Teen Adolescent Counseling Social Skills Phoenix Scottsdale Arizona
Monday, January 9th, 2023Teen Studies have shown that 78% of 13- to 17-year-olds report checking their mobile devices at least hourly; 35% of teens report using at least one of the top five social media platforms almost constantly.
The study findings suggest that checking social media repeatedly among young teens ages 12 to 13 may be associated with changes in how their brains develop over a three-year period. The brains of adolescents who checked social media often – more than 15 times per day, became more sensitive to social feedback.
Another new study published by a Journal of Adolescent Health states that viewing social media often, violent videos, and early ages of viewing social media were related to less sleep and later bedtimes for teenagers. Restrictions and rules not allowing smartphones before bed time are associated with improved sleep. Thousands of studies show that lack of sleep has a negative effect on: school grades, family relationships, mood, behavior, and social skills.
Social skills are declining and face to face time is also declining due to social media and texting. Seventy five percent of females check social media when out with friends and almost 90 percent of those under 30 years old admitted missing out on face to face conversation because they were distracted by their cell phone: texting, Facebook, Twitter, snapchat, instagram social media etc.
Cyber-bullying is a great example of how social media communication differs from face-to-face conversations. A girlfriend’s alleged friend got together with her ex boyfriend and is able to post items that attack or victimize their friend and it is not done face to face. Research suggest that it takes place in a more extreme way over social media because the writers feel no accountability and are detached sitting in their room or on their smart phone etc.
Socials skills are eroding and children and teens that can type via technology do not have the confidence or verbal skills to apply for a job, interview for a summer job, meet new friends, join new organizations because they are holed up in their room with an inanimate electronic device that does not help them with social skills or interpersonal interactions. Children and teens avoid face to face communication and electronics is a big wall they can hide behind if parent’s do not set firm boundaries.
There is a correlation between social media use and a decrease in the quality of life. Anxiety and depression increase with high use of electronics and internet with children and teens. People need physical interactions and cyber interactions do not fill that void. Spending two hours interacting on social media is much different than two hours face to face.
There are benefits to social media and being able to connect and share information however there are risks re: privacy as well as addictive issues that can come with technology use.
Lifeworksaz.com provides child and teen counseling and has been counseling children and teens and adolescents for over 18 years in Phoenix, Chandler, Scottsdale, and Cave Creek Arizona.