The American Psychological Association Has Issued New Recommendations For Youth Social Media Use
Earlier this month, the American Psychological Association’s (APA) presidential panel issued new recommendations surrounding adolescent social media use.
In their report, the panel claimed that even though social platforms have the ability to foster healthy socialization, adolescents should be trained in social media literacy before use in order to maximize the potential for safe experiences online.
According to APA President Thema Bryant, the effects of social media are not inherently clean-cut– resulting in no benefit nor harm outright.
“But because young people mature at different rates, some are more vulnerable than others to the content and features on many social media platforms that science has demonstrated can influence healthy development,” Bryant said.
So, much like teens are required to undergo training to get their driver’s licenses, Bryant believes social media literacy training is increasingly important.
Parents and educators are likely at the head of this early intervention effort. Thereafter, mental health practitioners, policymakers, technology companies, and adolescents themselves will also be involved.
That’s why Bryant formed an advisory panel in order to offer guidance to all concerned parties. The panel examined relevant research to craft a recommendation report entitled “American Psychological Association Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence,” aimed at ensuring youths form balanced social media habits.
The report ultimately included ten recommendations, which the advisory panel noted do not apply to all adolescents.
“Scientific findings offer one piece of information that can be used along with knowledge of specific youths’ strengths, weaknesses, and context to make decisions that are tailored for each teen, family, and community,” the report states.
BestPhotoStudio – Stock.Adobe.com, illustrative purposes only, not the actual children
Nonetheless, the recommendations serve as a great starting place for parents, caregivers, educators, and other critical parties to take action and prompt conversations with their kids.
Primarily, the APA advised that social media use, functionality, and app permissions should be tailored to each child’s developmental capabilities. After all, app functions and designs that were created for adults may not be suitable or appropriate for kids of different ages.
So, when it comes to younger children, the APA recommends that parents monitor social media use while having open conversations about content posted online. However, the report also indicated that balancing this openness against the child’s age-appropriate privacy needs is key.
“Autonomy may increase gradually as kids age and if they gain digital literacy skills,” the report added.
Still, access to any social media content that contains illegal acts or psychologically maladaptive behavior should be minimized. One example might include content that encourages high-risk behaviors, disordered eating, or self-harm.
Online exposure to content that perpetuates cyberbullying, hate, discrimination, or prejudice– especially when targeted toward groups due to race, gender, ethnicity, religion, orientation, or disability status– should also be minimized.
And in the home, parents and caregivers should monitor kids for any indicators of “problematic social media use” that may impact their ability to complete daily routines and habits or heighten the risk for psychological harm in the long term.
On a similar note, social media use should also be limited to ensure it does not interfere with kids’ sleep schedules or physical activity.
Finally, social media use concerning online content that is mostly beauty or appearance-related should be limited as well.
The report does note that there is a lack of publicly available research, making it impossible to conclude whether social media causes harmful outcomes among youth.
So, the APA called for “a substantial investment in research funding,” along with more access to data– including data collected by technology companies.
“We hope these recommendations will be helpful as we all try to keep pace with the rapidly shifting social media ecosystem. APA will continue to keep tabs on developments within the current and future platforms, with an eye toward safeguarding our youth and enabling them to benefit from the positive aspects of social media,” concluded APA’s CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr.
To read the report’s complete findings, visit the link here.
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