New research published in The American Journal of Psychiatry has found a correlation between early social media use and earlier experimentation with substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis. The study, which analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study over four years, found that adolescents who started using social media at a younger age were more likely to experiment with substances.

Findings and Implications

The study identified four social media use patterns among adolescents between the ages of 9 and 16: no or very low use, moderate and gradual increasing use, mid-onset and rapid increasing use, and early-onset and rapid increasing use. The early-onset group, which included adolescents who started using social media at age 9, had nearly 17 times the odds of experimenting with cannabis and 14 times the odds of experimenting with tobacco compared to those with little or no social media use.

Experts suggest that exposure to targeted marketing and social media posts that portray substance use in a positive light may contribute to the increased likelihood of experimentation. Dr. Jason M. Nagata, the lead study author, notes that social media often presents a biased view of substance use, with few posts highlighting the adverse consequences.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents establish a family media plan, set boundaries, and guide children on best practices for social media use. Healthy communication and modeling behaviors are also crucial in helping children make informed decisions about social media use.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.