The fear of missing out (FOMO) combined with high social media usage has contributed to ongoing teen anxiety, a Macquarie University (MC) study has found.
The study, published in the Australian Journal of Psychology, found that from 951 people aged 12 to 16, frequent social media use increased anxiety in teens who scored high in FOMO surveys (11 percent of participants).
However, it was linked to less stress for low FOMO scorers.
FOMO was measured in 509 males (54 percent) and 442 females (46 percent) through an online questionnaire that assessed social media use frequency, anxiety symptoms, FOMO, and self-compassion.
MC called for a new approach to social media because nearly half of the teens were “constantly online,” according to the study.
About 25 percent of teens use social media one to four times a day, 21 percent use it five to 10 times a day, 18 percent use it over ten times a day, and 16 percent use it all the time.
“Efforts to reduce social media use or improve self-compassion may be better directed to assessing and addressing FOMO and the adolescent’s sense of belonging,” the study noted.
It comes after research showed that when socially anxious teens spend more time online, they enjoy face-to-face interactions less, feeding a vicious cycle that erodes their social skills.
However, Macquarie University School of Psychological Sciences Study leader Danielle Einstein said teens want a sense of belonging, and some socially anxious teenagers “actively choose” the online environment over face-to-face.
“That means sharing the same experiences, the same in-jokes. For young people, many of those experiences occur online, leading them to worry they’ll miss something and be left behind,” Dr. Einstein said.
“It’s essential that we prioritise our face-to-face relationships, and the first step to doing that is to be mindful of how and when we’re using our phones,” she said.
She condoned, for example, the NSW government’s decision to ban phones in public secondary schools.
“With evidence that even having a phone facedown on the desk is a significant distraction, the best option is to turn off all unnecessary notifications and put the phone in another room when working.”
Regarding the NSW ban, Education and Early Learning Minister Prue Car said it would reduce teen distraction and cyberbullying.
Meanwhile, Premier Chris Minns was hopeful it would improve test scores after recent overall declines.
A teenager presents a smartphone with the Chinese social network Tik Tok logo in Nantes, western France, on Jan. 21, 2021. LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images
Excess Screen Time A Top Concern for Parents
Children and teens aged 5-14 spend more than 20 hours a week on screen-based activities, overtaking reading, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data released in April.ABS Head of Education Statistics Michelle Ducat said, “Of children doing screen-based activities, 40 percent were spending 10-19 hours, but there has been an increase in the percentage of children using screens for more than 20 hours a week, from 16 per cent to 24 per cent.”
About 72 percent of younger children read, down from 79 percent in 2017-18.
Around one-third of them read for two hours or less per week. At the same time, 63 percent of 12 to 14-year-olds read, a decline compared to younger children.
Parents report that excessive screen time is their children’s top health concern, fearing their children spend too much time on electronic devices, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS).
Further, AIFS said screen time may negatively affect weight and diet, behavioural problems, anxiety, hyperactivity, attention, self-esteem and psychosocial health, as well as depressive symptoms for children aged 5–17.
However, it noted other research suggested limited evidence linking screen time to mental health problems.
Other potential issues include weight, motor and cognitive development, and the social and psychological well-being for children younger than five years. In their later adulthood, it was found to spur emotional problems in girls.
Are Kids Adapting Though?
However, 9 in 10 teens sought to build positive online relationships, according to an eSafety commissioner report (pdf).The report found negative online experiences made teens more aware of the impact of their actions and motivated them to engage in more positive online behaviours.
Further, nearly 100 percent of teens who had a negative online experience engaged in positive online behaviour compared with 82 percent of teens who had not had a negative online experience.
The top three positive behaviours were posting positive comments about others (86 percent of those who had a negative online experience compared with 66 percent of those who had no negative online experience), supporting or listening to a friend who had a bad experience (88 percent compared with 59), and ensuring peers were not excluded online (83 compared with 60 percent).
An eSafety commissioner spokesperson called for the “heartening result” to be nurtured to help build a safer and more positive online world.
“This is particularly important when the downsides of online engagement are often the focus of attention in the media.”
