1

Caring for Students Experiencing Poor Mental Health and Well-being From Social Media
Use

Paul Chong
School of Education, Thompson Rivers University
Kamloops, BC

A capstone project submitted to Thompson Rivers University in partial fulfilment of the
requirements of the degree of Master of Education.

November 18, 2022

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Caring for Students Experiencing Poor Mental Health and Well-being From Social
Media Use
Abstract
As a secondary school teacher, I have observed the increase in social media use that has
continually been occurring in the classrooms. Even in Grade 8, it is now more likely that each
student owns a smartphone than not. It is becoming a social norm to possess a smartphone at
younger ages. This paper combines Nel Noddings’ (1992) themes and ethics of care in the
context of present children who would be considered late Generation Z and early Generation
Alpha. These individuals are growing up in a different world, immersed in social media.
With this paper, I claim that educators need to revise and adapt the way we care for children
in schools growing up in a heavily social media influenced world. Additions to scholarly
writers such as Noddings are thus needed: caring for self, caring in the inner circle, and
caring for ideas. Three main elements are discussed in combination with the literature with
regards to mental health and well-being: mood and anxiety disorders, addiction behaviours,
cyberbullying and harmful content. These additional challenges to care in schools in our
present context and understanding how social media has changed the children we teach will
ultimately help educators serve their needs. Considerations towards the classroom, the
educational system, further research, and personal implications are discussed to reduce the
negative impacts of social media use towards the mental health and well-being of
adolescents.
Keywords
Noddings, ethics of care, social media, FOMO, mental health, adolescents

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Table Of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction………………………………………………………………………. 5
Developing My Interest in the Topic……………………………………...……………….5
Significance of the Topic…………………………………………………………………..6
Presenting the Argument…………………………………………………………………..7
Chapter 2: Literature Review………………………………………………………………….8
Social Media and the Negative Impacts on Adolescents………………………………….8
Mood and Anxiety……………………………………………………………………..9
Addiction Behaviours ………………………………………………………………10
Cyberbullying and Harmful Content …………………………………………………11
Summary…..…………………………………………………………………………12
Themes and Ethics of Care……………………………………………………………….13
Caring for Self..……………………………………………………………………… 13
Caring in the Inner Circle ……………………………………………………………14
Caring for Ideas …………………………………………………………………….16
Summary …………………………………………………………………………….17
Chapter 3: Application ………………………………………………………………………19
The Classroom ………………………………………………………………………….19
Teacher Roles and Responsibilities …………………………………………………19
Student Roles and Responsibilities …………………………………………………20
Summary …………………………………………………………………………….22
The Education System……………………………………………………………………23
Teacher Training ……………………………………………………………………23

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Further Research …………………………………………………………………...25
Summary …………………………………………………………………………….26
Personal ………………………………………………………………………………….26
Chapter 4: Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………28
Summary …………………………………………………………………………………28
Fear Of Missing Out (“FOMO”) ……………………………………………………28
Healthy, Competent, Moral People …………………………………………………29
Implications ………………………………………………………………………………31
So What and What Now? …………………………………………………………….32
References …………………………………………………………………………………..34

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Chapter 1: Introduction
Developing My Interest in the Topic
Nearing the second half of the M.Ed. program is where I really began to see my
learning experiences shape my perspective in my classroom and also in my personal life.
Being in the program in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic gave an interesting twist and
lens through which I slowly completed each course. Juggling my professional and family life
in the middle of so much uncertainty and obstacles was challenging. Being a front line
worker as an educator gave me insight, experiences, and exposure to the complexities of the
pandemic and many of the issues and problems that arose from it. For example, many
students opted for online learning when there was no real evidence of learning happening.
Parents struggled to make ends meet and sacrificed time and energy to provide for their
families. Technology usage saw a rapid increase due to the pandemic and a shift in the
educational system in online learning. As a result, more students spent much more time than
usual in front of a screen. Now, coming out of the pandemic, I see a correlation between
mental health and well-being and the drastic increase of social media usage in the children I
teach. Gaps in social and communication skills were increased as a result of isolation and a
lack of a regular classroom environment and routine.
During this time, through the M.Ed. program, I learned about what good leadership
looks like in the midst of obstacles and in a unique circumstance such as the pandemic. I
learned about the importance of ethical decision making for educational leaders and how to
gain trust and loyalty with those you work with. Additionally, the key concepts of identity,
power, privilege, social location, and systemic issues became even more highlighted in the
middle of the pandemic and I can see that my experiences during the pandemic were not the
same experiences as my students. This is where I began to develop more of an interest around

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the topic of caring for my students who have gone through challenges that I will never
experience as an adult.
Significance of the Topic
My topic revolves around reconsidering how we care for students who are regular
users of technology. Technology and social media usage has been linked to poor mental
health and well-being amongst adolescents (Popat & Tarrant, 2022). However, this issue may
not be so black and white and may be much more complicated than what the surface
suggests. For example, all parents of Generation Z (born 1997-2012) and Alpha (2011+) did
not grow up with the influence, addiction, and pressures of social media, so parents have no
idea what it really is like to grow up with it. Furthermore, adults and parents alike may show
similar tendencies of poor mental health and well-being as a result of social media use. Many
of these complicated factors have to do with our social identity and location. Children who
use social media today go through much more difficult challenges compared to past
generations who did not grow up with it. As adults and parents, we cannot simply believe that
previous childhood challenges are similar to those of the children in the present.
I also believe that due to the Pandemic, an overall large increase in social media use
and technology was seen due to online education, isolation, and other reasons. From my
observations, this was an extraordinary event that took place that really impacted a particular
year in which students were transitioning from elementary to high school. These are the
current Grade 10 students (born 2007), in B.C., Canada that I am referring to. COVID-19
impacted and shortened their final Grade 7 year in elementary and also their first year in high
school for Grade 8. These two years represent a lot of transition and change for a teenager.
I believe that my topic is significant for almost everyone. With technology becoming
more accessible and affordable, social media is becoming more prevalent in society and daily
life. This topic affects everyone from adolescents, adults, families with children, nieces and

