Title: Social Media Use May Increase Teens Risk of Mental Health Issues | Healthiest Communities | US News
Headings: Social Media Use May Increase Teens Risk of Mental Health Issues
Social Media Use May Increase Teens Risk of Mental Health Issues
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Data was examined for some 6,600 adolescents ages 12 to 15 who reported spending time on social media during a typical day but who also reported mental health difficulties, according to the study. After weighing factors including mental health history, the research found that the youngsters who spent more than three hours a day on social media were more likely to report "internalizing" their problems, including depression, anxiety and loneliness, along with symptoms like aggression and antisocial behavior, compared with adolescents who didn't use social media, according to the study. "In fact, the (data) suggest that if adolescents using social media for more than 30 minutes per day had instead used it for 30 minutes or less, there would have been 9.4% fewer high internalizing problem cases and 7.3% fewer high externalizing problem cases," according to the study. It's a correlation, but researchers point out "this is not meant to imply that reductions in mental health problems would definitely happen if social media use were reduced or that all social media use is harmful." Though the data suggests a link between excessive use and mental health issues, Riehm says "a lot of positive things" can come from connections teens make over social media. Besides providing an online support system for marginalized young people, like those in the LGBTQ community, "who can be isolated in their day-to-day lives," she says, Snapchat and other platforms also can help keep adolescents informed about current events. [
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One potential solution is to help young people curb the amount of time they spend online, says Riehm. She points to an American Academy of Pediatrics online "toolkit" that can help parents and children manage social media use, including curfews and "screen-free" rooms where they can't use computers or cell phones. More importantly, Riehm adds, parents should teach their children to think critically about what they're seeing online, and that "idealized" photos of their friends don't necessarily represent an ideal life.