How does social media affect teens’ social skills?
While social media communities are particularly appealing to teens, social media and social skills can have a detrimental relationship, especially in areas of confidence and communication in this still-developing age group. At the Social Media Victims Law Center, we aim to provide parents of kids through teenagers with the education and resources they need and join them to fight for more responsible online platforms for young people.
Written and edited by our team of expert legal content writers and reviewed and approved by Attorney Matthew Bergman
- Content last updated on:
- December 5, 2023
Written and edited by our team of expert legal content writers and reviewed and approved by
- Content last updated on:
- December 5, 2023
What You’ll Learn
Understanding how social media impacts the social skills of teenagers is essential for parents to decide whether or not to let their kids use online platforms and if guidelines and restrictions are necessary .
Social media allows teens to communicate with a broader range of people. However, because they have less experience communicating, they may be more vulnerable to the nuances and difficulties of online communication.
Positive social media interactions can help teens build some skills, but online interactions have different contexts and challenges. Although social media may help teens connect with friends and explore their interests, online interactions can negatively influence their self-esteem and confidence in handling offline social situations in the “real world.”
A 2022 study by the Pew Research Center found that teens’ access to smartphones has increased from 73 percent in 2014 to an overwhelming 95 percent today. So it comes as no surprise that 35 percent of teens use at least one of the top five social media platforms “almost constantly”.
As teens spend more screen time on social media, they have more opportunities for comparison and self-doubt. Research suggests that using social media contributes to teen body image concerns and can lead to mental health outcomes like eating disorders — especially for girls. A teen’s self-esteem and body image may suffer if they constantly compare themselves to the carefully curated images that their peers and celebrities post online.
If a teen’s social media engagement outweighs their in-person interactions, they may also struggle to identify critical social cues such as:
- Body language
- Facial expression
- Vocal tone and pitch
- Boundaries and personal space
Understanding these cues and knowing how to navigate interpersonal communication is a crucial element of social competence. In a 20 year study, researchers found that early social competence was strongly linked to future success in all areas of life. Students with higher social competence scores were twice as likely to obtain college degrees, whereas those with lower scores had a 67 percent higher chance of being arrested.
This is not to say there aren’t demonstrable advantages to socializing online. Research suggests that some teens actually feel social media engagement benefits their well-being. According to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, online exchanges can foster individual identity and creativity, enhance respect and tolerance, and allow teens to support and learn from each other.
However, the social media experience for teens can be a mixed bag. From getting a compliment on their selfie to being cyberbullied, teens on social media encounter both positive and negative attention. And because the social reward centers of their brains are still developing, they’re susceptible to such comments.
A study published in Child Development showed that teens who received fewer “likes” in standardized social media interactions had more negative thoughts about themselves. In addition, increased feelings of rejection were associated with more severe cases of depression.
Increased social media usage can also expose teens to cyberbullying. A 2022 report from Pew Research Center revealed that almost half of American teens aged 13 to 17 had experienced at least one form of cyberbullying. When cyberbullied, teens may feel isolated and withdraw from friends, family, and school, creating a vicious cycle of damage to their social skills. Research has shown a significant connection between cyberbullying and lowered self-esteem.
The consequences of cyberbullying can be deadly. An alarming 2022 study by the National Institutes of Health reported that adolescents who had been cyberbullied were more than four times as likely to have suicidal thoughts and even attempt suicide than those who hadn’t.
There are ways to avoid or reduce negative effects on teenagers due to social media usage. Research suggests that parents can play a key role in helping their teens build healthier relationships with social media.
In a recent study published in Current Opinion in Psychology, scientists reviewed media-specific parenting styles. According to the researchers, the best approach for parents is to monitor and mediate social media use in a way that supports teens’ autonomy. Make them feel that they are part of the decision and empowered to take positive action for themselves.
That means explaining rules in an appropriate way and listening seriously to the adolescent’s point of view.
- Consider your teen’s social and mental health needs.
Talk to them about what benefits they feel they get from using social media as well as when it makes them “feel bad.” - Develop individualized rules.
