Teens and Social Media: Finding Balance Beyond the School Day

By Molly Meriwether , MSW, LSW, MHA – October 7, 2026 –

Social media is a common part of daily life for many students. TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram are often used to stay connected with friends, share laughs, and pass the time. While Indiana law now limits student cell phone use during school, many students continue using their phones before and after school, in the evenings, and on weekends.

Some students have shared that they stay on their phones late into the night, sometimes as late as 2:00 am. This lack of sleep can significantly impact their mood, focus and ability to function the following day. As a result, social media continues to play a significant role in students’ well-being, friendships, and daily lives, even beyond the school day.

One challenge many students face is comparison. Social media often highlights the best and most carefully curated moments of someone’s life, making it easy for students to believe others are happier, more popular, more confident, or simply doing better than they are. Seeing these images and videos can leave students feeling left out and inadequate. Adults also experience comparison, but students are still developing their sense of identity and learning who they are. This can make the pressure to compare, and the emotions that come with it, feel especially intense and difficult to navigate.

Another challenge is the pressure to be constantly connected. Group chats, notifications, and online trends continue long after the school day ends, leaving some students feeling they need to respond immediately or risk missing out. This can interfere with sleep, increase stress, and make it harder to focus or manage emotions. Social media can also intensify friendship conflicts, as small disagreements can quickly escalate through messages, screenshots, or rumors. For students still learning to navigate friendships, online conflict can feel especially overwhelming.

Despite its challenges, social media can also have positive uses. Students can be creative, share humor, learn new things, and connect with others. Families can join in too – doing TikTok dances or trends together can create connection and support, turning screen time into a shared experience rather than something done alone.

It is also important for students to have time away from screens. Playing outside, joining sports or clubs, drawing, listening to music, reading, cooking with family, or having game nights can help students relax and feel connected. These activities can support emotional balance and give students a break from the pressure that comes with being online.

Teaching students about online safety is just as important as discussing screen time. Remind them to protect personal information, think carefully about what they post, and recognize that not everyone online has good intentions. Knowing how to block or report unsafe content – and when to turn to a trusted adult – can help students navigate the online world more safely.

Encouraging students to speak up when they are concerned about a friend can help ensure they get support when they need it. Adults also play an important role by listening, setting healthy limits, and modeling balanced phone use. Parents and caregivers can start conversations by asking how social media makes their child feel, not just how much time they spend on it. Talk about comparison, online safety, and taking breaks from screens, especially before bedtime. Most importantly, remind children that they can come to you without fear of getting in trouble.

Social media will continue to be part of growing up. With balance, guidance, and strong connections both online and offline, students can learn to use it in healthy and positive ways.

If your student needs additional support or guidance in this area, check to see if your school has a Youth First Mental Health Professional at http://www.youthfirstinc.org/mentalhealthprofessional.

Molly Meriwether, MSW, LSW, MHA, is a Youth First Mental Health Professional at Washington Middle School in Vanderburgh County. Youth First, Inc., is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening youth and families. Youth First provides over 100 highly trained mental health professionals (primarily master’s level social workers), prevention programs, parent engagement coordinators, and bilingual support personnel to 138 schools across 15 Indiana counties. Over 56,000 youth and families each year are served by Youth First’s school-based social work and community programs that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and maximize student success. To learn more about Youth First, visit youthfirstinc.org or call 812-421-8336.