Parents often worry about their kids using social media. It’s good that they care, but here’s some news that might ease their minds: A new study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology suggests that spending time on social media doesn’t seem to make young people interact less with their friends offline.
“On the contrary, we find that people who use social media a lot spend more time with friends offline,” the researchers explain.
Social expression
The findings stem from extensive data gathered through the Trondheim Early Secure Study, a comprehensive project spanning the developmental years of around 800 children and adolescents, tracked at ages 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18.
One of the key inquiries posed by the researchers was whether increased social media usage correlates with either an enhancement or deterioration of social skills, and whether it influences the amount of time spent offline with friends.
Offline interaction with peers holds intrinsic value, not only fostering positive mental well-being but also serving as a crucial arena for honing social aptitude through practice.
“Social media is a new arena for social interaction, and some people have argued that the use of social media inhibits the development of social skills, while others have claimed the opposite: that social media can promote social skills. We did not find any evidence supporting one or the other,” the researchers say.
Gaining benefits
Understanding the demographics vulnerable to potential pitfalls and those who may derive benefits from social media engagement is crucial, according to the researchers. They delved into factors such as age, gender, friendship quality, and indications of social anxiety to gauge their impact.
Their findings indicate that children exhibiting symptoms of social anxiety and engaging extensively with social media over time are prone to experiencing a decline in social skills.
“This correlation was weak, so we are reluctant to draw strong conclusions until more research has been done to investigate this further,” the authors continue.
Easing anxiety
Prior studies have suggested that individuals with social anxiety might perceive online communication as less daunting compared to face-to-face interactions, thereby potentially benefiting from social media platforms. However, contrasting research highlights their heightened susceptibility to problematic usage patterns, including heightened addiction risk and excessive engagement.
“Social media is a new social landscape where children and young people spend a lot of time, and we need knowledge about how it affects them,” the authors say. “The findings of this study do not support the assumption that increased use of social media leads to less time spent together with friends. In fact, they suggest the opposite.”
Children who allocate more time to social media usage often disclose spending numerous evenings each week engaging with friends in offline settings.
Moreover, separate investigations have indicated that social media utilization fosters heightened intimacy within friendships, facilitates the formation of new social bonds, and strengthens existing relationships. These observations potentially elucidate the outcomes discerned in the Trondheim Early Secure Study.
“We hope the findings can help reduce parents’ concerns somewhat. At the same time, it is important to emphasize the rapid pace of technological developments, which makes it challenging to research social media use. It is impossible to know if the results would be the same if we studied today’s 10-year-olds and followed them until they turned 18 in 2032,” the researchers conclude.