Create guidelines and restrictions, if necessary, about how often your teen can use social media and in what contexts based on your teen’s specific needs.
- Understand the landscape.
Stay current on how your teen uses social media and what trends are emerging. Don’t be afraid to talk with them if the rules need to change.
If your teen has suffered physical or psychological harm from their use of social media, a social media lawyer can help you hold the platform accountable. This includes any emotional, academic, physical, or mental toll on your teen due to cyberbullying.
The Social Media Victims Law Center aims to provide parents with the education and resources they need and join them to fight for more responsible online platforms for young people. Contact the team of compassionate, qualified experts at the Social Media Victims Law Center today for a free case evaluation.
In a 2022 study, the Pew Research Center found that teens’ smartphone access increased from 71 percent in 2014 to 95 percent today. Unsurprisingly, 35 percent of teens use at least one of the top five social media platforms “almost constantly”.
Although social media may benefit teens by helping them connect with friends and explore their interests, parents face a delicate balance with the risks it poses. For example, online interactions can negatively influence teenagers’ self-esteem and confidence in handling offline social situations.
Understanding how social media impacts teens’ social skills is essential to deciding whether or not to let your kids use these online platforms.
How is social media affecting teens’ social skills?
The American Psychological Association defines social skills as “a set of learned abilities that enable an individual to interact competently and appropriately in a given social context.” Self-regulation, friendship-making, and the ability to communicate effectively may be complex traits for teens to foster in stressful online environments.
How does social comparison play into teens’ social media use?
Teenagers are especially susceptible to the stress of social comparison when using social media. Popularized by psychologist Leon Festinger in 1954, the social comparison theory proposes that people instinctively compare themselves to others to evaluate their beliefs, appearance, and abilities.
As teens spend more screen time on social media, they have more opportunities for comparison and self-doubt. They routinely view highlight reels of their peers’ most enviable moments, not fully realizing that those same individuals also have struggles.
If your teen constantly compares themselves to carefully curated images of their peers and celebrities, their self-esteem and body image may suffer. Research supports the idea that social media use contributes to teen body image concerns and can lead to mental health outcomes such as eating disorders — especially for girls.
Does indirect communication reduce teens’ social competence?
According to the Child Mind Institute, learning to communicate via screens may reduce your teen’s confidence in navigating face-to-face conversations, relationships, and challenges.
If a teen’s social media engagement outweighs their in-person interactions, they may struggle to identify critical social cues such as:
- Body language
- Facial expression
- Vocal tone and pitch
- Boundaries and personal space
Using these cues to navigate interpersonal communication is a crucial element of social competence, which the American Psychological Association calls “an increasingly important component of mental health.”
The Importance of Building Social Skills for Teens
In a study spanning 20 years, researchers found that early social competence was strongly linked to future success in all areas of life. Students with higher social competence scores were twice as likely to obtain college degrees in early adulthood. In comparison, those with lower scores had a 67 percent higher chance of being arrested by early adulthood.
Adolescence is crucial for developing the more advanced skills needed in this early adulthood. Teenagers begin to handle increasingly complex relationships and need to develop essential social skills, such as:
- Listening: Effective communication, healthy relationships, and future workplace environments will require teens to be good listeners and follow directions.
- Problem-Solving: Life won’t always be a smooth ride, so teens must learn how to resolve issues, ask for help, and apologize when necessary.
- Interpersonal Skills: Becoming an adult means learning to function as a positively contributing community member. Teens practice these skills by engaging in back-and-forth conversations and lending a hand to help others.
Positive social media interactions can help teens build some skills, but online interactions have different contexts and challenges.
How do teens socialize differently on social media?
Online communication platforms have their benefits and drawbacks. According to researchers, online interactions provide:
- Less effective communication of nonverbal cues
- More anonymity, which can affect what people say and how they choose to say it
- More opportunities to build new ties and strengthen weak ones
- Broader dissemination of information
Social media has allowed teens to communicate with a broader range of people. However, because they have less experience communicating, they may be more vulnerable to the nuances of online communication.
How can online socialization benefit teenagers?
