More than half of Australian parents with teenagers say social media use is their top concern when it comes to their child’s wellbeing.
But interestingly, that’s not what teenagers are most worried about.
In a tally of the key issues that teens say most concern them, social media and tech ranked at a lowly 24 in the list compiled by online youth support service ReachOut.
So why the disparity?
Mismatched worries
Jackie Hallan, interim chief executive of ReachOut says young adults are mostly more tech savvy and more capable of using their devices as tools for good than they’re given credit for.
“We’re hearing that young people are using social media in positive ways to get support,” she says.
“For example, knowing that in some cases your teen might be turning to social media and technology to help them cope when something is going on for them — rather than the tech being the issue — can be a turning point.”
Jackie says while parental concerns about bullying, kids feeling sidelined for not being online, and glamorised ideals of how to live were valid, there were also plenty of roses among the thorns.
“Where there are those negative sides of social media, parents and carers maybe aren’t seeing the positive connections and aren’t hearing about that as much,” she says.
Jackie believes one of the factors could be that teen phone use is highly visible to parents, so it’s front of mind, whereas more veiled issues such as worry about school work and exam performance may be less noticeable.
Kids harness the positives from online
When we took to the streets to find out how teens were using social media, we found that most used it as a tool to self-regulate.
“When I get home from school I get on it and scroll for a bit on TikTok and watch videos to calm down a bit, then I do my homework,” Adelaide student Evie says.
In the report, 57 per cent of teens surveyed say that they deliberately go online to take a break from their concerns.
“Definitely, if I’m seeing funny videos it can bring up my mood,” student Amelie says.
The study found that young people today were experiencing worry at levels that they said significantly eroded their day-to-day wellbeing, and were turning to online for social connection and advice as well as distraction.
More than four in five experienced impacts on their mental health and wellbeing, with reported changes ranging from disturbed sleep to poor concentration and mood.
To cope, young people resoundingly voiced their need for stronger social connections, both within their local communities and in digital spaces.
What do young people worry about?
The 2022 survey found that worries about the future, study, and money were ranked as the highest-rated issues by young people overall.
abc
