New American Psychological Association guidelines: Parents should advise teenagers on social media use, impose restrictions

Friday, May 12, 2023

	We hope these recommendations will be helpful as we all try to keep pace with the rapidly shifting social media ecosystem.
—Dr. Arthur C. Evans Jr.

Releasing recommendations on Tuesday, the American Psychological Association (APA) urged parents to provide teenagers with guidance and training on social media usage, while placing limits on its duration.

The APA offered 10 suggestions for teenagers' safe and responsible use of social media.

According to the report, before teenagers use social media, parents should provide guidance on social media literacy and support for psychological development.

The advisory described a deficiency of literature examining the effects of social media use on "youth from racial, ethnic, sexual, gender, socioeconomic or differently abled populations, and/or youth with chronic developmental or health conditions," calling for increased funding for research.

The APA assembled a panel of experts who reviewed research on social media use and wrote the recommendations.

APA CEO Dr. Arthur C. Evans, Jr. said: "We hope these recommendations will be helpful as we all try to keep pace with the rapidly shifting social media ecosystem."

"Social media is neither inherently harmful nor beneficial to our youth," the Association's President, Dr. Thema Bryant, stated.

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Sources

Monica Galarza, Amanda Plasencia. "American Psychological Association Releases New Guidelines for Teens' Use of Social Media" — WTVJ, May 9, 2023
Madeline Holcombe. "Teens should be trained before entering the world of social media, APA says" — CNN, May 9, 2023

External links

"Health advisory on social media use in adolescence" — American Psychological Association, May 2023

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