Which statement best reflects the role of social media in adolescent mental health within counseling?

• A. It has no impact.
• B. It can heighten self-esteem issues and distress, requiring coping skills and digital literacy.
• C. It only affects adults.
• D. It should be the sole focus of therapy.

Answer: (B)

Social media acts as a powerful influence on adolescent mental health that counselors must address. Teens frequently compare themselves to online peers, seek validation through likes and comments, and encounter curated, idealized portrayals that can undermine self-esteem and elevate distress, especially when online experiences clash with how they see themselves or when they experience cyberbullying. In counseling, the emphasis is on equipping teens with coping skills for online stress and building digital literacy—understanding how platforms shape perception, evaluating online information, protecting privacy, and setting healthy boundaries. Practical steps include creating routines to reduce harmful online exposure, using emotion regulation and cognitive strategies to challenge negative online thoughts, and strengthening offline supports and activities. This perspective—recognizing that social media can heighten self-esteem issues and distress and that addressing it requires both coping skills and digital literacy—best reflects its role in adolescent mental health within counseling. It does not claim there is no impact, nor that it only affects adults, nor that it should be the sole focus of therapy.