Grounding Teens From Social Media Doesn’t Do Much – And Could Hurt Them, Study Finds

It all used to be so simple: Break the rules, get grounded and be forbidden from hanging out with your friends. These days, of course, social media makes anywhere a teen hangout, and parents looking to ground their kids might choose to cut off access to social media instead. But that punishment might not have its desired effect – and could even have some harmful consequences for teenagers, according to a new study published Thursday. Teens forced to take a break from social media lose more than just a few days gossiping with friends, according to research funded and conducted by the University of Chicago’s independent research organization, NORC.