To tweet or not to tweet … is that even the question?

Abstract

The above was written in reference to the arrival of the telephone in 1876 and its impact on society, and yet it applies equally well today as we are confronted with the rapid and mass adoption of social media. The mere mention of social media has the tendency to enthrall the young, who have been born into a world suffused with its presence, while provoking anxiety in parents and mental health professionals, who were not. This discrepancy is so evident in the fact that today's youth don't bother to refer to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the like as a distinct form of communication labeled “social media,” as their preceding generations have become accustomed to, but rather see them as plain old communication. This generational division has presented a significant challenge for parents of children who live in a world dominated by social media, as well as many mental health providers tasked with guiding them.