Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf] • Hacker News Board

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#851

Post by dtjb » Thu, May 05, 2022, 7:07 PM UTC

fleddr wrote: post #681

dtjb wrote: post #596

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds like how a bunch of old dudes on HN see the "teenager world," with very adult interpretations. I also have teenagers and have worked in schools. I think there are two truths that this comment overlooks; 1) today's youth, generally speaking, are pretty impressive and resourceful, and 2) being a teenager has always sucked. Just because their experience is different doesn't mean it's worse. Every generation…

Fully wrong, which you would have known had you bothered to read it. Additional data does NOT account for the increase in mental health issues.

I read the posted paper. Please point out where the authors factor in improvements to how we elicit, diagnose, and catalog mental health problems today. I was specifically looking for it and couldn't find it. The paper mentions the historical increase in 1.2 and 1.3 but offers no context or mitigation for long-term improvements in mental health reporting. Their NYTimes source in that section only goes back one decade and starts right off with an exploding upward trend. That could absolutely be attributed to improved reporting standards when the problem got attention, but the authors don't acknowledge any impact of reporting improvements.

My parent comment was based on my experience as a teenager, compared to the very different way my teenage children are monitored and evaluated for mental health. It's night and day.

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#852

Post by trompetenaccoun » Thu, May 05, 2022, 7:09 PM UTC

Spooky23 wrote: post #715

trompetenaccoun wrote: post #668

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some call this "problematic" behavior of kids starting around age 10-12 puberty. I've not seen any peer-reviewed studies linking it to tablet use but of course it's possible that tablet use is a contributing factor in causing puberty in teenagers.

That’s not what I’m talking about. It’s pretty easy to observe - when parents use a Skinner box (ie Youtube) to keep the kids quiet, the kids don’t develop the same social/coping/etc skills. There’s lots of study on the topic. The decline of toys and play is another related thing.

Used to be TV back in the day, no? Not that this isn't happening but bad parenting has been a thing forever going all the way back to prehistory.

As always blaming the medium seems a bit short sighted. Who are the people controlling all these apps and social media sites? They're not run by aliens. And who are the parents letting this happen? There seems to be a much larger problem with society as a whole. The problem isn't the tech, it's how we use it. And if kids are developing more and more mental problems, maybe there's something wrong with the adults and how they run the world those kids are born into. "My child's brain is like a sponge", is what I often hear parents say. Feed them toxicity and that's what you get.

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#853

Post by gilbetron » Thu, May 05, 2022, 7:13 PM UTC

0xBombadilo wrote: post #637

gilbetron wrote: post #584

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an example from my son, a 13 year old white kid, gave me is that if you have one of the "diversity cards" (minority, LGBQT+, female sometimes, or some other thing) than you get to joke and talk in a way than those that don't have such a card. So his friends that are gay or black or indian or disabled are able to tease each other about it and have more liberty to use terms that my son is not allowed to. The gay kid…

>he gets it What is there to get?

The systemic repression of non-white-males for many, many decades/centuries?

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#854

Post by gilbetron » Thu, May 05, 2022, 7:17 PM UTC

mattacular wrote: post #635

gilbetron wrote: post #584

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an example from my son, a 13 year old white kid, gave me is that if you have one of the "diversity cards" (minority, LGBQT+, female sometimes, or some other thing) than you get to joke and talk in a way than those that don't have such a card. So his friends that are gay or black or indian or disabled are able to tease each other about it and have more liberty to use terms that my son is not allowed to. The gay kid…

Your white son is at the bottom of the pack because he can't openly tell bigoted jokes about his peers?

Yes, others can tell bigoted jokes, or joke around in a bigoted manner, where he cannot.

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#855

Post by SamoyedFurFluff » Thu, May 05, 2022, 7:22 PM UTC

api wrote: post #568

SamoyedFurFluff wrote: post #519

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Genuinely and speaking in the kindest way: I think what you consider culture has aged out. Youth culture does exist, but has simply changed in a way that no longer appeals to your definition of culture. It’s also covered in the news, see: the Astroworld crowd crush. There’s new terminology (bussin, deadass, bet, etc.), new aesthetics (cottagecore), and new music consumption (the rise of kpop). And my knowledge is lik…

Is/was there a sense of being part of something special and exclusive in those scenes or was it just something fun to do? I didn’t say it in my OP above but I have heard young people bemoan a lack of interesting culture that is “theirs.” Hip hop, IDM, etc are all things from GenX or earlier, though obviously with a fresh coat of paint.

Of course young people don’t realize their own culture. They literally are incapable of serious self reflection and critical thinking. When I was a kid I wouldn’t call IRC culture, but looking back it was definitely a subculture!I wouldn’t consider my music a culture either, but have you ever did karaoke with a wide range of age participants? You bet young people will be belting out different songs than the 40s folks.