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nephews, and close friends. This topic affects society as a whole. With the rise of social
media and its popularity with younger individuals, we have yet to see the long term impacts
on mental health and well-being. This paper focuses on the issue in high school children and
the impacts of social media on mental health and well-being, while using a lens of care
proposed by Noddings (1992).
Presenting the Argument
My argument is that as educators, we need to revise and adapt the way we care for
children who are growing up in a world heavily influenced by social media because social
media has been linked to poor mental health and well-being (Popat & Tarrant, 2022). In my
literature review, I will show specific details concerning social media usage in children.
Mood and anxiety disorders, addiction behaviours, cyberbullying and exposure to harmful
content (Nagamalar et al., 2021; O’Reilly et al., 2018; Popat & Tarrant, 2022; Sriwilai &
Charoensukmongkol, 2016) will be discussed in conjunction with social media usage.
Noddings’ (1992) work with the themes and ethics of care will be cross examined with these
dangers to mental health with specific references to caring of self, the inner circle and ideas.
My third chapter, “Application”, will discuss applications to the classroom with regards to
teachers and students, the education system in teacher training, the need for additional
research, and within my personal practice. “If the school has one main goal, a goal that
guides the establishment and priority of all others, it should be to promote the growth of
students as healthy, competent, moral people“ (Noddings, 1992, p.10). Moving forward,
understanding who we care for and what they experience in adolescence is a crucial step in
our ability to care.

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Chapter 2: Literature Review
With this literature review, I will focus on three major impacts of social media use in
adolescents. These impacts will be viewed through the lens of Noddings’ themes and ethics
of care and will be used as a focal point to reconsider how to care in the digital and social
media age.
Social Media and the Negative Impacts on Adolescents
Social media is having profound impacts on the way we live in the 21st century. From
our personal lives to the business world, social media has created different streams of content
that can appeal to anyone from anywhere. It has changed the way we shop online,
communicate with friends and family, and find entertainment. On one side of the coin, social
media, in its early stages of conception, had very positive impacts of connecting people
together through posting photos and communicating messages. As time passed, the other side
of the social media coin has evolved and has shown to be designed to distract and influence
our behaviours in a negative way:
Although social media provides significant benefits in many aspects, it is important to
understand the negative impacts that it causes as well. Because people nowadays,
especially teenagers, are more prone to social media addiction, it is important for
societies to be concerned more about behaviour towards social media access” (Sriwilai
& Charoensukmongkol, 2016, p. 433).
This section of my literature review will explore some important negative impacts that
children are facing growing up in a time of prevalent social media use. The argument that we
need to reconsider and adapt the way we care for students in the era of social media is
imperative to help combat the development of mood and anxiety disorders, addiction
behaviours, and exposure to cyberbullying and harmful content.

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Mood and Anxiety
The challenge to care for students in the social media age has never been more
needed. In a study performed by O’Reilly et al. (2018), adolescents expressed that they felt
social media was a risk to mental well-being and that social media brought stress, low
self-esteem, and feelings of depression which ultimately has had negative impacts on mood.
When impressionable adolescents are exposed to all types of content such as images of
celebrities, social media influencers, or even from individuals in their social circles, they can
frequently experience negative feelings and questions of “why can’t I have that?” and “why
don’t I look like that?” (O’Reilly et al., 2018). These thoughts can have a huge impact on
their day to day lives and many adolescents spend the majority of their day in two
environments: at home and at school.
Educators often have so many things on their plates and that students who are
experiencing extra difficulties in the classroom, as a result of poor mental-health from social
media use, add another layer of complexity to the classroom (Liu et al., 2019). How can
educators manage their lessons, classrooms, and also students who are experiencing feelings
of poor mood, anxiousness, and feelings of depression as a result of social media use?
Children’s ability to focus becomes affected as they may not always be able to demonstrate
their understanding or live up to their academic potential. The World Health Organization
(2021) states that approximately 3.6% of 10-14 year-olds and 4.6% of 15-19 year-olds
experience an anxiety disorder which can lead to rapid and unexpected changes in mood.
This can profoundly affect school attendance and schoolwork which can further magnify
isolation and loneliness. On the surface, educators can only do so much in their day-to-day
interactions with students and providing additional support, accommodations and counselling
for these students only scratch the surface of the issues. Mood and anxiety disorders are a

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significant risk to mental health and well-being and continual social media use can also create
negative addiction behaviours.
Addiction Behaviours
In 2020, Netflix released a documentary titled “The Social Dilemma” which
investigates the harm and addictive nature of social media. Throughout the documentary,
viewers learn that specific individualized algorithms are used to keep the user on the social
platform for as long as possible. Actions are tracked by these companies and can be based on
location, interests, and searches. The sole purpose for keeping users addicted to their platform
is to make as much money as possible from advertisements. Adolescents with no knowledge
of the addictive nature of social media or the ability to monitor and manage their usage
become highly addicted as they continue to get content they are interested in.
“Adolescents admitted that the positive connection aspect quickly turned into reliance on
social media to stay connected, fuelling addiction” (Popat & Tarrant, 2022, p. 9).
Built-in features of certain social media platforms encouraged the daily participation
of “streaks” in which users would send a message or a picture every day to keep a streak
going. In Popat and Tarrant’s (2022) qualitative study on adolescence perspectives on social
media and mental well-being found that breaking these streaks was considered rude so users
continued to engage with streaks despite the burden. “Fear Of Missing Out,” commonly
abbreviated as “FOMO” is a common feeling amongst adolescents in which they couldn’t
risk social exclusion with being in the loop of latest social media topics, news, or trends
(Nagamalar et al., 2021).
As many adolescents experience FOMO, their screen time increases. When their
screen time increases, some students reported that they had headaches, blurred vision and
sleeping difficulty (Popat & Tarrant, 2022). The pressures of staying connected results in less
face-to-face interactions which can cause emotional detachment as well (Mulisa & Getahun,

