With the abrupt switch to virtual learning, social media usage amongst teens skyrocketed, which may be for the worst. 

By Hadassah Cohen

Since the start of the pandemic, the mental health of adolescents and teenagers within schools all over America has been plummeting. An estimated 20% of all teens experience depression before they reach adulthood and only 30% of depressed teens are receiving treatment for it. According to the American Psychological Association, 81% of all Gen-Z teens have experienced a more intense stress since the Covid-19 pandemic began. In September of 2020, the University of Kansas Health System took a survey which showed that nearly 30% of people are experiencing symptoms of clinical depression compared to 6% from the same time the year prior to the spread of Covid. The survey also showed that 36% of people are feeling more anxious about life compared to 8% the previous year. It is crucial now more than ever that schools across the country take responsibility for the wellbeing of their students and make it their mission to improve the environments in which they learn. Due to the increase of time students have had during the pandemic, social media has taken over the screen time percentage on millions of phones world wide and has preoccupied adolescents throughout the long and often boring hours of the day. With people connecting online more than ever during the first wave of the pandemic, social media engagement increased 61 percent and the overall wellbeing of its users seemed to decline. The short term effects can be entertaining and diverting, however the long term ones being seen amongst teenagers are not so pleasant. Social media can be the cause of isolation, dissatisfaction, loss of self esteem and cyberbullying which can ultimately result in depression, anxiety and an overall negative impact on today’s youth.

Former Facebook scientist and an official Facebook ‘Whistleblower’, Francis Haugen, have recently opened the world’s eyes to the inside of Facebook’s addictive algorithms and all the other influential social media platforms that are exactly like it. Her dramatic testimony on Oct 5th explained that despite the harm being done to children and teenagers globally, the company’s leadership refuses to make Instagram and Facebook safer due to their appalling choice to put “astronomical profits before people”. She exposed the company for its lack of compassion and empathy towards teens and the toxic outlets they are promoting. Haugen released one Facebook study that found 13.5% of UK teen girls say in a survey their suicidal thoughts became more frequent after being exposed to Instagram. Furthermore, another leaked study shows 17% of teen girls say their eating disorders got worse after using Instagram. United States senator Richard Blumenthal stated that “Facebook exploited teens using powerful algorithms that amplified their insecurities”. Senator Markey of Massachusetts agreed with Blumenthal and went on to compare Facebook to “Big Tobacco; pushing a product they know is harmful to the health of young people, pushing it to them early, all so Facebook can make money”.

With the usage of social media skyrocketing at an unprecedented rate, it is critical schools pay close attention to the impacts it is having on their students. I interviewed The Field School counselor hoping to get an insight into what she can see is happening to the school’s students. I opened our conversation with my first question: Have you seen the effects of social media on teens, specifically at The Field school? She explained that social media has had negative and positive impacts and that “as with all things, too much is not a good thing”. Her advice was to “unfollow accounts that make you feel bad about yourself and try not to compare yourself to things you see online”. The conversation was then steered into the direction of the pandemic and if she has seen any correlations between the mental health of teens since the virus spread. She said that “virtual school and limited interactions with friends and peers left teens dealing with higher levels of stress and anxiety, but as we continue to return to some sense of normal, I am hopeful that anxiety and stress levels will improve”. When asked if the school has done anything to improve the mental health of it’s students she replied with “having a full-time counselor is a new position within the last few years which honors the notion that students need a safe space on campus to discuss and process whatever is going on in their lives”. She also told me about the implementation of the Social Institute in advisory and that it is another outlet where students have a space to discuss different topics including the use of social media and how to “navigate it in healthy ways”. In addition, she co-leads a mental health club “where they discuss different ways to engage the Field community on mental health resources and hotlines”. Since a negative impact social media is thought to have is isolating teenagers, I asked if she had seen an increase in isolated students since the pandemic. Her response was “I think Field does a great job of checking in on all of our students. If there is a concern that a student seems more isolated, this information is relayed to me fairly quickly and I am able to meet with that student to see if there is anything we can do to support them and to help them feel more connected with their school environment and peers”. 

From this interview it is evident that the Field school pays a considerable amount of attention to its student’s needs. They are aware of how difficult it is for students to navigate through school and the pandemic and the troubles of social media.The Field School strives to make the environment in which we learn welcoming and enjoyable. They make sure students always have a safe space where they can express their feelings and voice their opinions. Even though social media can have a toxic effect on some, the support system that The Field school has to offer should help any student to speak up if they are struggling.