Social media and adolescent health in Ethiopia: The quest for a subtle balance

Nowadays, social media platforms are ubiquitous among adolescents in the developed world, largely because over 95% of them have access to smartphones and computers. Teenagers and younger children in these settings also have broad access to smart digital devices and wireless Internet services. Because adolescence is a vulnerable period for brain development, social media exposure during this period warrants additional scrutiny. Pediatricians need to be conversant with the benefits and risks associated with adolescents’ social media use and avert the negative outcomes in collaboration with the family and health educators. Researchers need to explore the complexities of these platforms in the Ethiopian context, identify determinants of their responsible use, define their linkages with stunting, design strategies addressing digital divides, determine ways to improve digital literacy, identify policy and legislation gaps, define minimum age requirements, and determine ways for a balanced clinical understanding (and research) to harness benefits while mitigating harms associated with the social media.