Social Media Linked to Persistent Sadness in Pre-Teens and Teens

Repeated exposure to social media tends to thin the cortex and change a developing brain in a negative way, according to child psychologist.

If all the politics on the social media give you a headache, you should see what it’s doing to our kids.  There have been numbers articles written about this lately. Dr. Daniel Amen of the Amen Clinics is a child Psychologist who studies the brain.  Amen says kids who spend a lot of time on social media are inevitably exposed to toxic political messages.  That repeated exposure tends to thin the cortex and change a developing brain in a negative way.  That’s anyone under 25.   The CDC reports that more than a third of teens report persistent sadness.  Specifically, more than half of teen girls feel hopeless (57%).  Those numbers are the highest they’ve been in decades.

There’s a program in our viewing areas that is working to combat the some of the social issues facing teens.  The Pace Center for Girls. is expanding into Marion County.  The program is currently working in Florence and Darlington counties.  For Marion residents, this means girls ages 11-17 can get free counseling and support.  They’ll have access to tools to learn healthy coping skills, address past trauma, and reduce involvement in high-risk behavior.