Thursday, September 17, 2015

"Facebook Depression" in Teens

"Facebook depression" is one of the risk factors that teens may face with overexposure to social media. It's an affliction that results from establishing a presence on social networking sites, spending a great deal of time on these sites and then feeling unaccepted among peers online. Similar to depression in the offline world due to lack of acceptance, Facebook depression can cause anxiety and withdrawal, as well as a propensity towards engaging in risky activities such as substance abuse and other self-destructive behaviors.
Studies have found that the interaction teens have on social networking sites is on the rise with 22% of teenagers logging onto their favorite social media sites more than 10 times a day!
 With 75% of teens owning cell phones, a large part of this generation's social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones. Along with Facebook depression, other dangers of increased exposure to social media include cyberbullying, sexting, and exposure to inappropriate content.
There are many things a parent can do to help mitigate these risks:
First, no kids under the age of 13 should be on Facebook at all.
When your kids are of age, constant communication with them and getting familiar with their online habits as well as setting a good example of how to use social media is crucial.
Set ground rules for your kids. Shut it down at a required time daily.
Before you unplug all the computers in your house and cancel your Internet service, there are benefits of social media interaction including, developing a teen's sense of self, expansion of online connections and opportunities for community engagement. It's important to be a part of your child's social media world. It's not going away any time soon. In fact, the options will only expand.

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