Intrinsic Social Media Literacy (ISML): A Novel Strategy to Effectively Tackle Problematic Social Media Use Globally

This is a commentary on the academic paper entitled “Intrinsic social media literacy: a public relations strategy addressing problematic social media use among teenagers globally.” PSMU is best defined as a non-substance-related disorder that results in the preoccupation and compulsion to engage excessively in social media platforms despite negative consequences [1]. Some signs of PSMU include spending excessive time on social media, neglecting other activities in favour of social media, frequently arguing about social media use, lying about how much time is spent on social media and experiencing withdrawal from social media. PSMU may lead to any of the outcomes as categorized into “side effects” and “threats” as illustrated in table 1 [1]. 

Table 1: Negative outcomes of problematic social media use. 

Over the decades, strategies to effectively address PSMU, especially among the young population are: technology, mass media, policy and education; but these approaches have not be effective enough. This commentary is to highlight these strategies from a recent study carried out, whilst incorporating the latest developments in the fight against the problematic use of social media. And then, come to the objective conclusion on the recommended approach which is a novel framework called the Intrinsic Social Media Strategy that should effectively tackle problematic social media use [1]. Why PSMU instead of Social Media Addiction? Social media addiction is a diagnosis that must be supported by an empirical process, usually a diagnostic criteria, which unfortunately, has not been satisfactorily established. Since PSMU also leads to anxiety, poor mental health and depression, it will, therefore, be used as an umbrella terminology to cover a broad spectrum of the negative usage of social media from being sad because of its excessive use to the exhibition of symptoms of addiction [1].

• Technology strategy 

The use of technology online as an approach, is implemented via some technological tools, mostly applications such as App Detox, Flipid, Freedom, Moment, Screen Time etc., that can help users to regulate their social media usage. These applications must be downloaded on the device running the social media applications. Secondly, the application must be installed and activated for it to work [1]. However, this strategy is not effective because, downloading the Application is essential for use. Even if downloaded and installed, a young user would need to activate the App after installation. Therefore, the young user may deactivate the App whenever they want to use social media. Even if this is not possible, a very smart user would not mind always deleting and re-installing the App before and after social media use [1]. 

• Mass media strategy 

Mass media campaigns can produce positive outcomes or preventive negative outcomes in health-related behaviours across a large population. But the use of Mass media as a strategy is generally passive and must require other competing factors to be effective as well [2]. These factors are the addiction-driven behaviours, highly influential social norms and pervasive product marketing. Therefore, the use of mass media as a strategy for tackling social media addiction should not be an isolated strategy if effectiveness must be achieved. Policies supporting behaviour change, community-based programmes, the needed services and products must all be in place for this strategy to flourish. Also, Mass media could instigate moral panics, manipulating governing bodies to implement excessive regulations to contain the threats seemingly posed by addictive individuals [3]. 

• The policy strategy 

The policy strategy is the development, enactment and enforcement of policies and/or regulations that push for the regulation of social media use or access, usually through the complete and incomplete ban to access social media by children [4]. Over the decades, different nations of the world have enacted either the complete or partial bans to social media access, not only on children but adults as well and most, if not all, have recorded ineffective outcomes [5]. Some of the most recent examples are the 2023 India’s “Children’s personal data and compliance with Digital Personal Data Protection Act, DPDPA” [6]. This legislation creates the platform for a proactive strategy to protect the well-being and privacy of children in India, enforcing the strict compliances for organisations that process children’s personal data [7]. France’s “under-15 Restriction to social media access” prohibitory regulation; and the European Union’s “Digital service Act (DSA) which prohibits social media giants like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat from targeting children with personalized adverts, both laws enacted in 2023 [8]. Table 2 below highlights some of these bans. 

Table 2: Some of the social media regulations around the globe and their outcomes.

