Seminar on

Use of social media among adolescents: Current Situation,

Challenges and Ways Forward
Under cordial guidance of
Hari Prasad Kaphle
Associate Professor (Public Health)
FHS, SHAS

Presented By
Janaki Kumari Timilsina
Faculty of Health Sciences
School of health and allied Sciences
Pokhara University, Dhungepatan, Nepal
2019

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Outline
• Introduction
• Benefits of Social Media on Adolescent Health
• Risks of Social Media
• Challenges and opportunities in adolescent health and social media
• Ways Forwards
• References

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 Introduction
• Social media simply defined as a “label for digital technologies that
allow people to connect, interact, produce and share content.

• Broadly defined social media as “any interactive communication

channel that allows for two-way interaction and feedback.”

• Internet-based, disentrained, and persistent channels of masspersonal

communication facilitating perceptions of interactions among users,
deriving value primarily from user-generated content.(Carr & Hayes,
2015)

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Contemporary Examples Derived from Carr and Hayes’
Definition of Social Media
Social Media
 Social network sites (e.g., Facebook,, Google, YouTube)
 Professional network sites (e.g., LinkedIn)
 Chatboards & discussion fora
 Social/Casual games (e.g., Farmville)
 Wiki “Talk” pages
 Tinder
 Instagram

Carr, C. T., & Hayes, R. A. (2015). Social media: Defining, developing, and divining. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 23(1), 46-65.
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• The lives of adolescents today have become increasingly intertwined
with social media.
• A common type of social media use is through a social networking
site (SNS) profile, examples include Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
• The majority of adolescent's report ownership of at least one SNS
profile
• The majority of adolescents now have access to social media.
• These profiles are accessed frequently; most adolescents report that
they check their social media multiple times per day.

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• According to a national survey, almost 92% teens report going online
daily, of these 24% go online “almost constantly” and 56% go online
several times a day.
• Internet has provided a new avenue to enhance personal growth
through academic widespread enrichment, creative expression and
social interaction.

Sadhir, M., Stockburger, S. J., & Omar, H. A. (2016). Challenges of internet and social media use in adolescents. Dynamics of Human
Health, 3(1).
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How we use social media

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What Adolescents Do Online: Protective Aspects
ACTIVITY % OF ADOLESCENTS
Join an online community or a “group” on 54
Facebook in support of a cause
Post creative writing or artwork that you’ve done 53
share videos or music that you’ve created 50
Organize or invite people to an event using a 45
social networking site like Facebook
Volunteer for a campaign, nonprofit organization, 34
or charity
Participate in online study groups 26

SOURCE: Carroll, J., & Kirkpatrick, R. (2011). Impact of social media on adolescent behavioral health. Oakland, CA: California Adolescent Health Collaborative.
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Benefits of Social Media on Adolescent Health
• Social media use is highly associated with many benefits for
adolescent health and development.

• Adolescents use online searches to gain answers to many of their

health concerns with 31% of online adolescents getting health, dieting,
or physical fitness information from the internet.

• 17 % of adolescents who use the internet report they use it to gather

information about health topics that are hard to discuss with others,
such as drug use and sexual health (Lenhart, 2010).

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• Most adolescents use online networks to extend the friendships they
already have from other areas of their life, such as school, religious
organizations, sports and other local activities (Ito, 2008).

• Social networking sites provide a way for adolescents to experience

connectedness and opportunities to learn from each other (Ito, 2008).

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• Adolescents look to social networks as a key source of information
and advice in a critical developmental period with 57% of adolescent
social networkers saying they look to their online social network for
advice (Nielsen, 2009).

• Social networking sites can allow adolescents to find support online

that they may lack in traditional relationships, especially for
adolescents who are often marginalized, such as lesbian, gay, bi and
transgendered (LGBT), those who are living with an illness or
disability, or those who may feel physically unattractive or socially
reticent.

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• Social media can provide a supportive environment to explore
romance, friendship, and social status, while also providing adolescent
an opportunity to share and discuss their taste in music, ideas of drama
and flims, online games, and other aspects of civilization (Ito, 2008).
• The use of social media as a powerful health communication tool and
it is also one important area of current research interest.

