Social Media Depression: How to Protect Teens

Latest estimates show that more than 4 billion people use online networks around the world. As such, it would be appropriate to say that social media deserves a high degree of attention and research from the medical community. After all, since many people use social media sites like Facebook daily and for several hours on end, there ought to be some mental health effects that they experience because of it, such as social media depression.

That being said, one of the most terrible ways in which social media and mental health are related is by depression. The preliminary studies on the negative effects of social media have shown only a correlation between usage of social media and depression. But now we have studies that show beyond the shadow of a doubt that, sometimes, online networks are a direct cause of social media depression.

Depression is no joke, by the way. Even though people use this word on a daily basis to describe feelings of sadness and lack of energy – clinical depression is a much more serious problem. It can cause a lack of interest in any activities, as well as persistent feelings of unworthiness and sadness. 

There are several answers to “How can social media cause depression?” You’ll get to learn more about the causal mechanics by reading the rest of our review on the subject below.

The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health

Positive Aspects

There’s no denying that there are some positive aspects of social media effects. For example, it can keep a person in the loop as to what’s going on in their social circle. It can help you keep in touch with your friends and close ones. And we all know that having a healthy social life is paramount if you are to maintain your mental health.

Moreover, online networks enable people to share their thoughts and opinions on certain matters with the world. This can help a person feel that they are a part of the community and contribute to it. Again, this can do wonders for a person’s mental health. You can also learn what other people share on certain subjects and, once again, this will make you feel connected to your community.

Negative Aspects

Apart from positive aspects, there’s no denying that there are some negative aspects of social media use. First off, social media usage may cause a disconnect between the perceived reality and the “real reality”. It’s obvious to just about everyone that people are inclined to show their best face on online networks. So, if an impressionable person sees through an Instagram feed, they may see handsome people traveling around the world and having the time of their life. This can easily cause feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness, which may spiral down and turn into full-blown depression.

Also, as most people would attest, online networks can be incredibly addictive. There are many people that would say that they use social media sites for several hours on end. The use of “likes” and getting notifications can turn into a loop where all you’ll want to do is check what’s up on social media platforms. This is not a naïve thing, either. There are instances when people are stuck using online networks even against their own will, as they’re addicted, for several hours in a day. This can alienate you from the important things in your life. This is just another in the line of answers to the matter of how social media depression can be caused. 

How Does Social Media Influence Teens

It’s one thing to talk about adults and their interactions with online networks. After all, adults are much better equipped mentally to note how they relate to online networks. They can monitor their reactions and understand that what they’re seeing may not be a complete reality. They can also keep track of how much time they spend on online networks.

However, things are much more complicated when it comes to teenagers. First off, teenagers’ brains are not fully developed yet to the adults’ level. Also, teenagers lack real-world experience that can help them see right from wrong and make the right decisions at the right time.

So, you can immediately see how online networks can have a profound influence on the developing teenage mind. A quick look in most high schools (and even elementary schools) around the world will show you that teens are obsessed with online networks. They use online networks like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and others all the time. Below, there are some crucial ways in which social media can influence teens, including the development of social media depression.

Social Media Hogs Time and Attention

Since many teens use online networks all the time, it follows that they seldom have the time or attention span to do anything of importance. They have no time to study, exercise, or read books – and in extreme cases, even hang out with their friends.

Teens May Have a Skewed Perception of Reality

We’ve already touched on this problem in one of the previous sections of this review. The point is that everyone puts their best foot forward on social media. People tend to post photos and videos where they are having the time of their lives. Photos and videos where people are down and out are relatively rare. So, teens may end up thinking that since everyone’s obviously so happy and successful, it may be the case that something’s wrong with them, as they fail to meet the success/happiness standards of Instagram and Facebook. This is one of the worst forms of influence that online networks can exert on impressionable teenage minds.

Lack of Sleep

Sleep is one of the quintessential physiological needs that we have to meet every night to remain healthy physically and mentally. This is why it’s sad to see countless teenagers hooked on social media sites deep into the night. This means they disrupt their circadian rhythms and fail to get enough sleep. If this practice persists for a long time (and it usually does), teens may become irritable and edgy with a lack of energy to do anything productive and positive.

Tips for Parents

So, what do you do if you happen to be the parent of a teenager? The first goal that you’ll want to have is to prevent your child from getting hooked on online networks. This may be easier said than done, as teens nowadays have access to modern technology that they can use to get online practically whenever they feel like it. And if you see that your child is already hooked on social media, you’ll want to intervene and help them break the addiction. 

First off, you’ll want to have an open, honest relationship with your child. If this is the case, the child will be more receptive to your advice about their social media usage. But if this doesn’t work, you may have to use other methods. One of the best tools that you have at your disposal is parental control apps. You’ll get to learn more about them below, but for now, it’s important to note that you can use these tools to effectively monitor and control your children’s use of social media networks. 

Safely Using Social Media

The truth is, it’s not all gloom and doom when it comes to online networks usage. There are, after all, some positive things to be said about online networks if they are used responsibly. However, given their inherently addictive nature, it means that the user should always actively work on keeping a healthy relationship with social media platforms. This is even more important when it comes to teenagers.

So, if your teenage son or daughter uses social media sites up to an hour a day and if they don’t get too carried away with thinking that what they’re seeing is a complete reality, it means that they have developed a successful relationship with online networks. This, in turn, means that they will reap the benefits of using the social web without experiencing social media depression or other drawbacks. 

The Benefits of Parental Control Apps

One of the best ways in which you can monitor and control your child’s social media usage is with the use of parental control apps. They can be safely and easily installed on the target device. You can inform your child that you’re monitoring them – or, if you prefer, you can monitor them without them even noticing. These apps usually have a stealth option that will keep your child oblivious that you’re monitoring them. Moreover, these apps can be used not just for monitoring social media usage but also for monitoring phone calls, GPS location, the use of messaging apps, etc.

Types of Parental Controls and Useful Apps

uMobix

uMobix is one of the most popular and most useful parental control apps. Many people use uMobix when they want to know more about the person using a target phone. With this stealthy app, you can see call logs, read text messages, and even get the exact GPS location of the target phone. Moreover, you can monitor the target phone’s social media usage on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more, as well as the usage of popular dating apps.

Cocospy

If you want a cross-compatible spy app that you can easily install on a target phone, Cocospy is the right choice. This app has several useful features, such as Call Tracker, Geofence Alerts, Social Media Spy, Stealth Mode, and Track Browser History. It’s the complete package for any concerned parent in relation to their child’s social media use.

SpyBubble

SpyBubble is another efficient app that you can use to track social media usage on the target phone. Many social media platforms are covered, including Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and others. The best part is that you can even use it to recover deleted messages. You can easily block websites and even contacts – the target phone will no longer be able to reach them. This makes SpyBubble one of the best and most useful parental control apps.

Verdict

We’re all well aware that social media usage is not without its slew of potentially detrimental effects. There are studies that show a direct link and a causal relationship between heavy online networks usage and social media depression. 

So, as a parent, it’s important for you to find a way to influence your teenage child and prevent them from becoming addicted to online networks. With the help of the right parental control apps, such as uMobix, you can do this relatively easily. You can help your children develop a positive relationship with online networks – one where your children will use social media to remain in touch with their friends and share their opinions without getting hooked on them and experiencing negative consequences such as social media depression.