HONESDALE, Pa. — Social media is nothing new, but the rate at which teenagers are on certain platforms has led lawmakers, school districts and counselors to weigh in on its detrimental impact.
Whether it's scrolling to find a video or double tapping to leave a like, social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok according to recent surveys are the go-to social media services for teenagers.
"It really impacts every child and adolescent that I see him to some extent it might not be the reason they are originally seeking out therapy but once we get to know each other and I get to the root of the problem, there's always some component of that." said Claudia Bayly, a licensed professional counselor at Northern Light Counseling in Honesdale.
Bayly says most of her cases find the same results discussed in a recent Pew research study that says out of the 71 percent of teenagers who say they use YouTube at least daily; 16% described their usage as "almost constant."
A slightly larger group — 17% — said they used TikTok in the same capacity.
Numbers Bayly anticipates will keep climbing.
"When I look at the numbers, I am not surprised because I think it's just become the norm and it's almost become a sense of safety for some of these kids. They kind of check out and are constantly scrolling on their phones." she said.
Lawmakers and even local school districts have looked to slow the role of social media.
Back in August several districts in Luzerne County filed separate federal lawsuits against Facebook, Google, TikTok, and others arguing that these social media companies know their sites are highly addictive but still profit off the young people who use them.
"It's going to take a stand almost like changes within the dynamics of families and households and school districts to really find the root cause of why we are so addicted to our screens." said Bayly.
As the numbers of constant users continues to climb for social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok, counselors say there are ways people can cut back.
"Setting healthy boundaries or screen time limits or at a certain point it gets shut off. I think that's going to be really really important too." she said.
Counselor Bayly says not all social media is bad when used in moderation.
One of the best ways to combat over usage, she says, starts with parents, guardians and even teachers leading by example and setting rules for kids that they will follow themselves.