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Risks of Social Media
Social media use has become an integral part of adolescent lives.
But with its use, adolescents are currently facing problems of;
• Social Media and Adolescent Mental Health
• Cyberbullying
• Adolescent Relationship Abuse and Social Media
• Texting/Sexting
• Online Sexual Solicitation and Predation
• Internet Addiction
• Pornography

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Social Media and Adolescent Mental Health

• Adolescents who are the heaviest social media users report being less
content and are more likely to report that they get into problem a lot,
are often sad or unhappy, and are often bored or stressed.

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Cyberbullying
• Cyberbullying is aggressive and repetitive acts meant to hurt someone
and involves an imbalance of power inflicted through electronic
media.
• According to study, 20–40% of adolescents report having been
victims of cyberbullying.
• Cyberbullying are highly associated with increased anxiety,
depression, and low self-esteem in adolescents

Source :Carroll, J., & Kirkpatrick, R. (2011). Impact of social media on adolescent behavioral health. Oakland, CA: California Adolescent Health Collaborative.

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 Texting and Sexting
• In social media texting can also be used to bully or humiliate people.
• An embarrassing or upsetting image or video can quickly be transmitted
or uploaded to an online video sharing site like YouTube via cell phones
or the internet.
• Sexting is a form of texting where ones send or receive sexually
suggestive nude or nearly nude images or messages.
• As many as 20% of adolescents reported they have sent nude or semi-
nude pictures due to pressure from boys to send sexts.

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Adolescent Relationship Abuse and Social Media
• Adolescents in relationships may also receive nude pictures or be
pressured to send nude pictures of themselves to a partner.
• Relationship abuse can also include sending nonstop text messages or
posting cruel comments on a boyfriend’s or girlfriend’s Facebook.
• Cell phones, instant messaging, and social networking websites are all
increasingly being used to monitor, threaten, and harass relationship
partners.

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Online Sexual Solicitation and Predation
• online sexual solicitation is term as “the act of encouraging someone
to talk about sex, to do something sexual, or to share personal sexual
information even when that individual does not want to do”.
• Online sexual predation happens when an adults makes contact with a
minor with intent to involve in sexual activities that may result in
statutory rape.

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Internet Addiction
• Internet addiction has been associated with depression, anxiety, stress,
self-injurious behaviors, sleep disturbances, increased alcohol and
tobacco use, and obesity.
• Additionally, studies have found microstructural changes in the brains
of adolescents with Internet addiction, including a decrease in gray
matter volume and alterations in neurotransmitters

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Pornography
• Exposure to pornographic material on the Internet is common.
• 70% of adolescents aged 15–17 years reporting the accidental
exposure while 72% of college students reporting exposure before age
18 years.
• Exposure to violent pornographic material has been related to sexually
aggressive behaviors in adolescents.
• Also pornography has been shown to have a negative influence on
attitudes and ideas towards the women sexuality and healthy
relationships.

Springate J, Omar HA. The impact of the internet on the sexual health of adolescents. In: Tsitsika A, Janikian M, Greydanus DE, Omar HA, Merrick J, editors. Internet
addiction: a public health concern in adolescence. Hauppauge (NY): Nova Science Publishers; 2013. p. 133–8.
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Challenges and opportunities in adolescent health and social
media
• The rise of social media presents challenges and opportunities in
adolescent health.
• A major area of concern is the influence of social media on adolescent
health behaviors.

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 Social media combines the influence of two traditional areas of
influence on adolescent health:
• Peer influence and media influence.
Adolescents are thus uniquely vulnerable to the effects and influence of
social media: they are early adopters, nearly ubiquitous users, and highly
susceptible to peer influences.

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Area Challenges Oppurtunities

Eating disorders • Media often promotes “thin • Future research should aim to
ideal” body shape explore ways in which social
media may provide support to
• Quality and quantity of social patients in recovery from
media engagement have been eating disorders
linked to body dissatisfaction and • The potential impact of body
drive for thinness positive social campaigns on
adolescent body image
Sexual health Adolescents commonly use • Social media can be used to raise
technology to access information awareness and acceptance of
about sex; this information may sexual health prevention such as
be inaccurate or inappropriate HIV testing
• Future research should explore
ways to use social media to
deliver accurate health
information and result in safer
sexual health behaviors
Moreno, M. A., Standiford, M., & Cody, P. (2018). Social media and adolescent health. Current Pediatrics Reports, 6(2), 132-138.
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Area Challenges Oppurtunity

