The High-Level Business Impact of Social Media

Billie Nordmeyer works as a consultant advising small businesses and Fortune 500 companies on performance improvement initiatives, as well as SAP software selection and implementation. During her career, she has published business and technology-based articles and texts. Nordmeyer holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting, a Master of Arts in international management and a Master of Business Administration in finance.

What Social Media Does to the Teen Brain

Every generation has its moral panic and for Gen Z — teenagers today — it is, undoubtedly, social media.

Recent public health warnings have stoked fears in parents that a generation of kids is doomed because they are always online. Girls, the headlines warn, are at particular risk: Mental health-related E.R. visits are up, anxiety is skyrocketing and they are being inundated with images of the “thin body ideal.”

Still, neuroscientists and psychologists who specialize in the teenage brain put it plainly: Yes, social media is of concern because the rapidly developing adolescent brain may be uniquely vulnerable to what the platforms have to offer. But the science is not nearly as settled as some of the most dire headlines would make it seem.

“This is really the first truly digital generation, and we have yet to see how much effect this has,” said Dr. Frances Jensen, a neurologist at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of “The Teenage Brain.”

“We can get snapshots,” she added.

What we know is that the brain matures from back to front, a process that starts in infancy and continues into adulthood, Dr. Jensen explained. And during adolescence, there is a particular flurry of activity in the middle part of the brain, which is associated with rewards and social feedback.

“Areas that have to do with peers, peer pressure, impulsivity and emotion are very, very, very active,” Dr. Jensen said.

Mitch Prinstein, the chief science officer at the American Psychological Association, said that “other than the first year of life, this is the most significant and important change that happens in our brains in our entire lives.”

In scientific terms, what is happening has to do with synapses (the connections that allow neurons to send and receive signals), which grow stronger, while connections that are no longer needed are pruned. (It’s “use it or lose it,” Dr. Jensen explained.)

At the same time, the long-distance connections between brain cells in various parts of the brain are becoming insulated in a fatty substance known as myelin, which allows for messages to travel through the brain much more efficiently than they did before. That “myelination” process is not complete until the mid- to late 20s, Dr. Jensen said. That means that during adolescence, signals do not always travel through the brain rapidly enough to help kids regulate their emotions and impulses, she explained.

Likewise, the prefrontal cortex — which sits behind the forehead, and which is responsible for tasks like weighing consequences and planning — is still maturing in the teenage years.

“The adolescent brain is kind of like a car that — when it comes to the desire for social feedback — has a hypersensitive gas pedal, with relatively low-functioning brakes,” said Dr. Prinstein, who testified before the Senate on the subject earlier this year. “The brain’s inhibition center that says, ‘Maybe don’t follow every single drive and instinct you have’” isn’t fully developed, he said.

While researchers know much more about adolescent brain development now than they did a decade ago, Dr. Prinstein said, proving any kind of causal connection between social media use and poor mental health outcomes is difficult. Reviews of the existing studies on social media and well-being have found them to be inconclusive or inconsistent.

Some studies have tried to measure the question directly, using brain imaging, including a paper published in January (on which Dr. Prinstein was an author), which found that 12-year-olds who habitually checked their social media accounts experienced changes in the areas of the brain associated with social rewards, though it is unclear what caused those changes, or what they mean.

Experts who are studying teens and social media are observing that girls are being hit harder by the current crisis in teen mental health; they say that female hormones may factor in, but the connection to social media use has not been proven scientifically. “Hormones are modifying this process,” Dr. Jensen said. “But in ways we don’t fully understand.”

She is eagerly awaiting results from the ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development, or A.B.C.D. study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, which is using brain imaging technology to show how development is affected by a range of experiences, including various types of screen time.

Researchers are still tracking the A.B.C.D. study participants into young adulthood, however, and the ever-changing social media landscape compounds how difficult this all is to study, Dr. Jensen said. The apps and sites adolescents are using today are different from those they used just a few years ago.

Yet both Dr. Jensen and Dr. Prinstein noted that social media is not inherently good or bad — a sentiment even the recent public health warnings have echoed. Instead, they sought to emphasize that the changes happening in adolescents’ brains may make them particularly drawn to these platforms and more susceptible to the potential pitfalls.

When tweens start obsessing about their social lives — talking endlessly about their peers and who sits at the “popular table” — that is a sign that they are maturing normally, Dr. Prinstein said.

“That’s how their brains were meant to develop, based on centuries of the social context in which we have all grown up,” he said. But now, adolescents are experiencing those changes in an online world that is “creating the opportunity for reward and social feedback incessantly,” he added. “And that’s the combination we’re concerned about for teens.”