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2018). These can have profound impacts on family and peer interactions. The byproduct of
these addictive behaviours have a compounding effect on student learning and engagement in
school and in the classroom. Students have a difficult time falling asleep being constantly
stimulated (Popat & Tarrant, 2022). Often, students are physically present in the classrooms,
but physically tired and mentally asleep. When the usage of social media is not controlled or
monitored, the pressure to stay connected to reduce the feelings of FOMO and social
exclusion outweigh the negative impacts to individual mental health and well-being. Further
risks of uncontrolled social media usage can lead to the exposure of cyberbullying and
harmful content.
Cyberbullying and Harmful Content
Some of the major concerns regarding social media use in adolescents are regarding
the exposure to cyberbullying and harmful content. Hamm et al. (2015) conducted a study in
which cyberbullying was done mainly through social media platforms as well as social
networking and other applications. The increased exposure to bullying and harmful content
“could have significant negative impacts on mental health and wellbeing” (Popat & Tarrant,
2022, p.7). The ability to remain anonymous enables bullies to post hurtful comments without
repercussions because their identity remains a secret. The effects of cyberbullying was
magnified by the story of Amanda Todd. She was only 15 years old when she committed
suicide as a result of cyberbullying (Amanda’s Story, n.d.).
Harmful content such as graphic and violent images and self-harm posts often
unintentionally disturbed sleep which can have an affect on one’s mental health and
well-being (Popat & Tarrant, 2022). Another additional aspect of harmful content is the
ability for “fake news” to be shared and reposted by the user. This has been more innocently
seen when fake social media accounts report on fake sports trades and local news stations
report on that fake news on television without doing their due diligence. However, on a more

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serious scale, we have seen more impact on a national level with fake news impacting
elections campaigns such as the 2016 US election (Lee, 2022). Fact checking becomes an
essential skill that needs to be taught to all stages of adolescence. By providing practical and
topical workshops to teach these important issues to adolescents, educators can help them
become more aware of the dangers of social media and to be able to provide support for
students who may be encountering cyberbullying or harmful content online.
Summary
In this first section, we can observe that social media has many negative impacts on
adolescents. The dangers of social media usage in adolescents have been well documented in
the research conducted since the social media era (Nagamalar et al., 2021; O’Reilly et al.,
2018; Popat & Tarrant, 2022; Sriwilai & Charoensukmongkol, 2016). As a society, we are
only starting to begin to see the long-term effects and impacts of social media use in
adolescence. With more knowledge of the impacts of social media use, children are still
reluctant to reduce their usage due to things such as social exclusion or “FOMO” (Popat &
Tarrant, 2022). “Adolescence involves the struggle between fitting in and standing out,
causing identity experimentation” (p.9). This has a compounding effect as the more time
spent online by the user, the more issues appear. Screen addiction can lead to mood and
anxiety disorders due to the type of content they are viewing (O’Reilly et al, 2018).This can
further lead to exposure to cyberbullying and harmful content which can cause the most
negative impact to one’s mental health and well-being.
With all the growing knowledge and studies surrounding the negative impacts of
social media, we need to reflect and evaluate what is the best way to support and care for
adolescents growing up with it. The work of Noddings (1992) in her themes and ethics of
care in schools gives us a foundation to build on in our current school context. Technology
and social media has never been so prevalent as it is today and using Noddings’ work as a

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foundation to support the mental health and well-being of students will be discussed in the
next section.
Themes and Ethics of Care
The lens in which we view how to care for these adolescents experiencing the
negative impacts of social media use will be through Noddings’ work in The Challenge to
Care in School: An Alternative Approach to Education. This work was done in a time where
social media did not exist yet, but her themes and ethics of care can still be applied in our
current context. Noddings argues that “if the school has one main goal, a goal that guides the
establishment and priority of all others, it should be to promote the growth of students as
healthy, competent, moral people“ (Noddings, 1992, p.10). This section will explore
Noddings’ themes and ethics of care and how they relate to adolescents growing up in the age
of social media through caring for self, the inner circle, and ideas.
Caring for Self
In this chapter of “Caring for Self”, I want to focus on two sections that Noddings
lists as physical life and recreational life. The way we care for our physical bodies has so
much impact and connection to our emotional and mental well-being. Physical education,
where we learn to exercise our body, is no longer the only place we can work on our physical
selves. In Home Economics, students learn to cook a meal and in Family Studies courses they
learn about the importance of relationships and personal growth. Graduate requirements
courses such as Career Life Education and Connections are important stepping stones to
reflect on topics such as digital citizenship, personal well-being, and inclusivity (B.C.
Curriculum, n.d.). We now see a shift in focus and give equal importance to care for both our
physical and mental health and well-being. With the increased accessibility to social media,
there has never been a time to be more concerned about personal care for the self. There are
many unsuspecting dangers associated with social media use. Social media has negatively

