Abstract
Statement of Problem
As social media continues to become rapidly more prevalent in the 21st-century digital age, it is important that students, teachers, parents, and mental health professionals are equipped with the resources to support children and adolescents more adequately in navigating healthy social media usage. Research shows that most youth currently use some type of social media platform and that there are both positive and negative impacts of social media use during the developmental years. Social media use, particularly problematic social media use, may also uniquely impact adolescents with ADHD. Impulsivity, risky behavior, and increased vulnerability to mental health challenges put adolescents with ADHD at higher risk of using social media in problematic ways. This project aims to provide a supportive and practical resource for mental health practitioners, parents, teachers, and students for healthy social media use, particularly as it pertains to students with ADHD. The project includes a group counseling curriculum based on the principles of cognitive behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness. It also includes resources for parents and teachers that can be accessed to help reinforce the skills that students learn within the group sessions.
Sources of Data
The data in this project was collected from various research journals using Sacramento State’s online database and Google Scholar.
Conclusions Reached
Based on research, the use of CBT, ACT, and mindfulness shows the potential to support students experiencing the challenges associated with ADHD who struggle with social media usage.