社交媒体与青少年焦虑

From cyberbullying to FOMO to cruel comments, social media can be a land mine for kids. Issues we parents never had to worry about, such as an intimate photo texted to the entire school or Instagram videos of a birthday party we weren't invited to, are now a risk for many tweens and teens. With kids' digital well-being a concern, researchers are exploring potential links between social media and the rise in teen suicide rates, tech addiction, and loss of real-life social skills. And many parents are wondering: Is social media causing my kid to have anxiety?

从网络霸凌到错失恐惧症到扎心的评论，社交媒体可能是埋在青少年身边的地雷。以前，父母从来不用操心这些问题--比如，向全校师生发亲密照、或在Ins上看到未被受邀的生日派对的视频--现在却成为年轻人群体的一个风险因素。随着青少年的数字健康成为父母关注的焦点，研究人员试图探索社交媒体与青少年自杀率、科技成瘾以及缺失现实社交技能之间的潜在联系。许多家长不禁思考：社交媒体会让我的孩子变得焦虑吗？

It's an important question - and one that makes for compelling headlines for worried parents. While it's too early to say with certainty (this is, after all, the first generation of "digital natives"), the reality is somewhat nuanced. Some research has observed a relationship between social media use and anxiety in kids, but it's difficult to know if and when social media is causing anxiety or whether kids who are anxious are turning to social media as a way to soothe themselves or seek support. How kids use social media matters, too: Social comparison and feedback-seeking behaviors have been associated with depressive symptoms, which often co-occur with anxiety.

这是一个关键问题--也是吸引忧心忡忡的家长的头条资讯。虽然现在言之凿凿还为时过早（毕竟，现在是"数字原住民"第一代），但现实情况的确微妙。有些研究已观察到社交媒体使用与青少年焦虑之间存在关系，但尚不清楚究竟是社交媒体导致焦虑，还是患有焦虑的青少年为了寻求抚慰或支持而使用社交媒体。青少年使用社交媒体的方式也很重要：社交攀比和希冀反馈等行为与抑郁症状相关，这些症状通常伴随着焦虑。

Here are some more tips for keeping social media a positive for kids:

下面，我们将为您提供一些建议，让社交媒体成为积极影响：

Encourage self-care. Seeing photos of a trip to the beach your friends didn't invite you to can really sting. If your kid is super bummed or tired of digital drama, suggest they take a break from social media for a while. In fact, if they post a status update that they're taking a break, their friends might be very accepting because they've had similar feelings.

鼓励自我关爱。看到好朋友去沙滩旅行的照片，而你却未曾受到邀请，是不是很难受？如果你的孩子对数字闹剧感到沮丧或厌倦，父母可建议孩子暂时远离社交媒体。事实上，如果他们更新了状态表示要暂别社交媒体，他们的朋友可能非常赞同，因为他们也有相同的感受。

Help kids put social media in perspective. People post stuff that makes their lives look perfect - not the homework struggles, or the fight they had with their dad. Remind kids that social media leaves the messy stuff out - and that everyone has ups and downs.

帮助孩子正视社交媒体。很多人会发一些照片，营造一种完美生活的'假象'--而不是受家庭作业困扰，或与父亲吵架。让孩子知道，社交媒体抛开了生活中的杂乱面--要记住，人生都是起起伏伏的。

Encourage offline activities. In a world where kids could spend their days lying around looking at Instagram, it's doubly important for them to feel as though they're cultivating their inner lives. Prompt them to balance social media with soul-nourishing activities such as hobbies, exercise, reading, and helping others. Otherwise, what are they going to brag about on social media?

鼓励线下活动。现在这个世界，青少年可以躺一整天刷Ins，但让他们培养内心世界也万分重要。鼓励他们在社交媒体和滋养灵魂的活动（比如爱好、锻炼、阅读和帮助别人）之间取得平衡。否则，他们哪有在社交媒体上吹嘘的点呢？