Last year, the Surgeon General released an Advisory on Social Media & Youth Mental Health.

They stated, “With adolescence and childhood representing a critical stage in brain development that can make young people more vulnerable to harms from social media, the Surgeon General is issuing a call for urgent action by policymakers, technology companies, researchers, families, and young people alike to gain a better understanding of the full impact of social media use, maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of social media platforms, and create safer, healthier online environments to protect children.” 

Emily Danza, who works with BSF’s Mental Health Initiative, reminds us that phone usage is the number one cause of lack of sleep in teens, which often exacerbates anxiety and depression. (Studies also show that poor sleep has a huge impact on athletes’ endurance, reaction times, skill acquisition, and it can even increase your risk of injury and delay healing times.) 

We’re not here to ban phones at BSF. (And the studies remind us that while there are a lot of negatives, there are also positives.) But we are here to help athletes navigate their physical and mental health - and that means finding ways to counter the negatives and find a better balance with technology. 

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What the studies say: 

• Adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety (reality check: teens spend an average of 3.5 hours a day on social media) 
• Social media may also perpetuate body dissatisfaction, disordered eating behaviors, social comparison, and low self-esteem, especially among adolescent girls. 
• 46% of adolescents aged 13-17 said social media makes them feel worse about their body image
• One-third or more of girls aged 11-15 say they feel “addicted” to certain social media platforms and over half of teenagers report that it would be hard to give up social media. 
• 64% of adolescents are “often” or “sometimes” exposed to hate-based content through social media.

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AND YET … 

• 80% of adolescents report social media helps them feel more connected to what’s going on in their friends' lives.
• 58% report that social media helps them feel more accepted. 

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*more details and sources are listed in the  Surgeon General’s Advisory

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Ways Athletes Can Take Action:

• Take note of when social media has a positive impact on you and when it is negative. 
• Block or unfollow accounts and content that impacts you negatively. 
• Take note of how screen time/social media impacts your sleep: 
  • Are you using screens/social media in the 2 hours before bed? 
  • Are you staying up late because of it?
  • How is your sleep quality? 
  • Are you experiencing anxiety or depression? 
• Create your own boundaries to help balance online and offline activities. 
• Make a plan on how to get better sleep and develop a wind-down routine with no screens.
• Be cautious about what you share online.
• If you or a friend is experiencing harassment online, report it and get help. 

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Ways Parents Can Take Action

• Create a family media plan that addresses household screen time, content boundaries, and not disclosing personal information online.
• Share the data on how screen time can impact an individual.

• Create tech-free zones or times such as: during meals, before/during bed time 
• Ask your child how they think screen time and social media impacts them and their friends. 
• Encourage in-person, unplugged friendships/interactions.
• Encourage mindfulness about screen time. 
• Empower your kids to participate online in a responsible way. 
• Model responsible social media behavior. 

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Ways BSF Coaches May Take Action

BSF coaches are being more mindful of how screen time and the presence of phones impacts team dynamics and training. There’s a time and place for phones. Video is often a useful tool for coaches, and you all know we use the Team Reach app to communicate with both athletes and parents. At the same time, we want to create positive team experiences where we’re all fully present with each other. You may see BSF coaches, on occasion, or in certain circumstances: 

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• Limiting the use of phones during training time.
• Limiting the use of phones during team meals and other team gatherings. 
• Encouraging athletes to pay attention to their sleep hygiene. 

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