Social media promises connection, but it also hides the side effects of infinite doomscrolling. The dark side of digital life has revealed itself in the Emmy-winning Netflix series “Adolescence.” CSArts-SGV school psychologists say that the realities and accuracy aren’t far off.
Adolescence is a Netflix limited series about the aftermath of a 14-year-old, Jamie Miller, killing a girl from his school, Katie. The show follows Jamie’s interrogation, family problems, and police investigation. The police investigation took a turn into the dark hole of social media, group chats, secret messages, and online bullying. And you may be asking, “How does the show connect to my life or the life of my friends and classmates?” (And if you’re not, bear with me). Although Adolescence can be seen as dramatized, it also accurately portrays the darker side of social media, which many teens and students of CSArts can relate to.
First, is Adolescence accurate? According to Dr. Maureen Davis, lead school psychologist: yes, it is correct. “I think it does a good job highlighting how pervasive it can be, but also how serious it can be…there’s a wide variety of ways people can be bullied via social media,” Davis said. She added that the show was accurate in the ways that social media can expose individuals to online radicalization (which is when someone spends a lot of time online and gets exposed to extreme ideas, which slowly change their beliefs and support harmful or dangerous views). It is also accurate in the way that parents can sometimes be oblivious to what their kids are going through.
The show’s accuracy also comes with teens and violence because of bullying. So, how does social media affect teens? “I think one of the main ways that social media affects mental health is that it increases anxiety and it lowers self-esteem…people don't put their worst days out on their Instagram page to show the world,” Davis said. Influencers only show the good things: the perfect shot, the perfect moment, the perfect look, the perfect plans. That idea of perfection is the catalyst for low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. That comparison between the artificial life on an artificial screen and the reality someone is currently living in. There can also be something called FOMO, which stands for “Fear of Missing Out.” When someone sees their friends post pictures on social media and they are not included, it can make their anxiety worse. Davis described it as, “When you’re anxious long enough, you can become depressed…they’re best friends, anxiety and depression.”
Nevertheless, social media has its upsides: the connection you can have with your family and friends. Your family can be miles away, and the only way to communicate with them is through social media. And it’s easy to overlook the negative sides of social media because of the positive things.
But there are some habits we can pick up to have a healthy relationship with our phones. First, it is recommended that 16 years of age is the appropriate age to get social media. When exposed to blue light, take breaks every 20 or so minutes to look at something far away or across the room to maintain good eyesight.
When social media gets too overwhelming, take a break. It’s normal and healthy to withdraw from it. It doesn’t have to be for long, too. It can be for a day or an hour, or multiple days. Pacing yourself is important for your health, both physical and mental.
Have your phone turned off and stay off your phone for about an hour before going to bed for your brain to wind down. The Cleveland Clinic states, “Your mind can stay active and engaged long after you’ve scrolled through social media or responded to a few work emails.” They also state that the blue light from our screens affects our sleep, too, primarily our circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm works based on light and dark. So, we naturally feel more tired at night than in the morning. But the screens mimic daylight due to their artificial color, making us more alert. This leads to poor sleep quality, insomnia, and difficulties in falling asleep.
It is also important that your goals are attainable. They can be something small, like stop using your phone half an hour before bedtime, or take a one-hour break from your phone. By learning to use social media with intention, this generation might finally reclaim what it means to connect.
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