While social media and technology have made our lives easier in many ways, they have also introduced a plethora of safety, mental health and self esteem challenges. From cyberbullying to unrealistic beauty standards, kids and teenagers are bombarded with so many different harmful images and ideals while scrolling and switching from app to app throughout the day. If you find that you start feeling worse about yourself after scrolling through your Instagram feed, it might be time to reevaluate how beneficial the accounts you follow are to you. We hope this page provides some insight into how you can better manage social media and technology in healthy ways. For instructions to view this page in Spanish, click on en Español.

Families Connected Resources

Expert advice

Resources to share with your parents/guardians

Parent/guardian resources for social media and technology

Curated National Resources

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Social media tips

Social media and your mental health

“If you’re spending an excessive amount of time on social media and feelings of sadness, dissatisfaction, frustration, or loneliness are impacting your life, it may be time to re-examine your online habits and find a healthier balance.” - Social Media and Mental Health (HelpGuide)

“Not only are teens' developing brains vulnerable to so much time online, but because they often have difficulty self-regulating their screen time, their risks can increase. Additionally, they are more susceptible to peer pressure, cyberbullying and sexting—all activities involving digital communication—making navigating the online social world treacherous at times.” - 5 Ways Social Media Affects Teen Mental Health (Very Well)

"I see all these content creators making these gorgeous pieces of art digitally and they're younger than me, they could be 12, and they've already mastered the use of lighting and shading," she said. "I'm looking at this and I'm like, "Holy crap. Why am I doing this when there are so many other people that are so much younger than me and have so much more potential than me?" She said social media users oftentimes "act like they have a perfect life and they're perfect." - Young people discuss how phones and social media create connection — and self-doubt: "Compared to them, I am a nobody" (CBS News)

After analyzing the data, researchers found that young people who’d ghosted friends more at one point in time were more likely to be depressed four months later. This suggests that ghosting could have negative health consequences not only for “ghostees” but for “ghosters”. - Ghosting Someone May Hurt You as Much as it Hurts Them (Greater Good Magazine)

Gaming addicition

How technology can be enriching

“While we know that technology will continue to be an integral and ever-present part of our everyday lives, we do have some control over how we use it to digitally flourish, rather than flail in the midst of distraction. By cultivating our own digital wellness, we can leverage technology for its best and highest purposes and begin to shape the future with the choices that we make today.” - How Technology Can Be Part of a Happy Life (Greater Good Science Center)