The United Kingdom’s 2023 Online Safety Act is an excellent example of a robust legislation that has evolved over the challenges of social media usage to attempt to tackle, strategically, every component or factor that may create or propagate threats and side effects from social media usage [16]. This Act was passed into law on 26 October 2023 and implementation kicked off on 17 October 2024. It targets social media companies and online services to protect children and adults online. It is regulated by the organization, Ofcom. Criminal offences were introduced by the Act on 31 January 2024 and they include: (1) encouraging or assisting serious self-harm, (2) cyber-flashing, (3) sending false information intended to cause non-trivial harm, (4) threatening communications, (5) intimate image abuse, and (6) epilepsy trolling. This Act also defines what an illegal content is, treating the use of, or propagation of illegal content and activity as a criminal offence to take control of the problematic use of social media (Department of Science, Innovation & Technology 2025). The criminal offences have also been well defined and they are: (1) controlling or coercive behaviour, (2) child sexual abuse, (3) extreme sexual violence, (4) extreme pornography, (5) fraud, (6) racially or religiously aggravated public order offences, (7) inciting violence, (8) illegal immigration and people smuggling, (9) promoting or facilitating suicide, (10) intimate image abuse, (11) selling illegal drugs or weapons, (12) sexual exploitation and (13) terrorism. This Act also defines, specifically, contents that are harmful to children, categorizing them as primary priority and priority contents. The primary priority content include pornography, contents propagating any of self-harm, suicide or eating disorders. On the other hand, the priority content include bullying, abusive or hateful content, contents propagating any of violence, injury, dangerous stunts, and the ingestion, inhalation or the exposure to harmful substances. This Act has made provision to deal decisively with harmful algorithms that promote all defined illegal contents, foreign companies, indulging in the promotion and creation of these illegal contents and fiercely address misinformation and disinformation. This Online Safety Act allows for collaborations and partnerships even at the policy and enforcement levels. For instance, the independent Pornography Review will function independently from this Act to regulate, legislate and enforce online and offline pornographic contents [16]. 

Would this Online Safety Act be effective? That is left to be seen. Already, stakeholders from policy makers to parents and the under-16s themselves are not comfortable with this legislation [17]. Though, this legislation may be what is needed in the right direction, instead of the rampant bans as observed across countries of the world. One of the most profound research that was carried out on this issue is the 18-year study across 168 countries of the world [18]. This study proved that there is no causal relationship between internet access and the well-being of children because the result shows that 99.6% of a child’s well-being is not influenced by the time they spend on social media [18]. Therefore, instead of banning them from using social media, regulate what they consume from it as shown by the UK’s government’s 2023 regulation. But this regulation will not be effective without the proper sensitization, orientation and mental empowerment of the young population to be able to identify, discern and resist harmful contents, whilst rising above the urge to be problematic users. Stakeholders responsible for this legislation are not only sceptical but are also pessimistic about its outcome, as little or no attention is given to the internet needs of the young population and how they can be mentally equipped against the side effects and threats of social media [19-21]. 

• Education strategy 

According to Jiji Johnson and Dr. B Manikavasagam, the main tackling strategy of addressing social media addiction is to enlighten teenage and undergraduate students on, (1) associated risk factors with social media sites; (2) refusal of friends’ requests from unknown persons or Anonymous profiles; (3) avoidance of personal details sharing such as name, date of birth, age, address, phone number, credit card details, details of parents or siblings, school address etc; (40 anything posted online is open to the entire online world and hence not private, even if restricted to a few viewers or audience. It is paramount to understand that online acquaintances could screenshot, download or copy and past posted contents that may sometimes carry the identify of the poster or Author; (5) the avoidance of the downloads and installation of free online games from sources that are either not known or not reputed, especially by clinking advert links and pop ups; (6) the use of reliable antiviral softwares and how they can be installed and updated; (7) the avoidance of private chat rooms where strangers and predators are present to prey on innocent internet users. If a user must use chat rooms, it must be public ones; (8) not using the webcam for every chat, only on trusted relatives; (9) never attempting to meet anyone who is a new online acquaintance and if a user has reached the point when they are comfortable to meet, they should do so not alone; (10) abruptly stopping, or ignoring or blocking any online acquaintance who tries to initiate an uncomfortable conversation be it sexual, derogatory, abusive, discriminatory or intimidating; (11) to take pictures and screenshots of conversations as evidence and reporting them to ones parents/guardian and subsequently to relevant authorities in the event of crossing the line online; and (12) to verify every information gotten from social media, be it from comments, posts, media handles, profiles of respected personalities or even from known acquaintances, seeding every information coming from social media is very important [22]. 

