Although the near ubiquity of social media in modern society has raised important questions about its potentially detrimental impacts on youth, discussions often center on its individual effects, largely on risks, prioritizing adult perspectives over young peoples lived experience. Social Media and Youth Mental Health offers a broader, multi-generational perspective.
Examining the influence of social media on children and young people from many different yet interconnected angles, the book draws from the expertise of 41 scholars and clinicians around the world. It explores more than a dozen different aspects of social media as they pertain to youth mental health, including:
Representations of sexuality in social media
Diversity, bullying, and hateful speech on online platforms
Online privacy
The role of agency in media use and mental health
The effect of media multitasking on developing brains
The impact of social media on racial, gender, sexual, and class identities
The relationship between social media and self-harm and suicide
In addition to discussing the valid concerns about the influence of social media on youth mental health, this book explores the potentially positive role that social media can play in clinical applications, devoting a chapter to its possible use both as a method for disseminating psychoeducation and as a component of digital intervention.
Importantly, Social Media and Youth Mental Health incorporates the voices and perspectives of children and adolescents themselves—too often excluded from the public discourse—throughout the book and in a special chapter that examines the agency and experiences of the young people at the center of the public discussion.
Pragmatic and rich in detailed, evidence-based information, this guide offers a foundational framework from which policymakers, industry leaders, mental health professionals, and researchers can develop a shared understanding of the issues complexities and promote the urgent need for a new phase of innovation and design that prioritizes health and well-being.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Medias Prominence in the Lives of Youth
Chapter 2. Sexuality and Media
Chapter 3. The Challenges of Bullying and Hateful Speech
Chapter 4. Misinformation, Disinformation, and Mental Health
Chapter 5. Gaming, Identity Construction, and Social Connection
Chapter 6. Childrens Online Privacy
Chapter 7. What Makes Social Media Use Enhancing or Harmful?
Chapter 8. Social Media and Adolescent Mental Health
Chapter 9. Media Multitasking, Social Media, and the Developing Brain
Chapter 10. Intersectional Identities Online
Chapter 11. Body Image and Disordered Eating in Adolescence
Chapter 12. Social Media, Self-Harm, and Suicide
Chapter 13. Role of Social Media Applications in Treatment
