Screen Time S1E3: The Influencer Generation

March 24, 2022

How can parents tell if a teen's social media use is harming their mental health? Hosts Taylor Owen and Nicole Edwards are joined by a teen with a powerful story about the complicated relationship young people have with these platforms.

Guest Sarah Banet-Weiser, Director, Annenberg Center for Collaborative Communication, unpacks what makes photo and video apps so magnetic, and why they generally affect teenage girls differently than boys.

Next, Candice Odgers, a psychologist who specializes in new technologies and youth mental health, discusses the latest research on the effects of social media on teen mental health, with tips on how to support teens while they use these platforms.

FIND OUT MORE:

For further reading on how to talk to teens about their social media experience, consider Common Sense Media’s guide, Help! My Kid Wants to Use Social Media

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/help-my-kid-wants-to-use-social-media

For more information on the Facebook research leaks, listen to the Wall Street Journal’s series, The Facebook Files

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-facebook-files-a-podcast-series-11631744702

For support with disordered eating, visit the Canadian Mental Health Association’s resource guide

https://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/understanding-and-finding-help-for-eating-disorders/