• Social media literacy-technologically incorporated classroom educational strategy 

Social Media literacy is the “ability to access, analyse, evaluate and communicate messages in a wide variety of forms [23]. For the successful implementation of social media literacy or just media literacy, Festl mentions in their work, the adolescent’s need for expertise in media knowledge and awareness of “mediality” [23]. The adolescent will also need self-competencies that are evaluative, motivational, emotional and creative. Lastly, the young adult will need social competences which describes their desire to feel and connect with others [23]. These competences are participatory, moral, communicative and educational, all needing educational programmes in a multidimensional approach to promote media literacy among adolescents or young adults [23]. Ruth Festl, in her review of the literature entitled “Social Media literacy and Adolescent social online behaviour in Germany” aimed at proving the effectiveness of improving the online behaviour of Adolescents through the participatory-moral and communicative-integrating behavioural approaches of the social media literacy strategy [23]. The main target here is improving on the motivation of Adolescents at different levels. The communicative-integrating approach has elements of public relations in it as it functions on the news delivery, validation of contents sources and the provision of access to public contents mechanisms. It further creates a massive awareness campaign against toxic contents, overuse of contents and the identification of fake and/or malicious contents. In regulating social media in Adolescents, parental mediation and peer communication pressure are key factors in influencing adolescents’ social media behaviour. This is because the restrictions or the ban of social media had already proven to be not effective, therefore, the best way to go about this is to develop social media literacy [23]. 

But this strategy would not be effective without technology. There is the need for Educators to be trained in training Adolescents on using a technological model in helping them acquire the ability to judge the credibility of digital contents [24]. Educators must understand how Adolescents approach social media threats and how their well-being can be improved in social media environments- the awareness largely developed by Artificial Intelligence [24]. The Project Courage is a social media literacy tool that combines both the educational and technological approach and the Artificial intelligence technology is highly beneficial in this project. For further clarity, Artificial Intelligence will be responsible for developing and maintaining the agenda of creating awareness against toxic contents, fake news, discriminatory languages, inappropriate expressionisms and disguised contents of harm [25]. This Artificial Intelligence provides appropriate contents to social media users in their social media networks via algorithms to micro-target sources or via recommender systems. It can also use accessories and hardware tools such as smart speaker devices to provide information and disseminate content- yet another public relations tool. It helps improve technical tools performance to safety support users against harmful social media use. Nevertheless, media literacy education is needed together with computing education to be able to improve learners, or, Adolescents’ social media experiences [25]. Therefore, the COURAGE conceptual Framework is built on a technological framework that works effectively in supporting teachers to maximise the training of social media literacy. This social media literacy is a broad-spectrum of social media technicalities that include, but not limited to, content generation dynamics, the optimization process and recommenders, and attention engineering [25]. 

All the educative strategies discussed have been proven to be effective as, for instance, 54% of teens according to a poll, felt they spent too much time on their cell phones as half of them reported a significant reduction on the time they spent on social media [26]. But the educational strategy also has its weaknesses. One of such is that this strategy is most suited for the developed or high-income countries. The most attainable attempt under this strategy is the community awareness campaign. This too will require a long-term implementation which will need resources, coordination, consistency and maintained level of passion [27,28]. Also, Social medial literacy will not work solely on the educative strategy unless other strategies are implemented along with it. This means, having many components of the strategy to implement and monitor and hence reducing the chances of effectiveness [1].

