CDC released a report last week that found that nearly 1 out of every 3 teen girls in the country had seriously considered suicide in 2021. Social science researcher Jean Twenge, writing at Institute for Family Studies, says the data show social media plays a role in the deteriorating mental health of teen girls. Twenge says a federal law raising the minimum age for social media from thirteen to sixteen would help, but essentially parents need to step up on behalf of their daughters and take some control of their social media.
Twenge urges parents to put controls that prevent apps from being downloaded on their child’s device and limits their time on social media. She also recommends giving teens cell phones without internet access. Teen girls need their parents to help them do what they themselves may be incapable of doing—breaking the addiction of social media