There are demonstrable advantages to socializing online. Research suggests that some teens even feel social media engagement benefits their well-being.
According to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, online exchanges can foster individual identity and creativity, enhance respect and tolerance, and allow teens to support and learn from each other.
Can socializing online be harmful to teens?
From getting a compliment on their selfie to being cyberbullied, teens encounter positive and negative attention when they spend time on social media. And because the social reward centers of their brains are still developing, they’re susceptible to such comments.
A study published in Child Development revealed that teens who received fewer “likes” in standardized social media interactions had more negative thoughts about themselves. In addition, increased feelings of rejection were associated with more severe cases of depression.
How does the risk of cyberbullying impact teenagers’ social skills?
In 2022, the Pew Research Center reported that almost half of American teens aged 13 to 17 had experienced at least one form of cyberbullying.
There are many types of cyberbullying, from name-calling and rumor-spreading to threats of physical harm. The Cyberbullying Research Center has identified four main elements that constitute cyberbullying behavior:
- Willfulness
- Repetition
- Perceived harm by the target
- Use of computers, cell phones, or other electronic devices
Cyberbullies take advantage of the anonymity of social media to engage in these behaviors, but the effects of cyberbullying can be impossible to escape for victims.
Research has shown a statistically significant relationship between experiences with cyberbullying and lowered self-esteem. When cyberbullied, teens may feel isolated and withdraw from friends, family, and school, creating a vicious cycle of damage to their social skills.
The consequences can be deadly, even if cyberbullies don’t carry out their threats of physical harm. A 2022 study by the National Institutes of Health made the alarming discovery that adolescents who had been cyberbullied were more than four times as likely to report having suicidal thoughts and attempting suicide as those who hadn’t.
Cyberbullying is harmful even to the bully. Depression, anxiety, and social media addiction can significantly predict teens perpetrating online bullying.
If cyberbullying has taken an emotional, academic, physical, or mental toll on your teen, contact the Social Media Victims Law Center today for a free consultation.
How can parents help teens navigate social media and build social skills?
Research suggests that parents can help their teens build healthier relationships with social media. In a recent study published in Current Opinion in Psychology, scientists reviewed media-specific parenting styles. They considered how those styles affect teens’ social media use and related well-being.
According to the researchers, the best approach seems to be for parents to monitor and mediate social media use in a way that supports teens’ autonomy. That means explaining rules in a developmentally appropriate way and listening seriously to the adolescent’s point of view.
- Consider your teen’s social and mental health needs: Talk to them about what they get from social media use and when it makes them “feel bad.”
- Develop individualized rules: Based on your teen’s needs, create guidelines and, if necessary, restrictions on how often and in what contexts they can use social media.
- Understand the landscape: Stay current on how your teen is using social media and what trends are emerging, and talk to them if the rules need to change.
Most importantly, if your teen has suffered physical or psychological harm, and you believe social media is to blame, a social media addiction lawyer can help you hold the platform accountable. Contact the team of compassionate, qualified experts at the Social Media Victims Law Center today for a free case evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions
For individuals and children who have been
We only handle cases on a contingent fee basis. This means that we are paid a portion of any recovery obtained in the case and you do not owe us any attorneys’ fees if the lawsuit does not result in a recovery.
Every case is unique. Our attorneys will work with your family to evaluate your potential case and help you evaluate whether filing a lawsuit or other legal proceeding is in your family’s best interest. Generally speaking, the types of cases we handle involve serious mental health effects, including attempted or completed suicide, eating disorders, inpatient mental health treatment, or sexual trafficking/exploitation that was caused by or contributed to through addictive or problematic social media use by teens and young adults.
We are a law firm based near Seattle, WA comprised of lawyers who have spent their entire careers representing victims who have been harmed by dangerous products. We are also parents. Shocked and troubled by the recent revelations about the harm caused to teens and young adults by social media platforms, which powerful technology companies have designed to be highly addictive, Social Media Victims Law Center was launched specifically to help families and children who have suffered serious mental harm or exploitation through social media use to obtain justice.
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