As one would expect, parents refuse to accept rising social media and drug use as the “new normal” among their teens. Trends are concerning among all demographics, although teens are bearing the brunt of the issue.
However, no matter how concerning these trends are, there is plenty you can do about it. Let’s talk about the link between social media and substance use, how the two affect each other, and how you can protect yourself and your loved ones.
We all know that many teens try substances like marijuana or alcohol. However, the truth about its growing concerns is often ignored or underplayed.
As many as 12 to 17% of teens reported using an illicit drug within the last month. While it's never safe to use these substances, especially with a developing brain, it's particularly concerning when it becomes a habit. Studies are limited on the number of teens with substance use disorder.
However, among the studies we do have, the numbers are concerning, and they are only increasing as time passes. Believe it or not, 7% of adolescents meet the NIH criteria for substance use disorder. Because that's dangerously approaching 1 in 10, that means that adolescents are nearly as likely as adults to develop an alcohol or drug addiction.
Not only that, but the same studies concluded that only 13.6% of the adolescents who meet the criteria for substance use disorder will receive treatment. So, with such concerning trends, how exactly does social media fit into the picture?
It's no secret that teens are on social media and often find themselves addicted to using various platforms. Unlike substance abuse, social media addiction isn't simply swept under the rug, it's more apparent, and it's highly accessible to people of all ages.
Well, it poses a particular risk to teens for many reasons. Teens are essentially trapped (for lack of a better word) in institutions with the same people 5 days a week, and that's the only life they've known. When you are in such a situation and status becomes as apparent as it does on social media, self-esteem and mental health are bound to decline for some people.
Remember, that's not even mentioning the risks of cyberbullying, developing eating disorders, developing a highly competitive nature, or more.
Users tend to share their most positive achievements and little more, which leads many people to wonder what's wrong with them. If everybody else is having such a "great life" and I'm not, what did I do wrong?
Of course, that mentality seems flawed as an adult, but teens don't know better. Kids and teens often spend 5 to 7.5 hours on social media every day, which only makes the problems worse. They are spending more time worrying about how other people think of them and less time focused on development, which is a breeding ground for conditions such as substance use disorder.
We all know that many teens try substances like marijuana or alcohol. However, the truth about its growing concerns is often ignored or underplayed.
As many as 12 to 17% of teens reported using an illicit drug within the last month. While it's never safe to use these substances, especially with a developing brain, it's particularly concerning when it becomes a habit. Studies are limited on the number of teens with substance use disorder.
However, among the studies we do have, the numbers are concerning, and they are only increasing as time passes. Believe it or not, 7% of adolescents meet the NIH criteria for substance use disorder. Because that's dangerously approaching 1 in 10, that means that adolescents are nearly as likely as adults to develop an alcohol or drug addiction.
Not only that, but the same studies concluded that only 13.6% of the adolescents who meet the criteria for substance use disorder will receive treatment. So, with such concerning trends, how exactly does social media fit into the picture?
It's no secret that teens are on social media and often find themselves addicted to using various platforms. Unlike substance abuse, social media addiction isn't simply swept under the rug, it's more apparent, and it's highly accessible to people of all ages.
Well, it poses a particular risk to teens for many reasons. Teens are essentially trapped (for lack of a better word) in institutions with the same people 5 days a week, and that's the only life they've known. When you are in such a situation and status becomes as apparent as it does on social media, self-esteem and mental health are bound to decline for some people.
Remember, that's not even mentioning the risks of cyberbullying, developing eating disorders, developing a highly competitive nature, or more.
Users tend to share their most positive achievements and little more, which leads many people to wonder what's wrong with them. If everybody else is having such a "great life" and I'm not, what did I do wrong?
Of course, that mentality seems flawed as an adult, but teens don't know better. Kids and teens often spend 5 to 7.5 hours on social media every day, which only makes the problems worse. They are spending more time worrying about how other people think of them and less time focused on development, which is a breeding ground for conditions such as substance use disorder.
Now, we mentioned quite a few issues social media can cause, but you may wonder exactly how. We gave a few examples from a typical adolescent's point of view, but that's far from all. Social media serves to:
The list goes on. Finally, it opens a door to expose them to peer pressure in regards to substance use, which is the topic at hand.
Social media companies use sophisticated algorithms that push specific types of content on you based on your demographic information, location, and previous interactions on the platform. Sometimes, this is harmless.
For example, an elderly "cat lady" may love seeing all of the funny cat videos she can handle on her feed. She may continue interacting with them for the rest of her life, share them with her friends, buy recommended cat toys, and have a highly positive experience.
However, a teenage girl who feels very poorly about her acne will see a feed filled with supermodels followed up with "solutions" in the form of ads. When those products don't fix the fundamental issues and underlying feelings, those problems are only reinforced.
Now, we mentioned quite a few issues social media can cause, but you may wonder exactly how. We gave a few examples from a typical adolescent's point of view, but that's far from all. Social media serves to:
The list goes on. Finally, it opens a door to expose them to peer pressure in regards to substance use, which is the topic at hand.
Social media companies use sophisticated algorithms that push specific types of content on you based on your demographic information, location, and previous interactions on the platform. Sometimes, this is harmless.
For example, an elderly "cat lady" may love seeing all of the funny cat videos she can handle on her feed. She may continue interacting with them for the rest of her life, share them with her friends, buy recommended cat toys, and have a highly positive experience.
However, a teenage girl who feels very poorly about her acne will see a feed filled with supermodels followed up with "solutions" in the form of ads. When those products don't fix the fundamental issues and underlying feelings, those problems are only reinforced.
