SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Now more than ever, we are exposed to hate and violence than ever before via social media. Videos grow viral at rapid speeds, spreading from platform to platform and sometimes we see videos without even intending to click on them.
This repeated exposure to violent content online can have depleting effects on one's mental health, especially in kids and teens who frequent social media the most.
Alice Mills Mai, CEO of Centering Wholeness Counseling, says what she sees most often in teens is anxiety, depression, hyper vigilance, and children not being able to differentiate what is on social media and what's their real life.
"They may take it into their real life as well, which did impact them, they don't wanna hang around people – social anxiety going out to town, they may feel afraid that 'oh this might happen to me.' Anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders," Mai says.
This creates a nightmare not only for children, but for their parents as well, who feel incapable of protecting them from such exposure. But Mai reiterates to parents the importance of checking in with their children.
"Parents are having a very difficult job because they cannot control what their children are seeing on social media. So when that line of communication is open, children can come to parents and ask them questions. 'This is what I'm seeing online.' 'What do you think about it?' Or 'can I even share it?'
"And parents can also tell their children, 'do not share these videos, do not download them onto your phone.' You can block these people that are sharing it. You have an impact or an influence in how you navigate social media and so I think it's very important that parents have these conversations with their children."
Mai suggests parents whose children are showing signs of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and/or PTSD should get them into therapy as soon as possible.
Overall, Mai advises parents to minimize their children's screen time, assuring it is not the first thing they wake to and the last thing they see before bed. Before giving them access to their first phone, parents should have a conversation with their children so they fully understand the responsibilities and consequences that come with social media.
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