The growing harm of social media on youth

As a father, I have watched social media hurt my own daughters. I have seen the upset, the fear and the sleepless nights that can follow a cruel post or message.
Cyberbullying does not stay online. It enters the home, sits at the table and disrupts a family’s peace. That is why this issue must not be brushed aside as harmless teenage behaviour.
For many adolescents, social media is part of daily life. For some, it seems impossible to imagine life without it. Yet the risks are real.
Young people face privacy problems, online abuse, pressure to compare themselves with others, harm to schoolwork and damage to mental health.
Studies have linked heavy smartphone and social media use among teenagers with distress, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, while late-night screen use can also damage sleep, thinking, learning and mood.
Social media can be useful. It can help people stay in touch, offer support and share advice and health information.
It can also give shy or isolated teenagers a voice. But the same tool that can help a young person can also destroy them if it is used badly or without limits.
The hard truth is that many children are growing up with phones glued to their hands and pressure in their heads. They are expected to be always available, always responsive and always cheerful.
That is a heavy burden for someone whose identity is still forming. Teenagers are especially vulnerable to social comparison, rumours, exclusion and public humiliation. Cyberbullying can be more relentless than face-to-face bullying because it follows them home and does not stop when the school day ends.
Many young people stay up too late scrolling, messaging and checking notifications. The result is less sleep, poorer concentration, lower school performance and weaker emotional control.
A tired child is easier to upset, harder to teach and less able to cope with daily pressure. The damage is emotional, practical, social and academic.
Parents cannot pretend this is happening somewhere else. I learned that the hard way. A child being bullied online may not speak up at once. Shame, fear and the wish to avoid more trouble often keep them quiet.
That is why parents, teachers and health workers need to ask direct questions and listen without judgement. A teenager will not open up if the first reaction is anger, dismissal, or punishment. The right approach is open, calm and practical. Families need to talk about what is being posted, who is sending messages, what time phones are being used and what kind of content is being watched. Phones should not control sleep.
Parents should know the signs of distress: withdrawal, anger, tears, poor sleep, loss of interest and sudden fear of checking a device.
Schools, doctors and community leaders must stop treating online harm as less serious than harm in the playground. Cyberbullying may be hidden, but it is often more harmful. Online hate and harmful content can deepen anxiety and depression and, in some cases, push vulnerable teenagers towards self-harm.
What I want for my daughters, and for every child, is not a life cut off from technology. I want a life where technology serves the child, not the other way round.
That means boundaries, honest conversation and adults who pay attention. It also means teaching young people that their worth is not measured by likes, comments, or cruel messages from strangers or ‘friends.’
If we act with care and firmness, we can protect children from unnecessary harm while still letting them benefit from the good that technology can offer.
This is not just about phones. It is about the well-being of our children and the kind of society we want to build. One clear response is to ban any irresponsible social media platform that allows cyberbullying in any form.
Too often, these platforms do more harm than good and their owners demonstrate a lack of moral responsibility.