The internet and social media are an amazing technological advancement. We have the ability to know more about the world, and other points of view than ever before. Social media, like Instagram and Snapchat, have become an integral part of many people’s lives. Many young people, often called Digital Natives, have never known a world without constant connectivity to the internet and each other. While this presents great opportunities for learning and creativity, a growing body of evidence is raising concerns about the potential implications for our young people’s psycho/social health.

Teens spend up to nine hours a day on social platforms, while 30% of all time spent online is now devoted to social interaction. And the majority of that time is spent on a mobile device. Social media addiction is thought to affect around 5% of young people, with social media being described as more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol.

According to a new report by the UK’s Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), a growing body of research suggests social media is contributing to mental-health problems such as anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation, and body-image issues in young people. The survey, of nearly 1,500 people between the ages of 14-24, inquired how respondents felt about different social networks—Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, and Twitter—affected their health, both positively and negatively. The survey asked them about their feelings of anxiety, connection to a community, sense of identity, sleep, body image, and more. The respondents say that the social media they spend the most time on, Instagram and Snapchat, are making them feel less secure, more anxious, and less happy about who they are and how they look. However, some social media, like YouTube, are closely associated with creativity and positives self-expression

Bring balance back to your home

1. Set Priorities

When your child gets home fr ...