New research published in The American Journal of Psychiatry finds that the earlier and more rapidly adolescents use social media, the more likely they are to experiment with substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis. The study analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study over four years and found that adolescents who fell into the three categories of increasing social media use had higher odds of substance experimentation compared to their peers who reported little or no social media use.
Content Risks
Dr. Jason M. Nagata, lead study author and associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, points to types of content seen on social media that can influence the decision to experiment with substances — especially at a young age. Over 50% of adolescents reported exposure to alcohol marketing on the internet, with nearly 61% of the typical people their age posting alcohol content on social media.
Social media portrays much of the substance use in a positive light, Nagata said. Young adults enjoying themselves in college or a fun advertisement for a brand of liquor fills most of the substance use content online, he said. Seeing such positive content could lead to favorable beliefs about substances.
Family Approach
Both the American Psychological Association and American Academy of Pediatrics advocate for a balance of setting boundaries and guiding children about the best practices for social media use. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends having a family media plan in place and developed an easy-to-understand approach to social media use guidance, known as the 5 C’s of media use.
Healthy communication gives children more autonomy in decision-making surrounding phone use as well. Instead of restricting use without explanation, taking an interest and asking about children’s social media activity and discussing what type of content they’re looking at is more beneficial, according to Dr. Courtney Blackwell, associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
