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The Use of Social Media in Children and Adolescents: Scoping Review on the Potential Risks

Author

Listed:
  • Elena Bozzola

    (Pediatric Unit, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, 00100 Rome, Italy
    The Italian Pediatric Society, 00100 Rome, Italy)

  • Giulia Spina

    (Pediatric Unit, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, 00100 Rome, Italy
    The Italian Pediatric Society, 00100 Rome, Italy)

  • Rino Agostiniani

    (The Italian Pediatric Society, 00100 Rome, Italy
    Department of Pediatrics, San Jacopo Hospital, 51100 Pistoia, Italy)

  • Sarah Barni

    (Pediatric Unit, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, 00100 Rome, Italy
    The Italian Pediatric Society, 00100 Rome, Italy)

  • Rocco Russo

    (The Italian Pediatric Society, 00100 Rome, Italy)

  • Elena Scarpato

    (The Italian Pediatric Society, 00100 Rome, Italy
    Department of Translational Medical Sciences-Section of Pediatric, University Federico II, 80100 Naples, Italy)

  • Antonio Di Mauro

    (The Italian Pediatric Society, 00100 Rome, Italy)

  • Antonella Vita Di Stefano

    (The Italian Pediatric Society, 00100 Rome, Italy)

  • Cinthia Caruso

    (The Italian Pediatric Society, 00100 Rome, Italy)

  • Giovanni Corsello

    (The Italian Pediatric Society, 00100 Rome, Italy
    Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy)

  • Annamaria Staiano

    (The Italian Pediatric Society, 00100 Rome, Italy
    Department of Translational Medical Sciences-Section of Pediatric, University Federico II, 80100 Naples, Italy)

Abstract

In recent years, social media has become part of our lives, even among children. From the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic period, media device and Internet access rapidly increased. Adolescents connected Internet alone, consulting social media, mostly Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. During “lockdown”, the Internet usage allowed communication with peers and the continuity activities such as school teaching. However, we have to keep in mind that media usage may be related to some adverse consequences especially in the most vulnerable people, such as the young. Aim of the review is to focus on risks correlated to social media use by children and adolescents, identifying spies of rising problems and engaging in preventive recommendations. The scoping review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines, searching on PubMed the terms “social media” or “social network”, “health”, and “pediatrics”. Excluding articles not pertinent, we found 68 reports. Out of them, 19 were dealing with depression, 15 with diet, and 15 with psychological problems, which appeared to be the most reported risk of social media use. Other identified associated problems were sleep, addiction, anxiety, sex related issues, behavioral problems, body image, physical activity, online grooming, sight, headache, and dental caries. Public and medical awareness must rise over this topic and new prevention measures must be found, starting with health practitioners, caregivers, and websites/application developers. Pediatricians should be aware of the risks associated to a problematic social media use for the young’s health and identify sentinel signs in children as well as prevent negative outcomes in accordance with the family.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena Bozzola & Giulia Spina & Rino Agostiniani & Sarah Barni & Rocco Russo & Elena Scarpato & Antonio Di Mauro & Antonella Vita Di Stefano & Cinthia Caruso & Giovanni Corsello & Annamaria Staiano, 2022. "The Use of Social Media in Children and Adolescents: Scoping Review on the Potential Risks," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-33, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:16:p:9960-:d:886710
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Guillermo Gómez Delgado & Antonio Ponce Rojo & Jaime Eduardo Ramírez Mireles & Felipe de Jesús Carmona-Moreno & Claudia Cecilia Flores Salcedo & Aurea Mercedes Hernández Romero, 2024. "Suicide Risk Factors in High School Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(8), pages 1-25, August.
    2. Marija Draženović & Tea Vukušić Rukavina & Lovela Machala Poplašen, 2023. "Impact of Social Media Use on Mental Health within Adolescent and Student Populations during COVID-19 Pandemic: Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-22, February.
    3. Núria Aragay & Vicenç Vallès & Irene Ramos-Grille & Gemma Garrido & Enric Gamundi Grimalt & Elena Miranda Ruiz & Esther Jovell-Fernández, 2023. "Differences in Screen Addiction in the Past 15 Years," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Sarah E. Domoff & Stacey B. Armstrong & Heide Rollings & Amy Mancuso & Mary B. Pacheco & Russell Fridson & Carol A. Janney, 2024. "Problematic and Harmful Social Media Use among Adolescents Receiving Intensive Psychiatric Care," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(10), pages 1-14, October.
    5. Jessy Siongers & Bram Spruyt, 2024. "Navigating the Social Media Seas: Understanding the Complex Relationship between Social Media Use and Adolescent Well-being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(1), pages 177-196, February.
    6. Hannah C. Glaser & Sikke R. Jansma & Hanneke Scholten, 2024. "A diary study investigating the differential impacts of Instagram content on youths’ body image," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.

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