Teenage social media addiction: Growing crisis impacts studies, social ties

Verda, an 18-year-old university student at Bogazici University in Istanbul says that she used to spend many hours on social media daily.

The constant need to check her phone and stay connected with her network of friends through WhatsApp and Snapchat gave her an addiction.

“It decreased my focus and my concentration on my studies,” she tells TRT World.

In today's digital era, social media platforms have become integral to the lives of teenagers.

Platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat allow users to create and share content, engage with others, and stay connected with friends, making it a significant part of their daily routine.

A 2022 survey of around 1,300 teenagers aged 13 to 17 revealed that 35 percent of them use at least one of these major social media platforms multiple times a day. This high engagement reflects social media's role in helping teens stay connected and feel supported, though its impact can vary greatly.

Cognitive and psychological impact

Social media apps, by their very design, have been created to be addictive by using cues to trigger a response from users, which leads to reinforcement and can contribute to habit formation and addiction.

A UNESCO report published last year also backs this up. It highlights TikTok’s addictive design, driven by its short and engaging videos, which can impact attention spans and learning habits, making it harder to focus on educational and extracurricular activities. Teenagers are more susceptible to the power of the apps. As teens learn to develop their social skills, social media creates a need for validation and approval from their peers. Being accepted or rejected on social media can have a significant impact on brain activity and development.

Fazilet Seyidoglu, a clinical psychologist based in Istanbul, Türkiye, explains further, “Teens are often outcasted for not being active on social media or for not keeping up with current trends. For teenagers with ADHD or social phobia, social media becomes an effective escape where they can hide their identity. ADHD teenagers are biologically more prone to social media addiction due to the dopamine release associated with these platforms."

There’s a clear link between social media addiction and a range of cognitive and psychological issues. The constant stimulation from these platforms can disrupt the brain's ability to focus, leading to decreased concentration and cognitive overload, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as "brain rot".

This term captures the cognitive decay resulting from superficial engagement with a constant stream of digital content.

Family’s role

Verda was among the lucky ones, as her parents stepped in to help break her addiction by encouraging face-to-face interactions with her friends, like going to the cinema rather than watching films on their hand-held devices.

Her parents also encouraged Verda to visit extended family members and invite friends over. Her parents successfully transformed their daughter’s online interaction with her school friends into a real-life physical interaction within a healthy, social environment.

Others aren’t so lucky, and it may be the families themselves that have triggered the addiction, says Seyidolgu. "Most teenage social media crises stem from families being on and addicted to social media themselves. Parents have ceased to give the attention that teenagers crave, so they seek attention online.

Seyidoglu emphasises the importance of parental involvement. "Parents should not leave their children alone but should spend quality time with them. Instead of using electronic devices as a pacifier, parents should engage in activities like family trips and visits to extended family members to foster a healthier environment."

Schools responding to crisis

In response to concerns about social media's impact on academic performance, schools from around the world have taken significant measures.

Several institutions have imposed restrictions on smartphone use, especially during crucial periods such as preparations for exams in students' final year of high school. These measures are intended to reduce the distraction and cognitive overload caused by social media, thereby helping students focus more on their studies.

TRT World spoke to the vice principal of a prestigious private school in Istanbul, Tugba Ocak Katirci, who explained that in order to tackle the “pervasive nature of phone addiction”, her school has issued a policy of restricting students' phones throughout the day, except in cases of necessity.

“Constant access to smartphones and social media platforms has led to a generation of individuals who find it difficult to disengage from their devices, even for brief periods. This addiction can have detrimental effects on attention span, academic performance, and overall well-being," Katirci says. School policy makes it an obligation for students' cooperation as they are required to hand in phones at the beginning of the school day and collect them at the end, phone use becomes limited during school hours, creating a more focused and productive learning environment.

Most students in 12th grade (the final year of high school) give up their smartphones entirely as they realise the need to focus and study for the annual university entrance exam. The grades acquired on the annual university entrance exam will determine the competitiveness of the university that the student will be able to enrol in, hence the cruciality of study in the final year of school is understood by many potential high achievers.

Katirci continues, “Teen social media addiction has become a major concern in today's digital age. Constant access to smartphones and social media platforms has led to excessive screen time among teens, causing a range of issues like sleep disturbances, academic decline, and social isolation.”

The decline in attention spans directly affects academic performance. Students who struggle to concentrate are disadvantaged in traditional educational settings that require sustained focus, impacting academic achievements and future opportunities.

With increasing competition for scholarships, students experiencing attention issues may find themselves at a disadvantage. Scholarship committees typically seek candidates with strong academic records, extracurricular involvement, and leadership qualities. However, if attention deficits lead to lower grades and diminished performance, these students could face challenges.

Future of humanity and education

The use of the internet in educational environments, which includes using social media sites to research current events, poses a paradox: while digital tools offer valuable resources, they also contribute to distraction.

To address this challenge, educators and policymakers must develop strategies that balance the benefits of digital resources with the need to maintain focus and cognitive health.

Educational institutions, parents and technology developers must collaborate to create environments that promote sustained attention and mental well-being. This might involve implementing digital detox periods, fostering mindfulness practices, and redesigning educational approaches to minimise distraction while leveraging technology's benefits.

Verda says family outings and spending time outside with her friends have helped her decrease her use of social media dramatically.

“Connecting with friends in real life feels more satisfying, spiritually and emotionally,” she adds.

But, like many other teenagers across the world, Verda admits it's hard to live without social media, “I cannot imagine a future without social media."

As society navigates these complexities, the future of education and scholarships will likely hinge on our ability to adapt and address these emerging challenges. Ensuring that technological progress enhances rather than hinders cognitive and academic development is crucial for the success of future generations.