(NewsNation) — The Office of the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory this week warning of social media’s impact on young people’s mental health, but also credited its ability to foster community and act as a gateway to care.
It’s true, as mentioned in the surgeon general’s advisory, that research suggests social media can expose young people to potentially harmful content, making them vulnerable to bullying or harassment and negatively impacting their self-image.
However, it also has its benefits.
- According to the advisory, social media can be a space for young people to create positive communities and connections with peers who can offer each other social support.
- Therapists on TikTok have built followings in the millions, breaking down the stigmas surrounding certain behaviors and conditions, and offering coping suggestions.
- The internet is a source of information and an outlet for creative expression, according to the advisory. It can also foster positive interactions with more diverse groups of people.
Social media are different from other media because they’re used for so many reasons — from entertainment or news to maintaining social connections, said Mesfin Bekalu, a research scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
“Using social media for meaningful interactions, such as maintaining peer and family relationships, building communities has been shown to be beneficial,” Bekalu said. “These benefits are especially important for those who seek resources, support, and connection beyond their proximate environment, such as minoritized and marginalized communities.”
Most adolescents — 58% — say social media helps them feel more accepted, according to the surgeon general’s advisory.
The majority also feel it’s a place to be creative that allows them to feel more connected to what’s going on in their friends’ lives. It can act as the catalyst for mental health intervention and, depending on the content, can encourage youth to seek mental health care, the surgeon general noted.
That’s not to say using social media is risk-free. The sheer number and variety of platforms and the different ways users interact with them makes it hard to pinpoint exactly where the transition from helpful to harmful begins.
Healthy social media use depends on several factors specific to each user.
“The reason is, using social media is more than just using ‘media,’” Bekalu said. “There is no single social media user profile. There is no single social media platform — platforms have different features and affordances, and there is no single pattern of use among users.”
Further research could be beneficial to health workers, he added.
“For example, these platforms can be used by researchers and public health professionals to track and predict incidence and prevalence rates of different mental health conditions in different populations and thereby mount prevention interventions,” Bekalu said.