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impacted our physical bodies in that adolescents may overuse and be overstimulated at night
and develop mood or anxiety disorders as a result of poor sleep. These habits can lead to
unhealthy addictions that can impact the physical health and mental well-being of the user.
Recreation can be categorized as anything we enjoy (Noddings, 1992). “A
well-integrated life includes intervals of activity that energize and make us feel whole”
(p.89). One main issue is that with any free time, many adolescents spend it on social media.
This was intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic as time spent outdoors or with friends
and family were limited for a prolonged time. This resulted in some individuals using social
media platforms for more than 4 - 6 hours per day (Nagamalar et al., 2021). During
COVID-19, the main way of socializing and being productive was through technology. It was
encouraged by the schools as they were shifting to online learning as well as businesses
shifting to a remote work-from-home model. Nagamalar et al. (2021) alludes that when
education and work, two dominant aspects of life, both shifted to an online model during
COVID-19, it became natural for adolescents to find their sense of belongingness within
social media platforms, and thus, the issues of addiction, mood and anxiety disorders, and
exposure to cyberbullying and harmful content became more prevalent. Coming out of
COVID-19 and the lockdowns, we still see the habits built from that period and it spilling
into many students’ lives. Adolescents have limited knowledge of what it means to be
mentally healthy or how to maintain it (Dogra et al., 2012). Without the proper tools,
knowledge, and monitoring, social media has the ability to negatively impact the mental
health and well-being of children. The idea of caring for the self extends out and affects how
we care for those around us; those people around us Noddings calls the inner circle.
Caring in the Inner Circle
The inner circle are the relationships that we have developed over a considerable
amount of time (Noddings, 1992). These can be parent-child, teacher-student,

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professional-client, peer-peer relations. Noddings continues to describe these relations to be
mostly stable, but can carry equal or unequal relations depending on the dynamics of the
relationship. In the perspective of a parent, parents always have the best intentions of their
children, yet, circumstances sometimes prohibit the ability to monitor and care for our
children the best way possible. This can include work commitments, family dynamics, or
cultural differences. In Nagamalar et al.’s study, (2021) 87% of participants preferred using
social media when they are alone or in separate rooms, away from their parents.
“One of the greatest tasks of teachers is to help students learn how to be recipients of
care” (Noddings, 1992, p.108). Because the relations between a teacher and student are
unequal, teachers have the responsibility to practice inclusion and build formal, trusting
relationships that foster care. One of the most difficult things that a teacher can go through is
when students are non-responsive to care as students believe their teachers to be enemies.
Patience, empathy, and an unrelenting attitude to care for your students, regardless of what
they may be experiencing or going through, is required to demonstrate caring relationships
with children.
When you have a friend that you deem to be an equal, there is a responsibility to that
individual. You show compassion and care which should be demonstrated in a reciprocal
manner. Social media has created a space in which making “friends” becomes a contest. The
more friends you have, the more popular you are. Adolescents continue to send “friend
requests” to increase the number of friends they have, but in reality, they may not have true,
quality friendships that they can count on (Nagamalar et al., 2021). Children also need to be
self-aware of the relationships that they currently have. “Young people should understand that
it is sometimes necessary to break off a relation in which they are exploited, abused, or
pushed to do things they regard as harmful or wrong” (Noddings, 1992, p.99). As educators,
we need to be able to teach what positive, authentic, and real friendship looks like and how to

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avoid harmful ones. One of the other foundational themes of care Noddings mentions is the
caring for ideas. In this next section, I will navigate the topic through a less academic lens
and more through a mental health and well-being perspective.
Caring for Ideas
Noddings’ work focuses on the importance of developing student individuality and
potential through the academic means of studying Mathematics and Art. What I want to add
to her work is the idea that has been a big topic and focus in the digital era and that is the
mental health and well-being of adolescents. This does not only apply to the mathematically
or artistically inclined, but to all. Though mental health and well-being are not new ideas,
coming out of COVID-19, we are seeing a high demand for professionals in the health sectors
due to needs, changes in employment, stress, early retirement, and other factors (The Daily,
n.d.). “The consequences of failing to address adolescent mental health conditions extend to
adulthood, impairing both physical and mental health and limiting opportunities to lead
fulfilling lives as adults” (World Health Organization, 2021). We need to continue to
understand and care for the mental health and well-being of adolescents at all stages as they
continue to navigate their lives both online and offline. “Devising educational
programs…requires a careful analysis of levels of understanding” (Noddings, 1992, p.172).
Parents, Educators, Medical Practitioners, and the social media developers themselves need
to care for these young users and understand the dangers surrounding the use of social media.
Even though some individuals may be well informed of the addictive nature of social media
and its negative impacts, some individuals may not think it is doing that much harm.
Indeed, simply understanding the possible negative effects of using such platforms on
mental wellbeing certainly did not deter the participants from engaging regularly with a
wide range of social media. We still have much to learn about the impact of the Internet
and social media on adolescent mental health. However, this study shows that

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adolescents themselves have concerns about the risks the Internet poses to mental
health directly by leading to mood and anxiety disorders and indirectly through
cyberbullying (O’Reilly et al., 2018).
As educators, we must continue to prioritize and provide opportunities for students to
learn about the impacts of mental health and the connections to social media use. Becoming
resilient in the presence of obstacles and challenges is something we must continue to build
in our future generation at all levels of adolescence. If it is not addressed accordingly, when
adolescents experience poor mental health and well-being, there can be a negative feedback
cycle of relying on social media as a means and form of coping with personal stress and
challenges. Using social media as a form of coping can induce the negative impacts of social
media and continue to feed into addiction, mood and anxiety disorders and overall poor
mental health and well-being (Sriwilai & Charoensukmongkol, 2016). All individuals are
different and have varying mental health needs that are influenced by their family, culture,
and upbringing. Educators must continue to foster and promote the ideas of positive mental
health and well-being for all adolescents, normalizing the stigma that may come with social
media use.
Summary
Noddings’ themes and ethics of care for self, the inner circle, and for ideas is a
foundational concept that should be at the forefront of the education system. Social media has
added a layer of complexity towards caring for adolescents as they learn to navigate the
virtual world and the problems that may come with it. COVID-19 had a significant impact on
the rise of social media use due to the constraints and restrictions of individuals. Most social
interactions and engagement was only able to be done through social media which caused a
heavy reliance on it. Coming back to a pre-COVID routine enables regular face-to-face
interactions and opportunities to discuss and learn about these issues in a school setting.

