Effects of Social Media on Teenage Brains

 This is a NIH summary of both the benefits and harm social media has on the teen brain. Teens are at a stage of human development where the brain is active and maturing, with things like risk-taking peaking, mental health conditions like depression beginning to develop, and social consciousness and self-worth are being formed. 

It is worth checking out. One finding is that teens who spend an average of 3 hours or more per day on social media platforms are TWICE as likely as teens who don't of developing symptoms of anxiety and depression. It begins to reduce one's attention span. It makes one less social, of course, in terms of human interaction, which we need to socialize and develop skills that are necessary for our lifetime. By 2021, the average number of hours for children grades 8-10 were already at 3.5 hours. Online bullying, drops in self-esteem and body image, loss of sleep, drops in attention span and comprehension in school, and eating disorders are all rising with the increased use of social media. 

Let's try to LIVE our OWN lives a little more, by watching and reading about OTHERS living their lives a little LESS - it will bring more joy to your life!