“It's a Fine Line”: Parent and Educator Perceptions on the Effects of Adolescent Digital Media Use on Mental Health

Abstract

Background

Parents and educators are concerned about adolescents' social media use and how it affects their mental health. It is unclear how these adults perceive how social media use affects adolescent mental health or view the role of schools in addressing these effects. We explored how adults define social media, perceive the effects of social media use on adolescents' mental health, and view the role of schools in addressing student social media use.

Methods

This study draws on a thematic analysis of 19 focus groups with 71 participants. Participants included parents, administrators, teachers, and health professionals of middle and high school students across four Connecticut school districts.

Results

Three themes emerged in the study: adults conflate student digital media and social media use, they view student social media use as a double-edged sword related to mental health, and student digital media use policies without multi-pronged educational interventions to promote digital citizenship will likely not change digital media habits.

Conclusions

Educators and researchers should consider reframing social media as digital media in interventions and research and developing or enhancing multi-pronged educational interventions to promote digital citizenship among students and adults.