Teens and Social Media Use: What’s the Impact?

Social media has become an integral part of daily life, especially for teenagers. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat allow teens to create and share content, connect with friends, and explore new interests. But with the widespread use of social media among teens, it’s important to understand how it impacts their mental health and overall well-being.

The Role of Social Media in Teens’ Lives

Social media offers teens a way to express themselves, build social networks, and connect with others who share similar experiences or interests. For many, these online connections provide crucial support, especially for those who might lack social support offine, are going through stressful times, or belong to marginalized groups. In these cases, social media can be a positive force, helping teens feel less isolated and more understood.

The Positive Effects of Social Media

• Support Networks: Social media can offer a sense of community, particularly for teens who might feel isolated in their offine lives.

• Self-Expression: Platforms allow teens to express themselves creatively, which can boost self-esteem and provide a sense of belonging.

• Access to Information: Teens can learn from others who are dealing with similar life challenges, and participate in discussions on topics like mental health.

• Connection with Peers: Social media enables teens to maintain friendships and connect with peers locally and globally, which can be particularly benefcial for those who struggle with face-to-face interactions.

The Negative Effects of Social Media

However, social media use can also have negative consequences. The impact on teens varies depending on several factors, including how much time they spend online, what they do on social media, and their personal and psychological circumstances.

• Distraction: Excessive use of social media can distract teens from important activities like homework, exercise, and family time.

• Sleep Disruption: The constant connectivity can interfere with sleep patterns, leading to fatigue and other health issues.

• Exposure to Inappropriate Content:

Teens may come across harmful content, such as images or discussions promoting risky behaviors, self-harm, or eating disorders.

• Cyberbullying: Social media can be a platform for bullying, which signifcantly increases the risk of mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

• Unrealistic Comparisons: Constant exposure to curated and fltered images can lead teens to develop unrealistic views of other people’s lives, potentially lowering their self-esteem and body image.

Protecting Your Teen

Parents can play a crucial role in helping teens use social media responsibly. Here are some tips:

• Set Boundaries: Establish rules about social media use, such as time limits and no use during family meals or an hour before bed.

• Monitor Use: Especially in the early teen years, regularly review your child’s social media activity. As they mature, you can gradually reduce monitoring based on their responsibility.

• Encourage Open Communication: Have regular conversations with your teen about their social media experiences and feelings. Teach them to question the accuracy of online content and understand that much of what they see online is not a refection of reality.

• Model Good Behaviour: Share your own social media habits and demonstrate balanced use, so your teen can learn by example.

• Promote Offine Activities: Encourage face-to-face interactions with friends and activities that don’t involve screens, especially for teens prone to social anxiety. Recognizing When to Seek Help

If you notice that your teen’s social media use is interfering with their daily life, such as affecting their schoolwork, sleep, or relationships, it may be time to seek help.

Signs that your teen might need professional support include lying about social media use, feeling unable to stop using it, or showing symptoms of anxiety or depression related to online activities.

In such cases, a mental health professional can provide the necessary support and guidance to help your teen manage their social media use and its impact on their well-being.

Pamela Busite verbatim testimonial

Bowen Therapy Negates Need for Back Surgery “My name is Pamela V Busite, I have a 1255 acre grazing property in the Casino district. I had managed up to 250 head of Charolais cattle (cows, calves, cows in calf and weaners) plus keeping my farm clean, this I coped with on my own, with four good kelpie work dogs. “Pity they didn’t drive a tractor” June 20 LS I suffered badly with back pain, it was causing excruciating pain down my left leg. I went from working I 0-12 hours daily to I hour daily. I had two treatments of morphine injections into my left bursa. The frst injection lasted 10 days, the second one did not help at all. End of August, because of the pain, I sold all the above stock. If I had of gone to Norman Smith before the sale, T wouldn’t have let my herd of top quality Charolaise go to market, even though I was paid top dollar for same. I was lucky as all my cattle went to restocks. My moongool bulls from Roma QLD went to a breeder.

My next step was to have surgery, an x-ray showed that I had a worn disc, on my lower part of my spine, pinching the sciatic nerve. I then phoned the consultant neurosurgeon late October and had an appointment made for the 16th of December. The 21st of November I was in Casino shopping and was told by a shop assistant to go to Norman Smith “Bowen Therapy” when she saw I was having trouble standing. The following Thursday the 28th of November I had my frst treatment of Bowen Therapy. Within 3 days I had no pain. If I hadn’t experienced this for myself, I would not have believed it. I followed up with 2 more treatments to make sure the pain stayed at bay. My advice is, if you have a problem please make an appointment with Norman Smith, you may be as surprised as I was. Pamela’s scheduled back surgery never took place. She cancelled the surgery as it was no longer necessary. She was amazed at the results of her Bowen Therapy treatments and cannot speak highly enough about her positive experience.

Pamela Busite

Mongogarie Road Via Casino

Bowen Therapy gave me my life back

Back issues literally resolved in

Hours

Local man Mike Foster, of Lennox Head, had a number of back issues over many years, and had tried many different practitioners and treatments with little success. “It was with some trepidation that I decided to try the Bowen technique with Norm, to my surprise and relief, my back issues were literally resolved within hours,” he said. Three days before heading off on a trip to the United Kingdom, Mike said he felt his back ‘pop’. “I spent the whole three weeks over there in agony, I hardly slept at all. When I got back, I booked an appointment with Norm straight away, he worked on me for about 40 minutes, and he fxed me up - it really is extraordinary. So much so that I’ve actually looked into learning the technique myself.”

Mike said that it’s the concept of coaching your body to heal itself that he fnds most interesting.

“The Bowen technique is very gentle and non-invasive, I would recommend it to anyone,” said Foster.

Pain Relief... at last Clunes resident, Mrs Lama verbatim testimonial

“I suffered severe chronic pain due to a lifting injury for about 20 months. During this time, I sought treatment from just about everyone including western doctors, osteopaths, physiotherapists, Chinese doctors, Reiki masters, refexologists etc. These treatments gave me some short-term pain relief, but I found myself needing treatments once a week to keep the pain at bay (this was very expensive). Then I met Norm Smith and was introduced to Bowen Technique. This reduced my pain signifcantly, after just a couple of sessions. Now I can go months and not give my back a second thought.

If my injury recurs, it takes one visit to Norm, and I am pain free. I thoroughly recommend Bowen Technique for its remarkable pain-relieving benefts. It is gentle, relaxing and it works!!!”