Young people manage their addiction to social networks better than we think

Far from the image often given to young people, the latter are much more alert about addiction to social networks than we would sometimes like to believe. A study recent study carried out by the University of Rutgers-New Brunswick survey of twenty young people aged 13 to 16 in the United States and Canada revealed that adolescents are more aware and active in managing their social media addiction than we think.

The researchers analyzed the results from three different angles depending on the age of the participants: whether the adolescents voluntarily stopped using social media applications, the methods used to reduce their consumption and their motivations.

The study looked at the “frictions” that young people use to limit their screen time on social networks. Social media platforms are designed to be “frictionless”, that is, to avoid disrupting users’ activities and to constantly capture their attention. However, teens surveyed made minimal adjustments, such as turning off notifications or limiting usage time, to control their online consumption.

According to researcher Nikhila Natarajan, adolescents are increasingly aware of the negative effects of social media on their mental and physical health. This awareness coincides with the measures taken by platforms to better manage screen consumption. The teens surveyed said bad online experiences, such as cyberbullying or social comparison, were the main reason for their self-regulation. “It is rarely a single experience, but more often a set of interconnected online and offline experiences that lead adolescents to think more about the effects of social media, and to take steps to self-regulate their use“, explained the researcher.

The taken procedures

Contrary to popular belief, adolescents are clear-minded about the impact of social networks on their daily lives. Most of the teens in the study said they go on social media when they’re bored or because it’s a “filler.” However, more and more people are taking steps to reduce their consumption and thinking about the effects of social networks on their well-being. Some said they called on their parents to help them better control their smartphone consumption. The study reports the testimony of Sonya, a 14-year-old girl. After spending 18 hours on TikTok, the teenager decided to take action for her physical and mental well-being. A few days before starting this study, Sonya decided to ask her father to enter a code to lock her phone screen. A way to limit your screen consumption in a radical but deliberate way: “I asked my father to install it. Well, not installing it, but I installed it, and it created a password so I couldn’t override the time limit“, she said.

Others are more sensitive to family time at dinner time if parents recommend their children put down their phones.

But the options offered by the devices themselves prove to be useful for adolescents concerned about their well-being. Automatic reminders or diaries allow young people to organize their time, particularly regarding school homework.

Extra-curricular activities can also play a role in stopping using smartphones. Keith, a 16-year-old boy, said he blocked his phone notifications during his workouts so as not to be disturbed.

Against all odds, social networks can also be a source of change. Some adolescents have reported changing their behavior after seeing a trend on social media advocating a healthier lifestyle.

Their future at stake

More serious than what stereotypes lead us to believe, young adolescents are already aware of the impact of excessive use of social networks on their future and primarily on their studies. “For many participants – including the youngest – the answers to the question ‘why?’ was less about why they stop using social media and more about why they stop themselves from going on social media in the first place. So they stop before they can’t stop anymore. Each of the 14-year-olds gave completely different reasons. Fifteen-year-olds are very aware that if they log into their favorite social media app, they may not be able to get out of it in time to complete other tasks. For 16-year-olds, impending college entry is a priority, as freshman grades are a critical part of the college admissions process. 16-year-olds reported their social media use changed based on advice from their mentors at school“, explain the researchers.

Despite everything, if teenagers use the features available on their smartphones, the study still highlights that it is important for these companies and moderators to improve. The work is far from finished.