Latino parents support policies addressing social media’s impact on children’s mental health

Heavy use of social media among adolescents and pre-teens can lead to several poor health outcomes, ranging from unhealthy sleeping patterns and low self-esteem to greater exposure to cyberbullying. Although these are concerns for all parents, the Latino community is particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges as a result of social media use. This led the Omidyar Network to commission the Parents of Latino Youth Social Media and Mental Health Survey of Latino parents to provide a fresh look at social media use among Latino adolescents and pre-teens. The survey found that social media use among Latinos between the ages of 10 and 18 is high. The survey asked the 71 percent of the sample who report that their children use social media how frequently they do so. Among parents who reported that their child uses social media, 71 percent have children who use social media “several hours a day” or “almost constantly.” Based on survey data, Latino parents overwhelmingly support several policy approaches aimed at requiring social media companies to protect pre-teens and adolescents from the dangers of social media use.