes, attention of any kind to boost the confidence. Or if they don’t get the attention they are hoping for, it does the exact opposite.

As a result, they end up relying on strangers to boost their confidence or it brings their confidence down which can be depressing.

Related: Understanding the Negative Effects of Social Media on Teens

Preventable | Depression In Teens

There are many teenagers that use social media and use it 100% appropriately with zero issues, which is great!

But the majority of teens need to be monitored and guided in the right direction. After all, teens are learning and growing.

This is a vulnerable time and if they don’t have us to guide them, they won’t know any better.

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Tips to prevent Social Media from causing Depression in Teens

• Monitor your teen – SERIOUSLY I can’t stress this enough!
• Set clear expectations for phone use
• Don’t allow social media of any kind until they are responsible enough for it
• Limit phone usage
• Limit what apps are allowed to be used.
• Install a monitoring program on their phone – I personally recommend using the Bark app for this!