BY MARY ANN STEUTERMANN

Recent guidance by the APA and the U.S. Surgeon General makes it clear that social media has the potential for significant negative impacts, especially for adolescents. As people of faith, what can we do?

In the early years of Facebook, I was a big fan. “Does anybody know a good plumber?” I had eight helpful suggestions with useful reviews from people I trust within minutes. “Is pet insurance worth the cost?” I had detailed analyses of the pros and cons almost immediately.

And one time social media even rescued me from abandonment. The key to my car had broken off in the lock, so I couldn’t open the door. I called my husband, but he was not available. So, I took my dilemma to Facebook: “Anybody downtown right now and able to give me a ride?” My sister-in-law saw the post right away, called her husband who worked close by, and Shazam! I had a ride home within 15 minutes.

Facebook Foibles

These days, I’m not on Facebook – or any social media – that much anymore. Now it’s usually just when I’m stuck in the passenger seat on a long drive or in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. I got tired of tedious updates and endless “look how great my life is” photos. Fine, I’m jealous. Sue me.

Also, I started to resent feeling required to check social media to know what’s going on in the lives of people I care about. I concluded that if I’m not important enough for someone to share news with me individually, then that news isn’t anything I need to know about.

The New Normal

But it’s a very different story for today’s teenagers. Earlier this week, the Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory document called, Social Media and Youth Mental Health. It begins by identifying potential benefits, like the ability of teens to experience “positive community and connection with others who share identities, abilities, and interests” (6). But from there it sounds the alarm on the potential negative effects of social media.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/frequentlyfaithful/2023/05/social-media-how-do-we-harness-its-benefits-without-harm/