Mental health is an increasingly present concern for parents of teenagers. So revealed a recent Pew Research survey that showed that at least 55% are concerned about their children’s mental health.
Social networking is the top reason parents give when asked what most negatively affects teens. Among parents or guardians who are at least somewhat concerned about the mental health of teens, 44% said that these have the greatest negative impact on teens today.
Meanwhile, about one in 10 say that online or offline bullying (9%) or the pressures and expectations teens experience (8%) are the main contributing factor.
Although young people cite other factors that negatively impact their mental health, they are increasingly wary of social media for their peers. Approximately half (48%) stated that these sites have a mostly negative effect on people their age, compared with 32% who expressed the same in 2022.
However, fewer (14%) believe they are negatively affected on a personal level. Still, about one in five said that social media harms their mental health.
Time on social media
However, 74% of teens say these platforms make them feel more connected to their friends, and 63% say they provide a place for them to show their creative side.
Hispanic parents’ concerns
The report also explained that there are differences according to race and ethnicity. In that sense, 52% of Hispanic parents expressed being extremely worried or very worried about the mental health of their teenagers.
This figure was higher among the black community: seven out of 10 African-American parents reported the same level of concern.
In addition, Pew Research noted that “half of black teens say they are very concerned, compared with 39% of Hispanic teens and an even smaller proportion of white teens (31%)” about their mental health.
Finally, the study also revealed that young people use social media as a tool for seeking information about mental health. Thirty-four percent of teens said they get mental health content from social media at least sometimes. The data includes 9% who do so very or fairly often.
The survey focused on teens aged 13-17 years old and approached 1,391 parents and their teens.
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