• Intrinsic Social Medial Literacy (ISML) 

The education strategy seems to address social medial problematic use but unfortunately suffers the major lapse of reaching a global coverage and affordability [1]. Therefore, social media literacy needs to be taken beyond the classroom for an effective global coverage. There is no better platform to do so than social media itself [1]. Social media is a platform that enables both its problematic use and also for improving health-promoting behaviours. A ban on social media use, for instance, may influence social isolation and hence, worse health-promoting behaviours. But by strengthening the online health information-seeking ability of children or teenagers, the risk of becoming problematic users is greatly reduced. Therefore, heavily restricting social media in the lives of the young population is not the solution but proper literacy is [29]. Literacy will be against all threats and side effects discussed and content-based threats which include disinformation, bullying, stalking, discrimination, harassments of all sorts and beauty stereotypes. It is possible to bring about Social Media Literacy by passing information or messaging from the Social Media Applications themselves and this model is knowned as the Intrinsic Social Media Literacy [1]. This approach is to disseminate strategic messaging of social media literacy across to the user. A young vibrant person should be the advertising model in these adverts and this person in the short 30-seconds clip should, in a wonderful countenance, relay the message [1]. It is paramount to note that these adverts would not be skipped and hence obligatory for the user to watch and listen if they are on a content they cannot let go. Here is an example of messaging that targets filter bubbles, echo chambers, backfire effects and emotional load. 

“Hey dear! You look cute today [smiles]. Just this week alone, I have faced attempts from information sources trying to put me in a box, can you imagine that! Democrat versus Republicans, Right wing versus left wing, liberal versus conservative, religious versus free thinkers, capitalism versus socialism, rap versus pop, comedy versus thriller, man versus woman, boy versus girl…. I am tired already…. Gosh! If it were you, won’t you be? I have had an open mind for the past few months and I have come to appreciate all views. I have also cut down on my social media presence and guess what! I do not get these views being chocked down my throat. You can do the same love. Be open-minded and reduce your social media presence and see yourself less exposed to these manipulative, bigoted and radicalizing posts and news.” [1]. 

• Policy implication 

These messaging should be developed by the health authority responsible in the country of concern and if possible, the advert as well. There should be as many of these messages as possible, allowing different young, happy and receptible models to feature in the advert and then sent to the social media companies operating in the territories to run them frequently. Therefore, the benefits of this model are, (1) this model will reach its target population and much more, provided there is access to social media, irrespective of how remote that part of the world is, the digital media literacy will get to them. Therefore, addicts, potential addicts and all social media users around the world will benefit from this literacy model; (2) it is cheap, easy to implement and easy to monitor and evaluate unlike in the legal and public health strategies; (3) it is not restricted in time and space just as in the educational and technological strategies, hence functions at all times; (4) it does not give room for manipulation, exaggeration, sensationalism, moral panic or any form of Agenda. The health Authority in charge of the region in question will take charge of the messaging to ensure that none of these happen whilst giving the social media companies no chance to propagate any Agenda that will give them undue and “unholy” advantage to the detriment of young users; (5) it does not hinder other existing or intending strategies of addressing social media addiction from implementation. This model can go on alongside any interventions in place in any country or region; (6) the social media young user has no power or control over this model, unlike in the technological strategy, since this model functions as a compulsory advert that cannot be skipped. And because the advert is short and interesting, the young user can wait, watch and listen to the messages. Several of these messages everyday will create an impact in the young user’s life, addict or not.

The Author gives the final approval of the version to be published; and also agrees to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

• Patient consent 

Patient has given consent and permission to go ahead with the development of this manuscript provided her name is not mentioned. 

• Funding 

This work is not supported by any funding agency. 

• Data availability statement 

There is no dataset associated with this paper. 

• Disclosure of interest 

There is no interest or relationship, financial or otherwise that might be perceived as influencing the Author’s objectivity in writing this manuscript. No source of conflict of interest such as patent or stock ownership, membership of a company board of directors, membership of an advisory board or committee for a company, consultancy for or receipt of speaker’s fees from a company or any other source is affiliated to this study. Therefore, the Author has declared no conflict of interest. 

• Ethical approval and patent statement 

This study does not contain experiments using animals. The permission of the national or local authorities is hence not applicable to this manuscript. In the same vein, this study does not contain human studies. Therefore, the local ethical committee approval is not applicable to it.

