How does social media affect the mental health of kids and teens?

PRINCETON, WV (WVNS) – Scrolling through social media may seem harmless on the surface, but it can take a toll on mental health. This raises an important question: How does the use of social media affect kids?

Social media can be a great resource to make connections, meet knew people, and express yourself.

Although there are positives, just like a lot of things, there are negative factors as well.

59News traveled to Princeton to learn more about the affect social media has on mental health, especially on children and teenagers.

Krystal Athey, Mental Health Therapist for Beautiful Minds Counseling Center, said social media can cause children to think of themselves in a bad way and this can affect how they feel.

“Some of the cons of social media can definitely be the bullying. Usually, it’s in schools that starts bullying but that’s also at home. There’s also a lot of body dysmorphia cause social media has a distorted view of what bodies should look like. As teenagers get older, they feel like that is what they are supposed to look like. There comes a lot of depression with that,” said Athey.

Like stated earlier, social media does present some positive outcomes.

Athey said social media can be a source of community.

“There’s a lot of children that don’t go to school and that’s the one way they do talk to peers and see people and have connections. It’s always ways for them to show their personalities on their own platforms and gain their own personality through what they find that they like on social media,” said Athey to 59News.

Athey said she believes that there will always be pros and cons of social media.

She said it is up to parents and guardians to shield their children from things that can be harmful on social media.

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