How Technology, Social Media, and Current Events Profoundly Affect Adolescents

Abstract How Technology, Social Media, and Current Events Profoundly Affect Adolescents examines 18 contemporary issues and their impact on the biological, psychological, and social domains in adolescents. Using research and clinical studies in each chapter, it reviews biological issues that include sleep, obesity, and stress. The mental health section contains chapters on anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance use, and suicidality/self-harm. In the section on social issues, cyberbullying, problematic internet use, racism/discrimination, LGBTQ, transgender and gender dysphoria, poverty, divorce, and bereavement and mortality are studied. An analysis of current events including the COVID pandemic and war completes the book. There are multiple recurring themes including the importance of positive role modeling by parents, teachers, and clinicians; the harms and benefits from new technologies including social media; and the complex interrelationships that an issue has with the other issues reviewed. In addition, the impact on adolescents’ biopsychosocial domains from the perspective of the social determinants of health is reviewed. Each chapter also has a section on prevention and treatment. This book is written for a broad audience including primary care physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, sociologists, trainees in these fields, as well as parents, teachers, and administrators.