Youth Well-Being in the Digital Age

Teenagers, who use digital media extensively, are especially vulnerable to both the advantages and disadvantages of this medium. However, it is generally acknowledged that adolescent experiences can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on health and wellbeing over the course of a person's life. Their future welfare is largely shaped by their interactions with digital media at this crucial time of physical and emotional development, just as much as by their interactions with the real world (Holly et al., 2023).

Teenagers must be given the tools and authority to use digital media in ways that promote their present and future well-being if their wellbeing is to be maximized in this digital age. Teenagers and their caretakers cannot, however, bear all of the responsibility for controlling the dangers of poorly controlled digital settings. In order to give young users the assistance and protection they require, governance systems and services for adolescents, particularly health services, must also be reinforced (Holly et al., 2023).

                                                                        References

Holly, L., Wong, B. L. H., Van Kessel, R., Awah, I., Agrawal, A., & Ndili, N. (2023). Optimising adolescent wellbeing in a digital age. BMJ, e068279. //doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-068279

The growing prevalence of digital technology in youth lives has sparked significant concern regarding its potential negative impacts on their wellbeing. Increased screen time raises worries about social, physical, and mental health consequences.  

The American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media, issued an early warning regarding the potential harms of excessive Facebook usage among youth (Odgers & Jensen et al.,2020). This initial alert, highlighting concerns about social media's impact on children and adolescents, has been subsequently reinforced by various public advocacy initiatives aimed at safeguarding young people. 

In the digital age, fostering adolescent wellbeing requires a two-pronged approach: 

The need for digital literacy: Young people need to be educated and enabled to use digital media in ways that positively impact their current and future wellbeing. 

Strengthening Support Systems: It's crucial to enhance governance, services, and especially health and cyber security services to provide necessary protection and support 

References 

Odgers CL, Jensen MR. Annual Research Review: Adolescent mental health in the digital age: facts, fears, and future directions. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2020 March;61(3):336-348. 

Van Kessel, R., Wong, B. L. H., Forman, R., Gabrani, J., & Mossialos, E. (2022). The European Health Data Space fails to bridge digital divides. BMJ, e071913. //doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2022-071913 .  

Holly, L., Wong, B. L. H., Kessel, R. van, Awah, I., Agrawal, A., & Ndili, N. (2023). Optimising adolescent wellbeing in a digital age. BMJ, 380, e068279. //doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-068279  

Digital literacy plays an important role in imparting online resilience for youth well-being (Vissenberg et al. 2022). Apart from skills such as information retrieval and content creation, digital literacy should also focus on responsible online interaction (Livingstone & Helsper, 2007; Buckingham, 2007). There is an imperative need to educate youth on how to safely navigate online platforms in the era of misinformation, online scams, or harmful content (Coiro, Knobel, Lankshear, & Leu, 2008). Digital literacy can minimise risks, making youth capable of handling cyberbullying, online grooming, privacy breaches, and digital addiction (Livingstone & Smith, 2014). Resilient adolescents tend to exhibit greater emotional intelligence, stronger self-regulation, and enhanced coping mechanisms in response to negative digital experiences, leading to reduced incidences of anxiety, depression, and stress (Livingstone & Helsper, 2007). Thus it becomes critical at the policy level to support digital literacy platforms that focus on responsible online interaction and help build online resilience towards youth wellbeing.

References:

Buckingham, D. (2007). Beyond technology: Children's learning in the age of digital culture. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

Coiro, J., Knobel, M., Lankshear, C., & Leu, D. J. (Eds.). (2008). Handbook of research on new literacies. New York, NY: Routledge.

Livingstone, S., & Helsper, E. J. (2007). Gradations in digital inclusion: Children, young people and the digital divide. New Media & Society, 9(4), 671-696. //doi.org/10.1177/1461444807080335

Livingstone, S., & Smith, P. K. (2014). Annual research review: Harms experienced by child users of online and mobile technologies. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(6), 635-654. //doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12197

Vissenberg, J., d’Haenens, L., & Livingstone, S. (2022). Digital literacy and online resilience as facilitators of young people’s well-being?. European Psychologist.

     Digitalisation with it's pros and cons hv impacted the emotional, physical, behavioural and psychological aspects of our youth, thus drastically changing our thoughts, learning and interacting processes.                                                 Though inclusive tech-learning ecosystem bridges the urban-rural divide in educational opportunities, it also serves for all kinds of non-educational contents that could have a negative impact on young minds. Surely with digitalisation, visionary initiatives like UPI payments have been introduced yet it also is the gateway for scammers and frauds. Where social media promotes love, LGBT community yet hate speech and misused freedom of speech is inevitable. Virtually perfect portray of people could seed feelings of lowered self-esteem and confidence among it's viewers. The exposure to explicit contents also affect mindset leading to early sexual behaviour practice. There is emergence of "chai-nan"/ RBM's(room bound males) in Taiwan who spend hours playing games, in social media with the price of having less pro social behaviour and conduct, anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies. On the contrary, it also could b a source of income, fame and entrepreneurship.                                                           In nutshell, urgent addressal and reforms are required to protect the youths. One such example is of China regarding the use of tiktok app or as they call it "douyin". They implement the "youth mode" ensuring children under 14 are exposed only to educational and entertainment content with a minimum screentime of 40 mins/day. Hence, digitalisation and youth health requires balance and monitoring. 