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Programs and courses designed to help students deal with these challenges are becoming
more important when we see these issues rising. Supports of the inner circle, the relationships
around you, become a huge influence and factor for adolescents to become resilient in the
face of obstacles. Learning to seek and receive help becomes an important part of
adolescence and that children should know to never feel alone in the midst of struggle,
challenges, and mental health issues. Creating and normalizing an environment where
everyone has different mental health needs becomes imperative as we all learn the importance
of fostering and promoting positive mental health and well-being habits and practices.
The next chapter will include application sections in the realm of the classroom, the
education system as a whole, and also a personal application. The application section will
view the argument that we need to adapt and change the way we care for adolescents who are
growing up in the social media era in those specific contexts. Following that is the conclusion
with the implications of what has been discussed in the paper.

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Chapter 3: Application
The Classroom
As an educator for close to 10 years, I have grown to appreciate the amount of
knowledge and experience that I have gained both internationally and locally within the
public and independent school systems. From all of this experience, I’ve learned that
adolescence is very similar across different cultures, backgrounds and environments. Students
face the similar pressures and challenges when growing up in the digital age. Social media
has become more accessible than ever and we need to critically reflect on our practice as
educators in how to best care for students immersed in the digital world (Nagamalar et al.,
2021). In this section, I will explore the responsibilities of the teacher and student when it
comes to care and the responsibility of the education system to better train teachers to work in
this new climate of challenges.
Teacher Roles and Responsibilities
Noddings (1992) describes a survey that mentioned that one child in 100 claimed that
no adults really cared for them. Though this may seem insignificant at first, you must take
into perspective that you may teach close to 200 students a year, and over a career of 20+
years, that can be many children who feel this way. Especially in large schools, teachers often
“cannot distinguish students from strangers” (p. 2). Teachers often get so caught up in the
curriculum and meeting deadlines and academic goals that they miss one of the fundamental
goals of schools, which Noddings describes as schools being a place to foster “the growth of
students as healthy, competent, [and] moral people” (p.10). This all stems back to the themes
and centres of care which were highlighted in the previous chapter. Teachers must prioritize
an environment and culture of care for their students. This can look different from teacher to
teacher, but the core values of Noddings themes and ethics of care do not change. Educators
must prioritize the care of self, the care for the inner circle, and the caring of ideas. With

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social media being so prevalent in adolescence, teachers must be able to demonstrate
empathy as many educators today did not grow up with social media, so fully understanding
the negative impacts that a child can experience becomes difficult to do. Practical
applications for students that can be encouraged by teachers can include external supports,
suggestions to manage social media, and even talking about the negative impacts of excessive
social media use (Nagamalar et al., 2021). It can even be a simple gesture of a compliment or
word of encouragement. A quote that I often remind myself of is from Dr. Maya Angelou, an
American author, poet, and humanitarian. She says that “I’ve learned that people will forget
what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made
them feel” (Squibb, 2016). If we remind ourselves of the greater fundamental purpose of
school, which is to simply care for our students, putting less emphasis on the curricular goals,
and academic achievements, we can really address the growing need to support students who
are suffering from poor mental health and well-being from the use of social media (Noddings,
1992; Popat & Tarrant, 2022). Students also have a major part to play in taking up the
responsibility to care for themselves and their own mental health and well-being.
Student Roles and Responsibilities
“Social media is now an integral part of adolescent life” (O’Reilly et al., 2018, p.
609). Students have the responsibility to not only learn about the dangers of social media but
also the statistics around it. Social media is linked to sleep problems and addictions as
recognized by clinical professionals and research (O’Reilly et al., 2018). Furthermore,
Duggan and Smith (2013, as cited in O’Reilly et al., 2018) found that 90% of adolescents will
use social media during the day and at night and that 37% of them were losing sleep because
of it (Espinoza, 2011, as cited in O’Reilly et al., 2018).
Reflecting back on the literature review section, we have observed that mood and
anxiety disorders, addiction behaviours, and cyberbullying and harmful content are some of

21

the main concerns, dangers, and negative impacts of social media use (Nagamalar et al.,
2021; O’Reilly et al., 2018; Popat & Tarrant, 2022; Sriwilai & Charoensukmongkol, 2016).
Adolescents must be proactive in their approach to improving their mental health and
well-being. Nagamalar et al. (2021, p. 7) lists several suggestions for better usage of social
media to improve mental health and well-being:
● Connect online with your friends only when it's necessary.
● By Turning Off Your Notifications in your gadgets, it will avoid distractions and
improve your concentration.
● Limit yourself the time spent on social media and use the time in a productive manner.
● Get 'A New Hobby' which will enhance your cognitive thinking and mental well
being.
● Spend time with family and friends by cooking food, watching movies and enjoying a
meal together.
● Delete the unnecessary Apps in your smartphones.
● Playing traditional games rather than online games.
● Set your sleeping time and get away from your gadgets at least one hour before sleep.
● Restrict your mobile usage in the morning hours as soon as you get up, because it may
spoil your entire day.
● Connect yourself with people who are similar minded.
● Try to spend your free time on creative things or arts and crafts.
● Give less importance to social media appearances.
● Learn to understand yourself. Find out which particular media you are addicted to.
● Learn Self-control by doing some meditation and exercises.
● Divert yourself into reading books or do some volunteer work.
● Set time for your activities and follow it.

