Does social media have a drastic effect on how physically active teenagers are? The results might surprise you.
This article is based on research done at California State University by: Sandhya V Shimoga, PhD,#1 Erlyana Erlyana, MD, PhD, #1 and Vida Rebello, MSHCA#1. For further insights, please read full article.
Daniel MacDougall
The Effects of Social Media Use on Physical Activity
In this article, we delve into the relationship between social media use and physical activity among adolescents.
Are teenagers less active with the influence of social media on our society? The rational thought would be a yes, but it is imperative to delve into the nuances between physical activity and the social media world. Also, if there is, what proactive measures are there?
Social interactions between adolescents have moved into the social media territory at break-neck speed. According to one source, 93% of teens actively use social media daily in 2024. While there is a cause for concern across various domains, the effect of social media use and physical activity has some opportunities of parenting consideration.
There may be a so-called “Goldilocks” zone between a healthy lifestyle for teens and social media use. Parental understanding of these two worlds and how they come together is the tricky part. Your child’s particular behavior may have a negative or positive health benefit in regard to these platforms.
It is worth noting there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Knowing your child’s influencing factors and their social media use is of paramount importance, and here is where the study takes some surprising turns.
Physically active teenagers and their use of social media fell into a linear result. Social media engagement among active teenagers augmented their involvement in physical activities. The result was a positive correlation.
Of course, this finding comes into the realm of kids not abusing social media, but teenagers use these platforms for sharing. There is a positive correlation between social sharing and engagement in sports-related activities. If you have an active teenager, they may use these platforms to share sports content and thus further engage in physical activities.
Conversely, for children who live a more sedentary lifestyle, their social media use exacerbated their dormancy. Teenagers who are more prone to shy away from physical activity, leading to an increase in dormancy and social media use. In this group, the result was linear as well. Heavy social media use precipitated less activity, resulting in a U-shaped pattern between physically active and non-physically active teenagers.
In these two groups, there are both positive and negative feedback loops.
To sum it up, if your kids are into sports, they are more prone to use social media for sports, thus reinforcing an active lifestyle.
If your kids are into video games and television, they use social media to explore these activities, thus enforcing their sedentary behaviors with social media. Adolescents tend to utilize these platforms to align with their interests and behaviors.
It is essential to acknowledge the negative correlations between excessive social media use and teenage behavior. While this topic of discussion is far too grand to be discussed in this article, the focus is primarily on the study topic at hand.
Regardless of physical activity, the study found negative concerns about sleep patterns. Adolescents may risk sleep deprivation if engaging in late-night zombie-scrolling sessions. The effect of late-night phone use had negative consequences on adolescent performance in school and physical activity performance.
Is there a positive side?
If you are concerned about social media use and your child’s physical activity, there are social media resources available to improve health and wellness.
Facebook hosts various healthcare groups within the Facebook communities promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Instagram has influencers promoting healthy eating habits and activities. TikTok users create tons of exercise shorts, and YouTubers upload at-home workout videos and healthy diets.
These groups and influencers are out there. You have to search for them, and the more you search, the more content algorithms pick for you.
However, it is crucial to approach these digital spaces within the context of health and wellness with caution. Ask yourself if you see positive influences in your child regarding who they are following and their behaviors, much like the magazine effect when magazines were a thing. People want to look like what they deem to be perfect, and if reality doesn’t meet up with fantasy, this can lead to negative health outcomes. Social media can lead to unrealistic image standards and negative self-perceptions among teens.
Adolescents need to understand that what they see on screens can be images of deception. Make-up and Photoshop can bend images to unreal destinations.
So, what is the path forward?
Find out who your teenagers follow on their social media accounts. Are these influencers beneficial, and do they align with your family values? Seeing which influencers they follow will give you a better understanding of their interests.
Set time restrictions on your teenager's phone use. Pick a cut-off time to ensure adequate sleep each night.
Engage in conversations about the images your kids see online and the difference between reality and self-perception. Inform your children that some influencers spend all their time dedicated to body image and leave no time for a worldly lifestyle.
By fostering a balanced approach to social media use and a healthy lifestyle, you can empower your teen's self-discipline when making the right choices. Imparting healthy social media habits aids in making the decision to put the phone down and become grounded in the real world.
Weekly Side Quest:
You witness the hours slip away as your teenager scrolls on their phone, but have you examined how much time you spend on your phone, and are you setting a bad example? Restrict your phone time before telling your children to get off theirs, and set time limits for phone use in the household. Find a proper balance.
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Author's note: none of the writing was generated or made by AI. Our mission is provide a human touch to our journeys together. Thankyou always, Daniel MacDougall…