Social media has become a central influencer in individuals' everyday lives. A greater majority of young adults have grown up with social media, prioritizing engagement with it daily. Parents today will often compare today's heavy technology use with their childhood, having little to no access to digital resources. As times continue to change, it is crucial to understand how social media will continue to impact new generations. 

Although a relatively new disorder, social media disorder (SMD) is becoming a significant problem today. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) overview of social media use found that "Two-thirds of adults from 40 countries are internet users, of which 76% use social media platforms." While not all individuals who use social media will develop SMD, a significant majority will. As so, many parents may be concerned with how their SMD will affect their children's development. It is essential to address the impact of SMD, especially on parents and their children, when it is left unmanaged.

What Is Social Media?

The Department of Energy defines social media as a "broad term for a wide spectrum of interactive and user-driven content technologies." Today's most common social networking sites include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. 

There are many different types of social media platforms, including, but not limited to:

• Social networking platforms

• Social news platforms

• Media sharing/streaming platforms

• Blogging and forum platforms

• Interactive applications

In the early 2000s, the first social networking sites launched. These forms of networking offered email, voice chats, messaging boards, and instant messaging options. Since then, social media has undoubtedly changed the way that individuals communicate and interact with one another. 

Despite the high prevalence of social networking today, recent research has "associated online social networking with several psychiatric disorders, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, and low self-esteem." As the popularity of social networking has only come to be in the last two decades, many questions remain about this connection. However, there is no question that SMD has become a serious issue and will continue to affect the lives of individuals everywhere. 

Understanding SMD

The Eurasian Journal of Medicine defines SMD "as a behavioral addiction and has been associated with depression, loneliness, narcissism, low self-esteem, poor sleep quality, and low academic performance." Although it is not defined as a disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), it is still understood to be a behavioral addiction. 

Like substance use disorders (SUDs), behavioral addictions are characterized by uncontrollable cravings and urges to engage in a specific behavior. Likewise, addictions also involve mechanisms of increased tolerance and withdrawal symptoms when not engaging in such behavior. In this case, the main facet of SMD causes an individual to experience uncontrollable compulsions to use social media. This also explains why SMD has often been termed a social media addiction (SMA).

Who Develops SMD?

Many factors can increase an individual's risk of developing SMD or a social media addiction. These are known as risk factors. A journal by Frontiers in Psychology highlights the following risk factors for SMD:

• Low self-esteem

• High impulsivity

• Feelings of stress and anxiety

• Feelings of depression

• Feelings of loneliness

• Attentional bias for positive and negative information

• Average daily time spent on social media

• The number of social media applications

• Low discipline background

How Does SMD Interfere With Relationships?

The longer an individual spends on social media, the less time they invest in interpersonal relationships. This can be true even if they interact with their loved ones on social media platforms. 

Research shows that face-to-face contact and reciprocal relationships can reduce depressive symptoms and increase life satisfaction compared to technology-dominated relationships. Conversely, when face-to-face contact is reduced, an individual's interpersonal relationships will inevitably suffer.

Parents With SMD

For parents with SMD, it is essential to understand how SMD can affect their children. The CDC explains, "Parents are among the most important people in the lives of young children." When a parent struggles with any type of addiction, especially SMD, it can interfere with the quality of the relationship one has with their child. Parents may invest more time and energy into their social media use rather than investing the necessary time nourishing their children. 

Likewise, parents may become more emotionally reactive as a result of SMD. For example, if they engage in conflict with someone online, they may behave more aggressively toward their child. 

It is important to remember that young children and adolescents do not understand how social media can affect their parents' behavior. As a result, children may quickly mirror their parent's behavior and resemble isolation, emotional reactivity, stubbornness, and dependency traits. Similarly, children of parents with SMD experience increased risks of developing SMD themselves. Therefore, parents must learn to adequately reduce screen time to attend to their child's developmental needs. 

Protective Factors for Children

Parents must utilize protective factors to prevent a child from engaging in problematic social media use or developing SMD. But, first, parents with SMD must be willing to reduce their own screen time for the sake of their children. Often, this requires professional intervention and support. 

The Journal Child Development sheds light on several protective factors for children, including:

• Involvement in extracurricular activities like sports, clubs, etc.

• Parental mediation, such as setting limits on screen time

  • Limiting access to social networking during homework, shared mealtimes, and before bedtime

  • Limiting the number of social media applications

  • Limiting the type of social media platforms used, including destructive or violent online games

• Parental education

• Face-to-face social engagement

• Activities to increase self-esteem

Social media disorder is a behavioral addiction that facilitates cravings for recurrent use of social networking. When a parent struggles with SMD, it can lead to catastrophic effects for their child. Parents must seek support and treatment to help manage their social media use and protect their child. Next Level Recovery Associates specializes in the knowledge of digital addictions, such as gaming disorders, SMD, and other internet use disorders. We can help you confront your problematic social media use and walk with you as you learn healthier ways to cope. We offer individual and family coaching, case management, and intervention services. To learn more, contact consult@nextlevelra.com today.