22

●

If you really feel that you are addicted and don't know how to come out of it, go for a
digital detox course.
Though this is not a complete list of suggestions for students, it is a good place to

start. This comes back to Noddings’ (1992) themes and ethics of care in which students need
to focus on caring for the self and the idea that good mental health and well-being is
extremely important. The inner circle, the relationships around you also become imperative to
the amount of social media you would use. The support and guidance of parents and
guardians in the home environment, and the friend circles you have, becomes a crucial aspect
of the inner circle (Noddings, 1992). Poor habits that were developed due to the lockdown of
COVID-19 need to be rectified as we come back to our new normal (Nagamalar et al., 2021).
Becoming proactive, instead of reactive, is the best way to manage the negative impacts of
social media use in adolescence.
Summary
The roles and responsibilities of teachers and students do overlap in areas of being
proactive in supporting and educating. We see that teachers need to display an empathetic
approach to students who may be going through a difficult time. Educators need to prioritize
caring for students first before academics. Students have a responsibility as well to
understand the negative impacts of social media and to reflect on their own usage and if it is a
detriment to their mental health and well-being. “Social media’s virtual social circles act as
digital social environments that can powerfully shape thoughts and behaviours” (Popat &
Tarrant, 2022, p. 9). In O’Reilly et al.’s (2018) qualitative study, it was noticed that many
adolescents seemed to under emphasize any personal negative impacts of social media use,
but understand the negative consequences of it. Though there seems to be a growing
understanding of the negative impacts of social media use and its connections to poor mental

23

health and well-being, adolescents need to be actively involved in identifying ways to
navigate social media (O’Reilly et al., 2018).
We’ve looked at the direct individuals involved, mainly, educators and adolescents, in
this section and we now will look at a more broader scope when it comes to the negative
impacts of social media use in adolescents’ mental health and well-being. In the next section,
we will explore the opportunities and importance in teacher training and education as well as
the need for further research in this area of caring in the digital age.
The Education System
Teacher education, or student teachers, often take a wide range of required classes
such as inquiry, development and learning in the classroom, curriculum development,
assessment, ethics, and aboriginal education to name a few. What I never learned and what
seems to not be addressed is the growing need to understand and learn what adolescence is
like growing up in the digital age. How do we care for those who are struggling with
addictions, mood and anxiety disorders, or experiencing cyberbullying? Navigating these big
issues should be addressed at the training level to equip teachers to care for children in a
meaningful and empathetic way.
Teacher Training
What Noddings puts forth in her book is critical and it strips down education to its
bare purposes. Education and schools are not meant to provide a liberal education in which its
main objective is to prepare children for post-secondary education and a certain class of
occupations. Noddings states that “the contents of liberal studies is not the content that all
children need…[instead] caring is far more appropriate” (p.28). Liberal education puts too
much emphasis on a certain mindset in which individuals feel more superior than others.
Male activities, attitudes, and values are celebrated and women are often neglected in the
traditional liberal arts curriculum. Noddings believes that the “traditional supremacy of the

24

disciplines [are] fundamentally wrong” (p.62) and that the centers of care are more important
and essential to full human life. These centers of care revolve around continuity in schools,
community, and curriculum, caring for the self and others, and caring for ideas.
Schools have a major role in raising competent, healthy, and happy children, and
“schools cannot achieve its academic goals without providing caring and continuity for
students” (p.14). Despite Noddings’ strong emphasis on caring, her position is not
“anti-intellectual. It is a matter of setting priorities. Intellectual development is important, but
it cannot be the first priority of schools” (p.10). Charles Silberman (1970) states that “what
tomorrow needs is not masses of intellectuals, but masses of educated men-men educated to
feel and to act as well as to think” (p.7). Noddings’ main concerns for education is that it
“should be organized around themes of care rather than the traditional disciplines” (p.173)
and that by doing so, it does not detract away from intellectual development or academic
achievement. This further leads to intentional curriculum planning and significant efforts in
teacher preparation for the new and experienced.
Noddings puts it very plainly that our traditional and liberal education often takes
priority and it can be seen in the types of courses that teacher education schools are providing
to new educators. Educational history, philosophy, and theory do have its place in the process
of training to be a teacher. Often, we miss the bigger and more important picture of why most
people become a teacher in the first place. Teachers love to help others and build others up,
which at the core, is caring about others. Teaching becomes hard when we cannot understand
or relate to the people we are teaching. This is where the educational teacher training
programs need to incorporate an aspect of learning to care for adolescents growing up in the
digital age.

25

Further Research
“Digital technology is unlikely to go away, and it increasingly becomes integral to
adolescents’ lives (O’Reilly et al., 2018, p.610). Further research must be prioritized in
studying and reviewing the negative impacts of social media on adolescent mental health and
well-being. Though there have been some studies that have been conducted around the
negative impacts of social media (Nagamalar et al., 2021; O’Reilly et al., 2018; Popat &
Tarrant, 2022), further research and investigation is required. “We need to find
ways to utilise social media in a more positive way and in ways that promote positive
well-being … while better equipping young people to manage the possible dangerous effects”
(O’Reilly et al., 2018, p.610). Popat and Tarrant (2022) mentions a more proactive measure
in educational interventions and social media alterations to help reduce the negative impacts
of social media use.
COVID-19 brought an accelerated and unrealistic environment in which many
adolescents became addicted to screens and social media (Nagamalar et al., 2021). Now that
our schools in B.C. have entered a period of normalcy post-COVID, Nagamalar et al. states
that our current state and situation will be a state of avoidance. What I believe they mean by
that is that we are avoiding the issues that exist now because of COVID-19. Excessive social
media use that started during COVID-19 has carried over into the post-COVID-19 era and we
have yet to really see the long-term impacts of COVID-19 in the areas of mental health and
well-being in adolescence. “Further study can be done with parents, education service
providers, medical practitioners, and social media service providers [which] can give
guidelines to reduce the risk [of excessive social media use]” (p.8). Strategies and education
around social media use need to be developed and implemented at an earlier age to help
reduce the negative impacts.

