Young South Africans are spending more time online than ever before.
While the web offers great opportunities for education, creativity and
social interaction, there is also the risk of increased exposure to
harmful content, cyberbullying, age-inappropriate advertising, and data
misuse. There is also growing concern both internationally and in South
Africa over the link between social media use and rising rates of teen
depression and anxiety. Because the benefits and potential threats of
the online world don’t exist separately from one another, it can be
difficult for teens and their parents to navigate an ever-changing
digital landscape. It’s all about finding a good middle ground between
promoting healthy online use and taking a proactive approach against the
risks, says __Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO of __ESET Southern Africa_ [1]_.
_
According to the World Health Organisation [2], depression, anxiety and
behavioural disorders are among the leading causes of illness and
disability among adolescents. In the United States, results [3] from a
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention survey found that around one
in three high school girls have seriously considered attempting suicide
and more than half of teen girls, 57%, reported feeling ‘persistently
sad or hopeless’. In South Africa, 73% of children and youth felt they
needed mental health support in 2022, of which just 38% actively sought
help, according to the latest UNICEF South Africa U-Report poll [4].
Organisations such as the Centre for Human Technology [5], as well as
noted psychologists and researchers, like Jonathan Haidt [6] argue that
social media is a major cause of the mental health crisis among young
people, and that rates of adolescent depression, anxiety, and self-harm
started climbing sharply around 2012, shortly after daily social-media
use became pervasive among teens through smartphones and apps. According
to the Centre for Humane Technology, exposure to unrestrained levels of
digital technology can have serious long-term consequences for children
and teens’ development and overall wellbeing.
While not all research finds a direct link between social media use and
poorer mental health outcomes across every country, being aware of the
role that digital platforms and social media can play as a source of
anxiety, stress and poor self-image for young people is important. For
parents, helping teens navigate these complex topics can be daunting.
With the right understanding and guidance, however, it is possible to
help young people develop healthy relationships with social media and
maintain a positive self-image in the process.
Open, honest, and ongoing conversations that aren’t fearmongering or
moralistic are crucial. The digital environment is a fundamental and
unavoidable part of the world we live in which means talking about
online safety and encouraging the right digital skills should be as
natural as talking about any other important issue that teens encounter.
Discussing mental health and digital wellbeing
Whether in schools or at home, creating an enabling environment where
mental health can be discussed openly is the first step in the right
direction. Conversations about body image, particularly with girls, and
the pressures they may be feeling from images in the media or on social
media platforms, should be encouraged and validated. While social media
has its benefits, it’s important to keep in mind that online platforms
can never be a replacement for real-world human connection.
Monitoring online activity together
It’s important that parents and caregivers know what teens are doing
online. Honest dialogue and establishing boundaries around which
platforms are appropriate and the amount of screen time that is healthy
can be a collaborative approach. Teenagers can, and often do, understand
that excessive screen time isn’t ideal. Agreeing on the potentially
harmful impacts of too much time online paves the way for young people
to be more thoughtful about their online lives and which platforms make
them feel positive, safe and empowered and which ones don’t.
Using the positive power of technology
The more empowered parents and teens are with the right information and
the right cybersecurity tools, the better they can reap the benefits of
the online environment. Being savvy about online privacy and how to use
various social media platforms’ safety settings is an invaluable
digital skill. In addition, security and parental control tools can help
parents and teens curate the content categories accessed across the
devices that teens use to connect to the internet, whether through a
laptop, tablet, or mobile phone.
Taking mental health seriously
For teens and families who have concerns about mental health, help and
resources are available. The South African Depression and Anxiety Group
(SADAG [7]) provide a list of toll-free helplines and support groups.
There are also a host of online resources [8] available for teens,
parents, and educators that provide tips, advice and interactive
activities centred around navigating today’s digital world with
confidence.
About ESET
For more than 30 years, ESET [9] has been developing industry-leading
IT security software and services to protect businesses, critical
infrastructure and consumers worldwide from increasingly sophisticated
digital threats. From endpoint and mobile security to endpoint detection
and response, encryption and multifactor authentication, ESET’s
high-performing, easy-to-use solutions unobtrusively protect and monitor
24/7, updating defences in real-time to keep users safe and businesses
running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT
security company that enables the safe use of technology. This is backed
by ESET’s R&D centres worldwide, working in support of our shared
future. For more information, visit www.eset.com/za
