The APA released its first social media handbook for teens

This week, the American Psychological Association published its first-ever health advisory regarding how to guide US children and teens’ use of social media.

📝 A deeper dive… In the new guidelines, which are mostly aimed at parents, the APA said it recognizes that social media use among adolescents is inevitable. Thus, its recommendations are aimed at minimizing the potential harm and maximizing the benefits of social media, which the org said is like pineapple on pizza: “neither inherently harmful nor beneficial to our youth.”

A few examples:

• The APA recommends tweens and young teens receive training before being allowed on social media, similar to driver’s ed courses prior to getting a license.
• Once their child has created a social media account, the APA suggests parents should closely monitor usage throughout early adolescence (10 to 14 years old), with kids’ autonomy gradually increasing after that.
• The org also recommends that parents carefully consider their own social media usage in front of their kids, as research has shown it impacts childrens’ future online habits.

📱 Big picture: If you’re a teenager in the US, then odds are you’re also active on social media. A recent Pew Research survey found nearly half of all American teens ages 13 to 17 say they’re online “almost constantly” (up from 24% roughly a decade ago) – with the vast majority of that time spent on social media.

And while scientists have struggled to conclusively tie social media to mental health, a biennial CDC survey of high schoolers’ health and well-being found the percentage of girls who reported feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness rose from 36% in 2011 to 57% a decade later, with boys reporting a jump from 21% to 29%.

📊 Flash poll: Would you be in favor of requiring kids and young teens to undergo training before creating a social media account?

Yes

No

Unsure/other