Mindful Connections: A Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Adolescent Social Media Users

Abstract

Social media use is ubiquitous with the current adolescent population. Online communication forums may yield positive effects, such as increased social capital. However, they can also engender negative feelings such as inadequacy and isolation if misused. When engaging passively on social media, users are not engaging in active communication with other users; instead, they are mindlessly viewing others’ profiles, which could lead to upward social comparison and the fear of missing out (FOMO). These effects may stymie adolescents’ psychosocial development (identity versus role confusion). Therefore, the authors present a mindfulness-based intervention for clinicians to address problematic adolescent social media use. The goal of the intervention is to use the three axioms of mindfulness to help increase awareness and regulation of social media use. The article also includes a clinical case study and implications for practice.