26

Summary
Teacher education programs should prioritise teaching how to care for adolescence
growing up in the digital age. Technology and social media is evolving at a rapid pace and so
should our training and educational methods. Prioritizing the themes and ethics of care
towards adolescents will help reduce the negative impacts of mood and anxiety disorders,
addiction behaviours, cyberbullying and harmful content. Further research is also imperative
as society is slowly coming out of COVID-19 and we are living with many negative habits
that were developed over that time (Nagamalar et al., 2021). Since social media is not going
away, we need to utilize it in a way to promote positive mental health and well-being
(O’Reilly et al., 2018). Studying the negative impacts of social media in adolescence and
involving other industries, such as the medical or technological industries, can help reduce
the risks associated with it (Nagamalar et al., 2021).
Personal
Being a father of young children and observing what I see in the classes that I teach
are a major concern as a parent. Students are highly addicted to their devices and often go on
their social media with any free time they have. They would much rather scroll through their
devices than interact with a peer face-to-face. Growing up in high school in the early 2000’s,
it was rare to see a cell phone or device in the hallways. Now, an overwhelming majority
have their own device in high school. Times have changed. When I put together all of the
research and articles relating to the negative impacts of social media usage in adolescence it
did not come as a big surprise. Social media is designed to keep you on it for as long as
possible (Orlowski, 2020). I need to remember that my experiences of high school and the
challenges that I faced as an adolescent are far different from the ones that are growing up in
the digital age. Teenagers especially are faced with many more pressures and challenges
having so much accessibility to social media (O’Reilly et al., 2018; Popat & Tarrant, 2022). I

27

need to keep in mind also that not all families have a stable and nurturing environment which
prioritizes mental health and well-being. These reminders help me to always position myself
in a humble manner and to always empathize with my students and to care for them in the
best way that I can.
Noddings (1992) does an excellent job of challenging what the main goal of
education should be, which is to promote the growth of students as healthy, competent and
moral people. The whole world is slowly coming out of the global pandemic caused by
COVID-19. Some parts of the world are still being affected by it with restrictions and
quarantines. During the peak of COVID, the safety, health, and well-being of others were put
as a main priority and focus. During this time, I saw a huge need for the caring of mental
health and well-being. Caring for the self and inner circle was a major focus across not only
my region, but all regions across Canada. Noddings’ ethics of care extended beyond the
school walls and we observed firsthand many instances of care occurring at many different
levels within the school and outside the school as well. A lot of attention and resources has
been poured into physical and mental well-being since COVID-19 and children are becoming
more educated at a younger age to consider their own physical and mental states. I have
observed this happening in my own school and being empathetic and understanding of every
student’s unique experiences and perspectives have helped me develop my own “caring
relations with them” (p.22).
How should we revise and adapt the way we care for children who are growing up in
a world heavily influenced by social media? In the next section, I will summarize my
conclusions and discuss the implications for us as educators living and teaching in the digital
era.

28

Chapter 4: Conclusion
Summary
In my paper, I argue that there is a new challenge to care for adolescents in schools in
the digital age. Social media has jeopardized the mental health and well-being of adolescence
(Nagamalar et al., 2021; O’Reilly et al., 2018; Popat & Tarrant, 2022; Sriwilai &
Charoensukmongkol, 2016) in ways that adults and parents cannot imagine as we did not
experience adolescence in the digital era. Noddings’ (1992) themes and ethics of care are a
foundational starting point and guide for educators to reconsider how we care for adolescents
growing up in the social media era.
I initially developed an interest in this area as I had the opportunities to experience the
challenges that COVID-19 brought upon all my spheres of life which include my professional
and personal lives. In the classroom, I have witnessed a significant shift in student peer
interactions, behaviours, and an overall tendency to rely and use their technology to go on
social media with every possible opportunity. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the reliance
and accessibility of technology saw a drastic increase throughout the world. With this
increase, there have been numerous reports and studies that document the negative impacts of
social media usage by adolescents (Nagamalar et al., 2021; O’Reilly et al., 2018; Popat &
Tarrant, 2022; Sriwilai & Charoensukmongkol, 2016).
Fear Of Missing Out (“FOMO”)
Negative impacts of social media usage by adolescents include mood and anxiety
disorders, addiction behaviours, and cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content. O’Reilly
et al. (2018) conducted a study in which adolescents expressed that social media had negative
impacts on mood, self-esteem, and brought feelings of depression. We learned that social
media has been developed to keep users on for as long as possible by using individualized
algorithms to keep showing users content of interest (Orlowski, 2020). This would lead to

29

addictive behaviours and constant use of social media. Nagamalar et al. (2021) described that
the common consensus amongst adolescents is that they stay connected to their devices to
reduce the risk of social exclusion with being in the loop of the latest social media topics,
news, or trends. This is a term known as “FOMO” or the “Fear Of Missing Out”. The
pressures to stay connected have negative impacts on their well-being as students report
headaches, blurred vision, sleeping difficulties, and emotional detachment as a result of less
face-to-face interactions (Mulisa & Getahum, 2018; Popat & Tarrant, 2022). Social media has
brought a new platform in which it becomes easy to remain anonymous behind a screen
which enables and promotes cyberbullying. The story of Amanda Todd (Amanda’s Story,
n.d.) exemplified the negative impacts of social media as she was bullied and harassed to the
extent where she took her own life at the age of 15 years old. Exposure to cyberbullying and
harmful content through social media is a large concern towards the mental health and
well-being of adolescents as parents and guardians would have a difficult time constantly
monitoring the content they see.
Healthy, Competent, Moral People
The work of Noddings’ (1992) themes and ethics of care is an ultimate guide for how
to care in schools. When we take her ideas of caring for self, the inner circle, and ideas, and
view them in a modern lens and context, we can better support and care for struggling
adolescents. Caring for the self involves a physical and mental aspect. If we neglect one, the
other will suffer as they are intertwined. COVID-19 has drastically changed the way we
interact and use technology. As demonstrated in my literature review, some users have carried
on the habits they have developed in lock down and isolation and use social media for more
than 4 - 6 hours per day (Nagamalar et al., 2021). Dogra et al. (2012) suggests that
adolescents have limited knowledge of what it means to be mentally healthy or how to
maintain it. The aspect of caring for the self becomes imperative as educators and families

