Health. Are social media making young people depressed?
As rates of depression and suicide among young people rise, one question has remained unanswered for years: Does social media make tweens and teens depressed? Or do depressed children simply spend more time on social media? Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the United States have provided an answer.
For their study, published in JAMA Network Open and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the scientists followed nearly 12,000 children from ages 9-10 through ages 12-13. The results are striking:
- time spent on social media has jumped from 7 to 73 minutes daily in three years;
- depressive symptoms increased by 35% during the same period;
- when social media use increased, depressive symptoms followed;
- In contrast, an increase in depressive symptoms did not predict increased use of social networks.
"The current debate is whether social media contributes to depression or simply reflects underlying depressive symptoms," said Dr. Jason Nagata of the UCSF Department of Pediatrics. "These findings demonstrate that social media may be responsible for the development of depression."
Cyberbullying, sleep disorders…Although it is unclear exactly why social media increases depressive symptoms, previous research highlights risks such as cyberbullying and sleep disturbances…
Moreover, a complementary study by the same researchers, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, reveals that children who are victims of cyberbullying at 11-12 years old present a risk:
- 2.6 times higher suicidal thoughts the following year;
- 4.7 times higher to experiment with cannabis;
- 3.4 times higher to try tobacco;
- 1.9 times higher to consume alcohol.
Faced with this dilemma—social media has also become an essential space for socializing despite its risks—Nagata offers some advice. “As a father of two young children, I know that simply telling kids to put down their phones doesn’t really work,” he explains. “Parents can lead by example by discussing screen use openly and without judgment. Scheduling screen-free time for the whole family, such as during mealtimes or before bed, can help establish healthier digital habits for everyone, including adults.”
Le Progres
