The upsides and downsides of social media for young people

New research from Common Sense [Common Sense Logo]( Social media's influence on young people's mental health is a concern for caregivers, educators, and leaders everywhere. Today, in partnership with Hopelab, we released [the third report in a series]( that has been tracking the role of social media in how young people age 14–22 support their mental health and well-being. The report reinforces that many young people turn to social media for emotional support, connection to friends and family, community building, and for fun. [Read the report]( But at the same time, they experience stressful content—like harassment and hate speech—and must actively take steps to manage their exposure to it, like curating their social media feeds to see more of what helps and less of what doesn't. While it's comforting to see young people taking some control, they acknowledge that they cannot always control their online experiences as well as they would like. And the potential for harassment in some cases even deters some young people from engaging in the potentially supportive content and community that social media can provide. This report highlights the need for guardrails to be placed on social media to ensure the safest experience possible for our youth. Keeping kids safe online cannot be the sole responsibility of parents or young people themselves, which is the only guardrail that exists right now. We need action from companies and legislators to ensure that social media companies design these platforms with the well-being of all youth in mind. At Common Sense, we will continue to [advocate]( for state and federal [legislation and regulation]( that make the digital world work better for kids, while also providing families and educators with the tools and resources they need to manage the challenges that social media presents without diminishing the positive benefits. And it is research like this that informs everything we do. Please forward this to friends and family who might be interested in this research and our resources. As always, thank you for your support. Jim Steyer Founder and CEO [Get answers to FAQs]( [Privacy policy]( [Manage email preferences]( Common Sense Media 699 8th Street, Suite C150 San Francisco, California 94103 © 2024 Common Sense Media. All rights reserved. [Unsubscribe](