Could AI Mitigate Mental Health Concerns For Teen Social Media Use?

Meta recently announced it will be using artificial intelligence to detect teen accounts on Instagram, identify whether they are lying about their age and then switch their accounts from standard to teen accounts. AI will use engagement data as well as signals for users that are under the age of 18 to switch their account settings to those of teens. Instagram accounts of teens are more restrictive; they are private, strangers cannot send them messages and the content that they have access to is limited.

This could have very positive effects on teen mental health and reduce the risks of cyberbullying which has detrimentally affected mental health. A 2019 UK Millennium Cohort Study found increased social media use to be associated with higher levels of cyberbullying, poor sleep, low self-esteem and depressive symptoms.

But are the AI changes enough to halt the mental health crisis amongst teens? A recent Pew Survey found that nearly half (48%) of teens say that social media has a negative effect on people their age, but only 14% think it negatively affects them personally. In addition, teens are spending enormous amounts of time online and in front of screens, with 90% of teens reporting being online for an average of nine hours per day, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

A major issue with social media, including Instagram, is the way the platforms use likes, notifications and comments in their algorithms to perpetuate addictive and compulsive behaviors in youth. This invariably leads to teens constantly checking their screens and potentially seeking validation from peers and friends.

There is also a growing body of evidence that is demonstrating physical changes in the teen brain with respect to increased social media use. Distinct changes have been shown in teens who frequently use social media in the amygdala, which is responsible for emotional learning as well as the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that moderates social behavior and impulse control. The more teens are on screens and social media platforms, the more sensitive these areas of the brain can become with respect to social rewards and punishments.

Although Meta has made a laudable step in regulating social media for teens, its use of AI does not address the addictive or compulsive component of social media that could have devastating effects on the developing brain. Although likes and comments can be manually turned off, not all parents and teens opt for that feature when using social media.

Solving the mental health crisis as it pertains to teen social media use will require much more than AI, although AI can certainly help mitigate some of the harm that repeated use has cost our youth. Parents and children must work together to use social media most optimally. Online platforms are not going away, and many teens find them useful to connect with friends and express themselves. Parents can play an important role by having transparent conversations with their kids about social media use, and taking social media breaks such as at dinner when social media use could be prohibited. Finally, parents should be pro-active in assessing whether the mental health of their children is deteriorating, such as changes in mood or unexplained poor performance in school.

Addressing social media use in teens will take a village, and AI could be part of but not the whole solution.