30

need to create support and tools to better improve mental health and well-being (Nagamalar
et al., 2021). Noddings (1992) describes the relationships that we have developed over time
as the inner circle. These important relationships have a significant impact on the mental
health and well-being of adolescents. Noddings argues that “if the school has one main goal,
a goal that guides the establishment and priority of all others, it should be to promote the
growth of students as healthy, competent, moral people“ (Noddings, 1992, p.10). As an
educator, the most significant and important responsibility that you have is to build a
professional rapport and caring relationship with your students. In school, “one of the greatest
tasks of teachers is to help students learn how to be recipients of care” (Noddings, 1992,
p.108). When we can do that, we can slowly start to teach our students how to properly care
for themselves in the digital age. The ideas of mental health and well-being are such a crucial
part of adolescence. We need to teach and reduce the negative stigma of mental health and
well-being in the young generation. Our educational system must prioritize spreading
awareness of the negative impacts of social media and how that can affect one’s mental health
and well-being. “The consequences of failing to address adolescent mental health conditions
extend to adulthood, impairing both physical and mental health and limiting opportunities to
lead fulfilling lives as adults” (World Health Organization, 2021).
My claim and argument is that educators have a new challenge to care for students
growing up with social media in the digital age. I believe I am successful in demonstrating
this because the literature is very clear that social media usage by adolescents has negative
impacts on their mental health and well-being. Noddings’ (1992) themes and ethics of care
can be revised, reconsidered and used as a foundational guide to care for adolescents growing
up in the social media age. Teachers, students, the education system, and other professional
fields have a responsibility to engage with and learn of new ways to support the mental health
and well-being of adolescents growing up with social media.

31

Implications
As I conclude this paper, I am left with the questions of “so what?” and “what now?”
to wrestle with. There are several implications and applications that need to be addressed at
the classroom level with regards to both teachers and students. Teachers have the
responsibility to care for students by learning the best ways to care in the digital age and to
learn about the negative impacts of social media and to better support their students
(Nagamalar et al., 2021). This can come from professional development opportunities,
workshops, or self-inquiry. On a more practical note, if we, as educators, pause from time to
time by taking a break from the daily grind of getting through curriculum and assessments,
we can provide an authentic and genuine caring environment for our students. This can
simply be a positive comment or encouragement or just checking in with your students.
Adolescents have a large responsibility towards their own mental health and well-being. They
need to be proactive in their own care and learn to be actively involved in identifying ways to
navigate social media because it is now an integral part of adolescent life (O’Reilly et al.,
2018). Noddings’ (1992) themes and ethics of care with the self, inner circle, and ideas with
regards to one’s mental health and well-being are significantly connected. Children must use
different supports and strategies to manage their social media use to reduce the negative
impacts on their mental health and well-being (Nagamalar et al., 2021).
The education and training of teachers becomes an important launching pad for
developing teachers who are ready to care for students in the social media era. More focus
and attention should be given to topics of social media influence on the mental health and
well-being of students. This can have a significant impact to better prepare teachers and learn
about what adolescents are struggling with both inside and outside of school as a result of
social media. “Schools cannot achieve its academic goals without providing caring and
continuity for students” (Noddings, 1992, p.14). Further research is required as digital

32

technology is unlikely to go away (O’Reilly et al., 2018). O’Reilly et al. (2018) states that we
need to find ways to better equip young people and utilize social media positively so that it
will have lasting impacts on mental health and well-being. Nagamalar et al. (2021) also
suggests that further study can be done in other fields besides education such as in parenting,
medical and wellness, technology and with social media service providers.
“So What?” And “What Now?”
“So what?” The big conversation that my paper contributes to is the ongoing need to
support the mental health and well-being of adolescents growing up in the digital age. This
area of study is still fairly new, but this paper tries to tie in Noddings’ (1992) work of the
themes and ethics of care and applying them in this new context of the social media era. New
challenges arise as a result of social media and we need to reconsider how we care for
adolescents who encounter and experience the negative impacts of social media (Nagamalar
et al., 2021; O’Reilly et al., 2018; Popat & Tarrant, 2022; Sriwilai & Charoensukmongkol,
2016).
“What now?” One change I would like to see as I reflect on my paper is in the area of
student and teacher responsibilities with the caring of self and ideas. Building resilience,
self-control, confidence, and mental strength in our younger generation becomes such a vital
skill in the social media era. This incorporates the applications mentioned in the previous
section with regards to teacher and student responsibilities, the educational system and
further research. If we do not build those important life skills, the negative impacts of social
media use can easily find its way into the lives of adolescents. As educators, we need to adopt
and prioritize an ethics of care at the educational and training level and also the classroom
level. We need to be empathetic and understand that every individual experiences
adolescence differently.

33

My personal goal and change that I want to see in myself in relation to how to care for
my students growing up in the social media era is to always develop a caring relationship
with them. I believe that caring is the biggest and most important goal for any school. Social
media does have significant negative impacts on adolescents, so my caregiving as an educator
must be constantly greater. With so much noise that comes with the changing dynamics of
life, family, work, and school, I must not be so caught up with trivial things. I need to
remember that Dr. Maya Angelou once said that “people will forget what you said, people
will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” (Squibb,
2016). As I can personally relate to this quote from my own experiences in adolescence, I
must remind myself that my students will as well. To battle the negative impacts of social
media, an ethics of caring needs to continue to be the heartbeat of education, in schools, and
in my own practice.

34

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