Substance use • Exposure to alcohol and substance • Social media messages about
use on social media may promote health consequences of smoking
earlier initiation of these behaviors changed attitudes

• Social media may present new

opportunities to identify youth at
risk who post about alcohol or
substance use behaviors
Prevention • Adolescents may misinterpret • Providers can leverage
online relationships or share interactive sites such as help to
personal or health information understand teen perspectives on
using these non-secure their clinic or practice
communication channels.
• Social media may provide new
opportunities to connect teens to
their providers or clinic and
receive updates or reminders
Moreno, M. A., Standiford, M., & Cody, P. (2018). Social media and adolescent health. Current Pediatrics Reports, 6(2), 132-138.
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Area Challenges Oppurtunity

Suicide • Social media posts • Content posted related to

expressing suicidal ideation suicide may offer
may normalize this content opportunities to prevent
• Youth can feel powerless suicide before it happens
when viewing suicidal • Future research should aim
content on social media to explore posted social
media content to more fully
understand predictors of
suicide

Moreno, M. A., Standiford, M., & Cody, P. (2018). Social media and adolescent health. Current Pediatrics Reports, 6(2), 132-138.
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Ways Forwards
New Tools to Promote Safe Social Media Use
One new tool to engage patients and families is the Family Media Use Plan.
Developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics as part of the 2016
revised Media Policies. The tool is online and is designed to be done as an
activity involving a parent and a adolescents.
CDC Social Media Toolkit
It Provides the ideas about using social media for health promotion,
including planning and implementing educational campaigns. This source
includes a chart to help choose appropriate types of social media format and
resources hence helps the adolecents.
Source:http://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/ToolsTemplates/Soc ialMediaToolkit

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TUNE
• It is a unique and interactive health and wellness program that helps adolescents
make positive choices and live healthier lives through music.
• TUNE uses many ways to promote its music and messages including the TUNE
website, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube which feature over 300 artist recordings.
Itgetsbetter.org
It is a website where gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered adolescents can find
videos of other youth and individuals with encouraging messages about making it
through the difficult adolescents years especially when faced with harassment and
bullying.

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Technological solutions
Internet providers need to continue to work with parents and policy
makers to create awareness and opportunities for privacy protection of
youth and to develop technologies that can assist adolescents in staying
safe.
Health providers
Medical and mental health providers/ health care professionals need to
include routine screenings to assess risk for depression that consider an
adolescent's social media use.

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References
• Carr, C. T., & Hayes, R. A. (2015). Social media: Defining, developing, and divining. Atlantic
Journal of Communication, 23(1), 46-65.
• Carroll, J., & Kirkpatrick, R. (2011). Impact of social media on adolescent behavioral health.
Oakland, CA: California Adolescent Health Collaborative.
• Sadhir, M., Stockburger, S. J., & Omar, H. A. (2016). Challenges of internet and social media use
in adolescents. Dynamics of Human Health, 3(1).

• Collins, R.L., Martino, S.C., & Shaw, R. (2011). Influence of New Media on Adolescent Sexual
Health: Evidence and Opportunities, Working Paper WR-761.
• The Nielsen Company. (2009). How Teens Use Media: A Nielsen report on the myths and realities
of teen media trends.
• Moreno, M. A., Standiford, M., & Cody, P. (2018). Social media and adolescent health. Current
Pediatrics Reports, 6(2), 132-138.
• Lenhart A, Purcell K, Smith A., & Zickuhr K. (2010). Social media & mobile internet use among
teens and young adults
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• Ito M., Horst, H., Bittani, M., boyd, d., Herr-Stephenson, B., Lange, P.G., . . .Tripp, L. (2008)
Living and Learning With New Media: Summary of Findings From the Digital Youth Project.
• Springate J, Omar HA. The impact of the internet on the sexual health of adolescents. In: Tsitsika
A, Janikian M, Greydanus DE, Omar HA, Merrick J, editors. Internet addiction: a public health
concern in adolescence. Hauppauge (NY): Nova Science Publishers; 2013. p. 133–8.

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