How the Social Aspects of Our Lives Impact Our Happiness

If you’re struggling with your mental health, you’re not alone. According to the World Health Organization, over one billion people are experiencing mental health conditions. Further, the CDC reports that 50% of all people in the US will experience mental health symptoms in their lifetime.

There are many reasons for these struggles, and we do need to know the root causes so we can put the right intervention in place. But it’s also important to know that we have the power to impact our own mental health.

Your everyday actions can impact how you feel. If you’re struggling with a physical health condition like diabetes, you can choose to eat foods that impact your blood sugar. That is a way in which you have the power to control the outcome. Mental health is the same way. When you incorporate positive activities into your daily practice, you have the power to improve your mental health.

There is definitely a space for formal mental health treatment through medicine or therapy. But according to research from Harvard University, an estimated 80% of all mental health challenges can be met outside of the clinical care setting. With an intentional focus on our everyday actions, the majority of us can manage our own mental health needs.

As a Doctor of Public Health and a licensed mental health counselor, I focus my efforts on the prevention of diagnosable mental health conditions. My goal is to arm everyday people with the tools to improve their own mental health and the mental health of those in their circle. To that end, my area of expertise focuses on what I call the “Social Influences of Mental Health.”

The Social Influences of Mental Health are based on science, and there is extensive research that demonstrates how each influence impacts our level of happiness. Further, when we learn how to intentionally incorporate specific interventions into our lives in meaningful and productive ways, our mental health improves.

So, what are the five social influences, and how can we best use them to meet our mental health needs?

The 5 Social Influences of Mental HealthSocial Connections: Research out of Berkeley demonstrates that socially connected people experience a sense of belonging to a group and feel close to other people. Being socially connected is the experience of feeling close and connected to others. It involves feeling loved, cared for, and valued, and it forms the basis of our interpersonal relationships.

Social Support: The help, advice, and comfort that we receive from those with whom we have stable, positive relationships defines social support. It includes access to social networks comprised of emotional, tangible, informational, and companionship support. Research demonstrates that when you have 3-5 strong supportive ties, you have better mental health.

Social Capital: Social capital is the structure of networks and collective resources within a community that individuals within that community can draw upon for benefit. Social capital refers to the relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively.

Social Media: There are demonstrated connections between social media and mental health. Let’s be clear: There are both positive and negative aspects of social media, and it’s a communication tool that is here to stay.

Social Inclusion: Social inclusion is when all groups of people have the same rights, opportunities, access to resources, and benefits. Focusing efforts to understand, advocate for, and commit to creating an equitable society improves both individual and, ultimately, collective mental health.

Happiness Essential Reads

By understanding how each of these social aspects impacts your mental health, you can begin to see the path forward. It’s important to take an audit of your life to understand your current situation (your baseline) and then identify what changes need to be made in order to benefit fully from each of the influences. Take an honest look at each influence, and ask yourself how satisfied you are in this space.

How Can I Make the Social Influences of Mental Health Work for Me?In order to experience the benefit of each of the above-mentioned Social Influences of Mental Health, try to incorporate into your life the following science-based contributing factors to successful connection and the promotion of mental health and well-being.

Intentionality: The energy and thought it takes to create connection.

Proximity: The physical and psychological nearness to others that tends to increase interpersonal liking.

Connectivity: The energy that exists between people when they spend time together and share experiences.

Commonality: The shared interests and purpose with others that create a natural connection.

Vulnerability: The uncertainty, risk, transparency, and emotional exposure required for making authentic connections.

Dependability: The support of people being “there for you” when truly needed.

Reciprocity: The practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit. We feel connected to others when they will help us as well as allow us to help them in times of need.

Flexibility: Becoming flexible in our expectations for when and how others should act.

Positivity: Valuing an existing relationship, feeling cared for, and knowing you are accepted.

The Social Influences of Mental Health will benefit us most if we are disciplined and put in the time and effort. When identifying your social influence needs, it’s important to also identify your strengths and preferences. The magic happens when you use those strengths and preferences to meet your own needs; this way, the intervention will be something that you prefer to do.

Focusing on the social influences of mental health is a simple, tangible activity that we can all use every day. If you’re currently struggling with your mental health, you’re already spending time in your head. Use that time to focus your energies on something positive for yourself. Spend time figuring out how to become more socially connected, lean in on your support system, get engaged in your community, use social media in a way that benefits your mental health, or learn about acts of service that will benefit others. We all have the power to control our own mental health; now you have the tools.