1. Makama FT, James SA, Makama EF (2025) Intrinsic social media literacy: a public relations strategy addressing problematic social media use among teenagers globally. Cogent Soc Sci 11: 2518437.
2. Wakefield MA, Loken B, Hornik RC (2010) Use of mass media campaigns to change health behaviour. Lancet 376: 1261-1271.
3. Lundahl O (2020) Media framing of social media addiction in the UK and the US. International Journal of Consumer Studies 45: 1103-1116.
4. Przybylski A (2025) A social media ban for children would actually solve nothing. Here’s why. BBC-Science Focus, UK.
5. The conversation (2024) Other countries have struggled to control how kids access the internet, what can Australia learn? The Conversation.
6. Naithani P (2024) Analysis of India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. International Journal of Law and Management.
7. Singh RK, Singh V (2025) Beyond Consent: Ensuring Meaningful Protection of Genetic Data Under India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine.
8. Humain-Lescop A (2025) Towards harmonised online age verification? A comparative study of French and EU legal frameworks. A comparative study of French and EU legal frameworks. SSRN, Paris, France.
9. ECFR (2013) Part 312- Children’s online privacy protection rule (COPPA Rule). Code of Federal Regulations- A Point in time eCFR system.
10. Akshita BN (2023) Right to Privacy of Children over the Internet. Supremo Amicus 32: 206.
11. Choi J, Cho H, Lee S, Kim J, Park EC (2018) Effect of the online game shutdown policy on internet use, internet addiction, and sleeping hours in Korean adolescents. J Adolesc Health 62: 548-555.
12. Conroy-Krutz J, Koné J (2020) Promise and peril: In changing media landscape, Africans are concerned about social media but opposed to restricting access. AFR, Sydney, Australia.
13. Gumede W (2016) Rise in censorship of the Internet and social media in Africa. Journal of African Media Studies 8: 413-421.
14. Mircea L (2024) The Legislations and Regulations of Social Media- A study of 2 countries – United States, Canada. Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois, USA.
15. Villalobos-Lopez JA (2022) Digital media and social networks in Mexico. J. Int'l Legal Commc'n 5: 7.
16. UK (2025) Collection: Online Safety Act. GOV.UK, UK.
17. Clarke H (2025) Social media ban not practical or effective, teens say. BBC.
18. Vuorre M, Przybylski AK (2023) Global well-being and mental health in the internet age. Clinical psychological science 12: 917-935.
19. Brasted C, Arshad T (2024) What’s next for the UK’s Online Safety Act and can it solve the misinformation problem? Hogan Lovells News, UK.
20. Clarkson S, Kirwin E, Gerken T (2024) Social media faces big changes under new Ofcom rules. BBC.
21. Rahman-Jones I, Vallance C (2023) Online Safety Bill: divisive internet rules become law. BBC.
22. Johnson J, Manikavasagam B (2019) Social Media and Undergraduate Students: Issues and Tackling Strategies. Think India Journal 22: 1911-1917.
23. Festl R (2021) Social media literacy & adolescent social online behavior in Germany. Journal of Children and Media 15: 249-271.
24. Taibi D, Börsting J, Hoppe U, Ognibene D, Hernández-Leo D, et al. (2023) The role of educational interventions in facing social media threats: overarching principles of the courage project. Higher Education Learning Methodologies and Technologies Online: 315-329.
25. Aprin F, Malzahn N, Lomonaco F, Donabauer G, Ognibene D, et al. (2023) The “Courage Companion” – An AI-Supported Environment for Training Teenagers in Handling Social Media Critically and Responsibly. Higher Education Learning Methodologies and Technologies Online: 395-406.
26. Jiang J (2018) How teens and parents navigate screen time and device distractions. Pew Research Center.
27. Hinde S, McKenna C, Whyte S, Peake MD, Callister ME, et al. (2015) Modelling the cost-effectiveness of public awareness campaigns for the early detection of non-small-cell lung cancer. Br J Cancer 113: 135-141.
28. Seymour J (2018) The impact of public health awareness campaigns on the awareness and quality of palliative care. J Palliat Med 21: 30-36.
29. Lee C, Choi Y, Kim K, Lim Y, Im H, et al. (2023) Health-promoting behavior among undergraduate students in the COVID-19 era: Its association with problematic use of social media, social isolation, and online health information-seeking behavior. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing 45: 1-6.