We Need To Talk About Teens, Social Media And Mental Health
May 10, 2023
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Michaeleen Doucleff, an NPR science correspondent renowned for her insights into social media's effects on mental health, delves into the rising rates of anxiety and depression among teens. She explores the American Psychological Association's guidelines aimed at protecting children online. The discussion highlights how smartphones have altered teen interactions, leading to less face-to-face socialization and disrupted sleep. Doucleff also shares findings suggesting that taking breaks from social media can boost happiness and reduce anxiety in young users.
This week, the American Psychological Association issued its first-of-kind guidelines for parents to increase protection for children online. It comes at a time of rising rates of depression and anxiety among teens.
This episode, NPR science correspondent Michaeleen Doucleff looks into the data on how that seismic change has shifted the mental health of teenagers. In her reporting, she found that the seismic shift of smartphones and social media has re-defined how teens socialize, communicate and even sleep.