Teenage Self-Esteem vs. Social Media WHAT TO KNOW AND HOW TO SPEND TIME ELSEWHERE
According to Mayo Clinic, nearly 97% of kids aged 13–17 years old use social media, whether it’s YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or another platform. Although these platforms come with major benefits — such as staying in touch with distant family and friends — it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your teen’s social media usage.
It even matters how your teen is using social media. Is your teen interacting or only looking? A 2015 study found that social comparison and feedback seeking by teens using social media were linked to depressive symptoms. Additionally, a 2013 study showed that older adolescents who used social media passively, such as simply looking at pictures, reported declines in life satisfaction. In contrast, participants who used social media to interact with others and post their own content didn’t experience these declines. The Alternatives Instead of staring at a screen, encourage your teens to spend time face-to-face with their classmates and friends; that’s especially important for teens who are vulnerable to social anxiety. Remind your teen that certain behaviors aren’t okay on social media: gossiping, spreading rumors, bullying, or damaging someone’s reputation (online or otherwise). Even if these activities can seem harmless at first, they are
Research shows that using social media more than three hours a day can increase risk of mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. Here’s why — or at least, a few expert theories. The Proven Risk Factors Social media affects everyone a little differently. For teens, thankfully, there are some studies about these differences. Beyond simply the number of hours spent on social media, there are other ways that researchers have noticed the negative impact of social media on teens. A 2016 study of more than 450 teens found that
extremely damaging and hurtful to the people involved.
greater social media use, nighttime social media use, and emotional investment in social media (such as feeling upset when prevented from logging on) were linked to worse sleep quality and higher levels of anxiety and depression.
Face-to-face contact is one of the most promising ways to deflect the negative aspects of social media. Don’t miss a chance to give your teen the one-on-one time that they may need.
Securing the Justice You Deserve AFTER DECADES OF BEING DENIED
New legislation was poised to allow people exposed to contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune to seek compensation for injuries and other damages. The Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022, which includes the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, has gained bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. It was reintroduced due to budgetary amendments and was passed by Congress. President Biden signed the measure into law in early August. Camp Lejeune’s Water Contamination U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was established in 1942. In 1982, the Marine Corps discovered specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the drinking water provided by two of the eight water treatment plants on base. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) says that the water from the Tarawa Terrace water treatment
plant was primarily contaminated by PCE (perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene). The source was the waste disposal practices at ABC One-Hour Cleaners, an off-base dry cleaning facility that was demolished in 2017 and is now awaiting federal cleanup. The people on this base were exposed to harmful drinking and bathing water, and most of the contaminated wells were shut down in February 1985. Still, there were serious adverse health effects that developed over the 30-year period. It is estimated that over a million people were poisoned by this water, and there have been many cases of people suffering from different types of health conditions, such as:
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Renal toxicity
Hepatic steatosis
Female infertility or miscarriages
Camp Lejeune Justice Act This bill allows veterans, family members, non-military workers, contractors, and any other person who lived or worked at the base to file claims to recover damages for harm from exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between Aug.1, 1953, and Dec. 31, 1987. No claims could be filed before the bill was signed into law, and our hope is that now, victims can be compensated for their injuries after decades of being denied access to justice. If you or a loved one were harmed by contaminated water at the North Carolina Marine Base, please contact The Law Offices of Marc L. Shapiro, P.A. attorneys at (239) 329-8360 so we can finally get you the justice you deserve.
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Kidney cancer Breast cancer Adult leukemia
Parkinson’s disease
Scleroderma
2 • www.AttorneyShapiro.com
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