Does Social Media Cause Teen Depression?
Some researchers have been conducting tests on how important and how harmful social networks such as Facebook have on teens. Facebook is a website where people can create an account which reveals information of who they are, different pictures and who their friends are. Some teens get so caught up in being "liked" they lose sight of reality and only want people to see what type of person their Facebook walls promotes them to be.
A Boston doctor states that some teens who are borderline depressed, get even more depressed when they see other people who have more friends or by simply seeing them in happy photos. Facebook gives a chance for teens to in a sense become a different person. When you are behind a computer screen you don't act as if you would in real life. It is a lot easier to become more outgoing and to present more personality traits others may not have seen.
Facebook can be a negative thing for some teens. Gossip in teen high schools is becoming a big problem. With the internet and current technology, an offended teen could post a nasty rumor about any teen that attends the high school. Teens can also share embarrassing photos and messages simply by posting it to their wall on Facebook. Their have been some teen girls who have been so affected by teen bullying that she actually posted her suicide note on her personal page.
Is Facebook and Twitter right for your teenager? It depends on how mature your teen is and if they would be able to casually use it. Just like texting, teens spend more and more time on Facebook. It can become an addicting habit that won't stop simply by nagging them to. As a parent it is important to talk to you teen about the dangers of online predators and online teen depression. Let your teen have a Facebook page but make sure you monitor it on a weekly basis.
If your teen is defiant and showing signs of rebellion caused by overly using these social media sites, then you may want to take it away permanently. If you cannot control your teen you may want to think about sending your teen to a boot camp that is designed to change rebellious behavior and get teen's lives back on track.