Social Media and Teens: Feeling Left Out

Even those living under the proverbial rock have an online profile these days, so it’s not surprising that most teens want to fit in by joining all kinds of social media. After all, today’s teens were practically born with their usernames on their birth certificates.

Many modern parents don’t object to their children participating in the digital world because they themselves have spent much of their lives sharing on social media. But just because something is familiar doesn’t mean it’s safe, especially for those who haven’t even graduated high school yet.

Of course, there are some positive aspects of social media, like keeping in touch with distant friends; however, there are pitfalls too, and one of the biggest pitfalls of social media use among teens is that it can make them feel left out of their social group or society in general. The idea of “social” media is to be social, but the unfortunate byproduct of sociability is that someone is often left out. And even more difficult, that someone might be your teen.

You’ve probably heard of FOMO or the fear of missing out. Social media can often exacerbate this fear. Your teen suddenly has a front-row seat to observe their classmates’ and work associates’ private lives. They can see firsthand the images of the birthday party they weren’t invited to and the group photo they aren’t in. They have access to threads with inside jokes they aren’t a part of and romances they don’t have.

Even the strongest, most grounded kid can feel the sting of being excluded. Social media shines a light on every instance where they “don’t belong,” and that consistent evidence of exclusion can make them feel like they are always on the outside looking in, even if they were just with those same friends yesterday.

Teens might not only feel left out of their personal social circles because of what they see on social media, but they can also feel disconnected from society in general. If they measure their successes by the distorted measuring stick of social media, they feel left out of or disconnected from the general population of their peers.

If they see their favorite influencer transform into a movie-star quality version of themselves with nothing more than a new skincare routine and a ring light, teens might start to wonder why their lives don’t look like that and what might be missing from their own lives that leaves them short of that type of perfection.

The more time teens spend scrolling, rather than connecting face-to-face with their peers, the more they lose sight of their authentic relationships, the truth, and what really matters. That’s why it’s imperative to closely monitor your child’s involvement in social media. Ground your teens in the truth that God made them to belong to His family, and that’s the only belonging that really matters.

If your teen has been damaged by social media, Christian therapy can help. A faith-based counselor can walk with them through the hurt of exclusion, the weight of false expectation, and the confusion to help them find out where they really fit in. No matter how left out your teen feels, they’re never out of God’s reach.

To learn more about how Christian therapy can help your child use social media without feeling left out, contact our office today.