 References:

National institute of health (NIH) //pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov                         Link between excessive social media use and psychiatric disorders-PMC

Research Gate.      //www.researchgate.net.                                 the impact the social media use has had on today's generation of Indian youth

LES ENOVATEURS.                                  //les-enovateurs.com.                                     Tiktok, an educational tool? Yes!, but Only in China

Adolescents today are the most digitally connected generation in history. However, fears about potential harm that might arise from this constant connection to devices and social media abound among educators, mental health professionals, and parents. Adolescents face online dangers often resemble their real-life problems for instance, teens who face bullying, mental health issues, or family issues in their daily lives are more likely to face similar problems online. Cyberbullying, harmful content, and negative social comparisons are all more common among underprivileged youth. Adolescents who may not have access to conventional mental health services have access to valuable resources, emotional support, and crisis intervention through online communities, apps, and social media. The authors argue that politicians, educators, and parents should look into ways to use technology to promote positive mental health instead of just focusing on restrictions. For instance, developing digital tools specifically tailored to teenagers' needs could help them develop coping strategies, build supportive communities, and get professional help when needed.

reference

Odgers, C. L., & Jensen, M. R. (2020). Adolescent development and growing divides in the digital age. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 22(2), 143-149.

Mobile phones constitute a platform for social networking, enhanced opportunities for peer selection and reliable communication channels. This tool can encourage parent-child communication thereby reassuring the safety and well-being of the child. The introduction and ownership of mobile phones coincides with middle school age and adolescence which embarks on the transitory phase between childhood and adulthood. This development phase is a significant milestone wherein they extensively engage with the outside world through social interactions and peer communications. During the transitory phase, children often experience separation-individualization, where they are striving to establish their self-esteem identity without much parental support and involvement. However, with channelized interactions and negotiating limits of communications, children are likely to share safety concerns with parents which thereby potentially also reduces the risk of negative outcomes while maintaining child’s autonomy (Ritcher, Adkins, & Selkie,2022).

Reference :

Richter, A., Adkins, V., & Selkie, E. (2022). Youth Perspectives on the Recommended Age of Mobile Phone Adoption: Survey Study. JMIR pediatrics and parenting, 5(4), e40704. //doi.org/10.2196/40704

In the article "Digital Addiction and Sleep," published in 2022, Dresp-Langley and Hutt discuss the spreading dangers of digital addiction and its pernicious effects on sleep patterns. This was recognized in a 2020 release by the renowned global body, stating that excessive online hours are associated with poor management of time, having lethargy during the day, and disturbed sleep or waking up at night. It has increased this problematic issue globally due to COVID-19. Digital addiction, according to the authors, is a sort of condition of chronic regular and uncontrollable use of all forms of digital devices, usually accompanied by repeated engagement in specific online activities. As with any other addiction, it usually brings severe consequences such as sleep deprivation, emotional distress, depression, memory dysfunction, and, in extreme cases, suicide. Biologically, this addiction interferes with the following neurotransmitter systems: GABAergic and glutamatergic, thereby changing important pathways of dopamine and serotonin, which are significant in impulse control, memory, and sleep regulation. Behavioral symptomatic with digital addiction include eating disorders and social withdrawal. One such example is the consumption of altered metabolism of melatonin and vitamin D, which is by digital addiction and which will be taken into consideration for the development of treatment strategies. The authors also take care of a much larger picture regarding digital addiction with sleep deprivation, making it a central point. This paper cites the urgent need for establishing educational campaigns to prevent digital addiction from taking root, especially at younger ages. Urges need for clinical investigation towards comprehensive effective solutions for treatment especially improving sleep quality to break compulsive engagement with the digital world goes here.

Reference:

Dresp-Langley, B., & Hutt, A. (2022). Digital Addiction and Sleep. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(11), 6910. //doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116910  

Youth well-being is a crucial topic, especially in this post-pandemic era. The attached literature provides a comparative understanding of multiple relevant literatures pulled together to gain deeper insights on the association among the two. Odgers, C. L., & Jensen, M. R. (2020). Annual Research Review: Adolescent mental health in the digital age: facts, fears, and future directions. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 61(3), 336–348. //doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13190