Here's the thing, many of us assume that all of the blame is placed on peers, but that's essentially an act of victim-blaming. Their peers are likely struggling with many of the same concerns as you or your teen.
Of course, social media companies share much of the blame, but we're not trying to play the blame game. Rather, we want to understand the cause of these negative effects. So, what type of content affects your teen the most?
Well, different content affects your teen differently. For example, influencers and celebrities are constantly promoting unrealistic body images for teens from all walks of life.
Teen boys may have an interest in sports and find themselves bombarded with men who use steroids and have professional photographers and lighting experts helping them out. Conversely, teen girls may find plenty of models, celebrities, and fitness influencers using plenty of filters, lighting techniques, and professional makeup.
Either way, this often leads to feelings of inadequacy, as the teens can't live up to these standards. They may believe that's how they are supposed to look and that something must be wrong with them if they don't. Because they have such limited life experience, they don't inherently know better than that.
Feelings of inadequacy could lead to anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, eating disorders, and even substance abuse.
For another example, posts from friends and family members may have a completely different effect. Teens may do things that aren't themselves or that could be dangerous to try to "fit in". This could involve trying new challenges or developing bad habits like using substances.
While studies are mixed, there have been clear links that suggest social media increases teens' risks of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and other mental illnesses. These conditions are known to lead to substance abuse in many people, with teens seeing particular risk.
Of course, we aren't suggesting that social media is the only driver of the rise in substance abuse cases. Recent court cases have essentially ruled that drug companies were responsible for the opioid epidemic.
However, we are suggesting there is a clear link between the rise in social media use among younger generations and their increased mental illness rates. Rising rates of substance use disorder come in tandem with a decline in mental health among larger demographics. Dual diagnosis treatment exists because of this common link.
Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, social media is a major problem among teens. Much like how the drug companies were found complicit in the rise of opioid use, social media companies allegedly ramped up their targeting of teenagers because of their profitability.
Consequently, those same companies allegedly discovered that the more negative feelings they foster, the more it helps their bottom line. Essentially, they have a vested interest in continuing these trends. So, how big of an issue is this?
Well, surveys show that over 90% of teens are on social media. Again, social media is highly addictive, especially for adolescents who are still developing impulse control skills.
Okay, let's discuss the issue at hand. How big of a problem are drugs and social media together?
While there are few studies surrounding the two issues together, the correlation is too strong to ignore. Social media use has continued increasing and expanding to younger users. One could certainly argue this as a leading cause for the overall rise in teen drug use and the 61% rise in drug use among 8th graders between 2016 and 2020.
Overall, we can only speculate about how strong the connection is. However, it is certain that these trends are both rising simultaneously, that social media leads to increased mental health issues, and that mental health issues lead to addiction. Therefore, it's also certain that the connection exists.
Fortunately, this isn't all bleak. Even with teen drug abuse on the rise, there is plenty you can do to combat these trends and keep yourself and your loved ones safe from harm. Here's how.
If you are reading this because you're concerned about your own social media and/or drug use, then good for you! It's amazing that you took the first step and recognized you had a problem all on your own, so keep it up!
Now, the best thing you can do if the problem is serious is to reach out for help. If you aren't sure whether or not it's serious, have you been abusing drugs? If you've felt cravings, anxiety, or discomfort when not taking substances, then it's time to find treatment immediately.
Don't worry about how your family will feel. They would rather know the truth and see you succeed than have the problem get worse, so talk to them as soon as possible.
However, if you're reading this as a preventative measure or to get a better understanding of these issues, then there's still plenty you can do. If you find social media to affect you in any of the ways previously mentioned, then the best thing you can do is try to limit your social media use.
Also, if you find yourself surrounded by people who are engaged in risky behavior, it's okay to find new friends. We know that seems like harsh advice and that you care about these people, but you have a long life ahead of you and changing course only gets harder. Put your own well-being first!
Research shows that 97% of alcohol-related posts among younger people portray alcohol in a positive light. Essentially, this means that the culture among adolescents needs to change, and that starts with education.
Educating your teen should be a top priority for combatting these rising health concerns, and the sooner, the better. Try talking to your teen about the issues around substance abuse and break down some of the stigmas surrounding the issues.
Of course, every parent has their own style. However, reflecting on our own teenage years, we all know that being told "no" only encouraged us. We're not suggesting you encourage them to "drink small amounts" or "do what you want but be safe".
Regardless of the policies of your household, education should still play an integral role in your teen's development. Talk to them about the dangers of alcohol, of mixing drugs, or of taking illegal drugs, and encourage them to avoid any risky behaviors. Also, try to encourage them to talk to you if they have concerns or questions, rather than to try to hide something.
Also, educate them about the harmful effects of social media. There's nothing inherent in our genes or our childhood that warns you about these dangers, so they have to be taught. If they show signs of concern with their social media use, encourage them to limit their time on social media and spend more time with their real-world connections.
Monitoring your children for changing behavior is also a great way to address issues as early as possible. Try to keep communication as open as possible.
Lastly, if you are concerned that your teen is already abusing substances, then it's time to intervene before the problem gets worse. Look at your different treatment options and find what works for your teen and sign them up, whether with a drug abuse counselor or residential treatment program.
We now understand that social media and substance use have a connection, and both are becoming dangerously popular among adolescents. If you're worried about your health or the health of your teen, then it's time to find the right treatment for both social media and drug use.
Keep reading our blog for more information and feel free to reach out with any questions about treatment!
Please fill out the following form to contact Sober Partners® by email, immediately!
