St. Joseph therapist breaks down how social media impacts teens' mental health

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. -- When it comes to the topic of newer media platforms, many parents have worries and concerns of how these outlets may affect their kids. According to an article published by the National Library of Medicine, the likelihood of social media induced mental health problems is proportional to the amount of time spent on these sites, the number of platforms, and how frequently teens are using social media.

There have been lots of questions surrounding what to do with social media usage with proposals and even enacted laws across the country banning minors from social media or requiring parental consent. Outright banning this tech can lead teens to sneak it anyway or be exposed to it outside the home like in school or at a friend's house. Finding limitations to content or time spent can be helpful in some situations but it is important to know that no two kids are the same.

Dillan Koch, a Saint Joseph Michigan Therapist, explains, “This is not a blanket statement for all children. What I always come back to is, if your kid is struggling with social media, if in your gut you feel like there's something going on or off, then connect with a local provider and have them help you walk through that. Because there's not a one size fits all, even within your family system, right, one kid might be able to have better capacity for social media than another kid in the family.”

Family AI education resource: Day of AI | Family Resources

Social media usage educational resource: Best Practices and Resources for Parents and Caregivers | National Telecommunications and Information Administration