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#856

Post by eternalban » Thu, May 05, 2022, 7:27 PM UTC

chimen wrote: post #624

navjack27 wrote: post #603

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I completely agree with it being an education problem and like... I treat my YouTube watching or online media watching in a way where I would make fun of myself if I allowed myself to be controlled by the thing so I don't allow myself to put myself in situations where I would mock myself if that makes any remote sense. I think it's silly to not be in control of the things that I feed myself digitally or otherwise. It…

And what's your next move once you explained that and still find them "escaping" for hours in these meaningless apps? Do you have children? How many being teenagers? Can you explain in a "soft kind manner" to an addict that they should just quit? You can fight it pro-actively or re-actively. I prefer the former as, at least, prevents the addiction from even forming. Please identify a smoker in your close circle and e…

So preamble: I agree mostly about the distinction you make between escapism and addiction. & I am a smoker. And I thank God I am not responsible for raising a child in today's world; kudos to you and all parents.

> Can you explain in a "soft kind manner" to an addict that they should just quit? You can fight it pro-actively or re-actively. I prefer the former as, at least, prevents the addiction from even forming.

This book is pretty much that: Allen Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking Without Willpower.

This book was recommended by a family member who read it and immediately quit after she finished it and based on hearsay apparently many people have the same experience. Its apparent magical effectiveness is anecdotal but something to consider. Obviously you are not a smoker, but why not grab a copy from public library and analyze its approach.

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#857

Post by listless » Thu, May 05, 2022, 7:28 PM UTC

bmj wrote: post #756

listless wrote: post #741

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I both agree and disagree here. My qualification is 3 teenage boys. 1. My kids have slack in their schedule. No, they aren't going to Ivy League schools. That's OK. They will survive somehow. 2. This is certainly true, but it's a complete joke to my kids. They aren't confused. They just wonder why all the adults are. Teenagers already think adults are incompetent. 3. This isn't true at my school. My kids have made eg…

To add to your response to #2: kids are watching their parents behave poorly on social media, and spend their time with their noses in devices. When parents of older kids still have trouble "adulting," that is bound to trickle down to the kids. Certainly, I don't look like my dad did in his late 40s, but I also have a pretty firm grasp of the responsibilities I have. My kids also must avoid social media until they ar…

We also held out on smart phones until our kids were 15 / 17 respectively. You held out even longer, so kudos for being able to do that. Our kids weren't mocked. They didn't feel left out. They didn't even complain because they had never had a smart phone so they literally had no idea what they were missing out on - which is nothing. They missed out on nothing.

In the end, we wanted a way to keep in touch with them and see where they were as they began driving and working. That's NOT a healthy reason to get a kid a smartphone, BTW. That's just a reflection of my fear and insecurity.

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#858

Post by trapatsas » Thu, May 05, 2022, 7:33 PM UTC

What I see here is a bunch of adults pretending to understand what is best for their kids. Really unpopular opinion: you all don’t know shit.

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#859

Post by diordiderot » Thu, May 05, 2022, 7:45 PM UTC

s1artibartfast wrote: post #777

pier25 wrote: post #727

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not from the US and I've never lived there, but from what you're describing (except point 4) it seems like stress is one of the fundamental values in the US society. Stuff like not having public healthcare, exorbitant college costs, being fired at any moment, etc. It seems like kids are taught that early on with the stuff you're mentioning through the imposition of cultural values, rules, etc. I'm from Europe but…

A lot of these anxieties are psychologically self imposed and a cultural failing that focuses on materialism. In the US, you are considered a failure if you don't own your own mansion by European standards and achieve a high degree of professional success. Essentially being compared to a standard that only 1% of people will ever achieve.

1 in 5 American children are food insecure.

I think the problem is bigger than materialism.

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#860

Post by DougN7 » Thu, May 05, 2022, 7:49 PM UTC

cecilpl2 wrote: post #705

throwaway787544 wrote: post #508

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not the only source of the problem, but social media is certainly a big one. Back in the day you didn't get rape threats from 50 anonymous accounts, or see pictures of you photoshopped sucking dicks, or feel like even more of a loser because you see in 4K detail how everybody else in class is having more fun outside of school. The internet is a threat and embarrassment and envy machine. You feel like you're cons…

When I was a teenager in the late 90s, I had escapes from the social hell of high school. I could go home, invite one or two close friends over, and play video games. I could find a super niche community on IRC and hang with them virtually. I felt like I had somewhere I could belong. Now, as a teenager you are plugged into that social fabric 24/7. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to find yourself in that hype…

That’s a great point and it gave me the epiphany that perhaps being always on/connected, i.e. smart phones combined with everything else is actually the cause of change. You can’t just get up and walk away (obviously you can put your phone down, but then you are cut off!)