How Social Media Can Negatively Affect Kids’ Well-Being
Social media is a powerful tool that allows children to stay connected with friends and explore their interests, but it also comes with serious risks. From anxiety and depression to disrupted sleep, the negative effects of social media can take a toll on a child’s emotional and mental health, especially during critical developmental years.
Mental Health Struggles Linked to Social Media
One of the most pressing concerns about kids on social media is the connection to mental health disorders. According to experts at Yale Medicine, frequent use of platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat can increase the risk of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. These platforms are designed to reward constant engagement, which can cause kids to tie their self-worth to likes, shares, and comments.
These apps often push unrealistic beauty standards, edited images, and carefully curated lives that lead kids to make harmful comparisons. This “highlight reel” effect can make children feel inadequate, even when they are doing just fine in real life.
Sleep Disruption and Screen Addiction
Excessive screen time spent on social media is also linked to sleep disturbances, particularly when kids use it at night. The blue light from screens can interfere with melatonin production, delaying sleep and reducing sleep quality. Additionally, the compulsive nature of social media — often called “doomscrolling” — can keep children awake and overstimulated. Sleep loss can worsen mood, reduce concentration, and make kids more vulnerable to stress and depression.
Exploiting Kids’ Attention
A major issue is how social media platforms are designed to keep kids online as long as possible — even at the expense of their mental health. Social media companies use algorithms and notifications to manipulate young users’ attention, creating habits that are hard to break. This design prioritizes engagement over well-being and can create addictive behaviors.
Exposure to Harmful Messages
While television ads have long been scrutinized for sending kids unhealthy messages, social media poses even greater risks because content is less regulated and far more personalized. Kids are especially vulnerable to media messaging that reinforces materialism, poor body image, and risky behaviors. On social media, such messages are often disguised as influencer content or viral trends, making them harder to detect and resist.
Supporting Kids in a Digital World
To protect children’s well-being, families can set limits on screen time, model healthy media habits, and maintain open conversations about what kids are seeing online. Parents are also encouraged to help children find healthy offline activities that build confidence, resilience, and real-world social connections, such as sports and dance lessons. Learning ballet, for example, offers multiple benefits that can protect kids and teens from absorbing the negative impacts of social media.
Support Your Child’s Wellness With Southern California Ballet
Southern California Ballet (SCB) is a world-class dance facility in San Diego that trains dancers for a professional career, empowers people for a life of success, and welcomes the community to be part of an extraordinary experience. Our mission is to empower aspiring dancers to reach their full potential and elevate the community through inclusive, supportive educational programs and imaginative performances.
SCB offers enriching summer dance camps that combine technical training with creative activities. Students engage in ballet classes, craft sessions, and group dances, culminating in an in-studio presentation for parents. These camps provide a supportive environment where dancers of all levels can thrive. Enroll your child today!
SCB’s training philosophy has been carefully honed by its artistic directors with the goal of providing effective, healthy, and foundational ballet training. We offer classes for people of all ages (4 years old and up). Learn more about our classes and levels, and reach out to join our academy today!
