Bringing Social Media into the Conversation with Diverse Teens and Families

Social media (SM) use (see footnote) by children and youth is widespread. Up to 95% of teens and 40% of children 8 to 12 report using SM. Questions and concerns about the impact of SM on youth spurred the APA and the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office to release advisory reports last year (see links), followed by an updated set of guidelines from APA this year. These reports summarize the available data on the benefits and risks for youth posed by SM use, and offer guidelines for parents, professionals, and youth to facilitate healthy SM use. However, the recommendations provided by these reports may not consider the contextual factors involved in clinical practice, particularly for the specialties of child and adolescent psychology (CAP) or couple and family psychology (CFP). We describe contextual and cultural factors for specialists and candidates to consider in applying the guidelines to clients, and we offer specific questions to ask youth and parents about SM use as a part of specialty clinical practice.

Contextual and Cultural Considerations

The APA Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence (2023) states that media use is neither inherently beneficial nor harmful, and that several factors (e.g., age, maturity level, demographics, etc.) need to be considered in assessing its potential risks and benefits. For psychologists, this conclusion serves as an important reminder that advisories and guidelines need to be adapted to fit the living conditions of diverse teens and their families. Doing so increases treatment effectiveness, facilitates ethical practice, and demonstrates cultural competence. Effective application of the APA advisory requires clinicians to delve deeply into how culture uniquely contributes to risk and protective factors.

Recent surveys of teens indicate that their SM use varies by racial/ethnic background, gender, and SES. For instance, Black (80%) and Hispanic (70%) teens use TikTok more than white teens (57%). Hispanic teens who reported using TikTok “almost constantly” did so at a higher rate (32%) than Black (20%) and white (10%) teens. Furthermore, Hispanic and Black teens tended to start SM use at an earlier age than their white peers. Teens in lower income households (less than $30K) also reported using TikTok and Facebook more than teens from the highest income families. Adolescent girls reported using Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook “almost constantly” more than adolescent boys, who preferred using Discord and Twitch.

Specific Harms

Although certain risks of SM use (e.g., depictions of violence and self-harm, beauty standards, sexual exploitation, etc.) may be harmful to most teens, some risks may be disproportionately harmful to adolescents identifying as racial/ethnic minority and/or LGBTQ+. Racism is built into SM platforms, which can also be outlets for users’ expression of racist hate. Therefore, Black, Hispanic, and Asian adolescents are more vulnerable to being victimized online. For instance, during the height of the COVID pandemic, many in the Asian American community became victims of cyberbullying due to online misinformation about the origins of the disease and to Asian Americans being seen as “perpetual foreigners.” Studies show that vicarious (indirect) racial discrimination negatively impacts the mental health of ethnic minority youth. There are clear reasons why teens need protection online and why psychologists need to engage in more effective ways of assessing risks.

Distinct Benefits

Often less discussed, however, are the benefits that SM brings to teens and, more specifically, the unique benefits that SM brings to minority teens. For teens from collectivistic cultures (i.e., African American, Hispanic, and Asian cultures), SM may provide a way to connect to family members across the US and abroad. SM may provide a benefit that is consistent with their own self-concept; it allows them to maintain close connection with loved ones who often serve as their primary social/emotional support system and who provide them with a feeling of belonging. Parents of ethnic minority teens may therefore find SM use consistent with their value of maintaining close ties to family members. This is especially important for teens from immigrant and/or low-income families who may be unable to afford to visit relatives who live far away.

Moreover, for some teens whose personal identities are often ignored or denied, SM can provide a supportive community and an opportunity to be heard. Asian American teens, particularly those living in less diverse communities or those who were transracially adopted, may benefit from having positive role models online who look like them and identify proudly with their Asian heritage. For Black and Hispanic teens, SM can offer a supportive environment to facilitate racial-ethnic identity development, help process the effects of racism, or feel empowered to participate in the social justice movement. For teens in the LGBTQ community, SM provides a space to connect with others with similar identities, thus helping them to feel understood, supported, and less isolated. For teens living in rural communities or in unsafe neighborhoods, SM provides an outlet to spend time with friends online while staying safe at home.

Family Contexts

Equally important to understand are the reasons why parents may allow their children to view online content or engage in unmonitored SM use. For many low-income and/or ethnic/racial minority parents, late or multiple work shifts may prevent them from being present at home in the evenings. In addition, immigrant parents may be less acculturated and less knowledgeable about the risks SM pose to their children’s mental health and well-being. Language barriers and lack of technology/online literacy may also prevent some immigrant parents from being able to fully supervise their teens’ online behaviors. Finally, some ethnic minority parents may encourage online activities for educational or cultural reasons. For example, a study by Pew Research shows that 50% of Black parents and 40% Hispanic parents are more likely than white parents (29%) to say that their children (ages 11 and younger) are using YouTube several times per day. Of these, 87% of Black parents and 80% of Hispanic parents say that YouTube helps expose their children to diverse cultures.

Applying the Guidelines to Clinical Practice with an Eye towards Cultural Competence