Parenting Pointers: Making Sense of Social Media Studies

Social media has been in the spotlight lately as it relates to mental health. Whistleblower and former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen testified during a hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Oct. 5. Haugen testified that Facebook harms children, divides people and diminishes democracy while pursuing growth and profits. Haugen studied how Facebook's algorithm increased false information and was taken advantage of by foreign foes. Lawmakers were concerned about the impact of Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, on children during the hearing earlier this month.

Haugen presented a Facebook study that found 13.5% of United Kingdom teen girls in a survey stated their suicidal thoughts became more frequent after viewing the social media app Instagram. Facebook's researchers found that 32% of teen girls stated that Instagram made them feel worse about their bodies when they were experiencing body insecurities, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. 

New research findings in the American Psychological Association's Professional Psychology: Research and Practice journal suggest that screen media plays a little role in mental health concerns. The "Like This Meta-Analysis: Screen Media and Mental Health" journal article is based on research by Chris Ferguson, PhD, professor of psychology at Stetson University, et al. Media scholars from the media psychology divisions of the American Psychological Association, The Psychological Society of Ireland and The British Psychological Association collaborated on this meta-analysis. 

I had a chance to interview Dr. Ferguson to learn more.

Why is it so easy for parents and caregivers to get worried about their kids' social media use?

This seems to be a repetitive generational pattern (see previous fears about video games, rock music, Harry Potter, Dungeons and Dragons, comic books, television, radio, even Greek plays going back 2500 years).  I suspect it's a combination of natural protectiveness of our children, the shock many parents feel when kids pull away in the preteen and teen years, and our suspiciousness of new technology and media as we get older, and culture seems to leave us behind.  It's easy to look for scapegoats for our kids' problems...otherwise we might wonder if the problem is us! 
 

What are some of the concerns about current research on social media and its effects on kids and teens?

Well, the Facebook studies that got so much attention just weren't very good at all...they'd likely not survive peer review for a scientific journal. They just asked teens what they thought Instagram did to them...but that's a leading question and kind of vague, and people misattribute the cause of their behaviors all the time (especially when they can blame bad outcomes on something other than themselves). Ideally, a good study would include something like a time diary of Instagram use, then some clinically validated measures of mental health, perhaps filled out by the teen's parents or teachers. Unfortunately, even in the published literature, that's kind of rare. 

What are some signs for adults that social media use in kids may be a concern?

We just did this big meta-analysis, including scholars from the media psychology divisions of the American Psychological Association, British Psychological Society and Psychological Society of Ireland. Ultimately, we did not find evidence that the research literature could link social media use to mental illness. However, there are legitimate concerns around issues such as privacy, bullying exposure, and the tendency for social media platforms to give undue influence to the most extreme voices in our society.  

How can families find good quality information on social media and their kids?

Honestly, it can be very difficult. When a social narrative forms (social media is bad for kids), it can really take over the airwaves. Everyone, politicians, news media, scholars are incentivized to support the panic and I think we're seeing that right now with social media. Nobody looked too close at those Facebook studies as it supported the narrative they already wanted to hear (and granted it's Facebook's own bad studies). In those moments it can seem like bad news is everywhere. It can help to remember past cycles of moral panic, perhaps from our own youth, and realize that all this panic-inspiring hype may not be an accurate reflection of the best data out there.