Using Social Media to Promote Life Skills Among Adolescents: A Debate on Opportunities, Challenges, and Implications for Health and Education.

Abstract

The digitalization of society increasingly blurs boundaries between analog and digital worlds, offering opportunities such as telemedicine and global connectivity through digital platforms. However, it also presents risks, including cyberbullying, addiction potential, harmful content, misinformation, and privacy concerns from data breaches and surveillance technologies. Social media, with its global reach, amplifies both opportunities for positive engagement and the responsibility to navigate largely unregulated content. Adolescents, due to their developing critical evaluation skills and high prevalence of mental health challenges, are particularly vulnerable in this space and must navigate the risks associated with social media while simultaneously leveraging it for essential developmental tasks, such as identity formation and building social connections. To support them in this challenge, we propose adapting the traditional life skills approach to address the challenges of social media use, empowering adolescents to navigate both digital and analog environments effectively. These life skills include critical thinking, communication, and managing emotions and stress - all of which are essential for navigating social media. Despite its complexities, social media offers a unique platform for health promotion and prevention interventions due to its wide accessibility and reach. It holds significant promise for adolescent health by providing information, motivation, and social support. However, evidence-based, youth-centered prevention strategies on these platforms are still in early development and require further research to ensure effectiveness. Prevention programs integrating proven behavior change techniques, aligning with the preferences and needs of adolescents, and teaching essential life skills can empower them to navigate digital and analog challenges effectively.