Youths’ online and social media use is a part of everyday life. It can be helpful such as bridging connections and providing information, but it can also pose risks.

Here is a great read (or listen) by Michaeleen Doucleff of NPR on why youth (and adults) are getting hooked on screens (a.k.a. online use and social media use). The short story is that it comes back to how our brains are wired for survival - a dopamine surge! the article provides some suggestions (such as “Goldilocks” activities or “microenvironments”) for allowing youth to experience “screen time” without letting dopamine “hijack” the brain and resulting in things getting “out of control.”

This article, published by the American Psychological Association, examines the potential benefits and harmful effects of social media use on social, educational, psychological, and neurological development. The authors provide a series of recommendations, based on research, for parents aimed at reducing risks to social, psychological, and physical health.