Yes, social media use is linked to depression in teens
Yes, social media use is linked to depression in teens
Washington Post,
...
Esther from North Carolina attributes the rise in depression and anxiety to isolation from covid-19. "When will we finally acknowledge the damage that was done to kids from closing schools?"
Of course, they certainly are correct that covid was extremely disruptive to many young people. And some individuals could be experiencing anxiety or depression as a reaction to other things happening in the news. But on a population level, the clearest correlation is between smartphone and social media use and mental distress, self-injuring behavior and suicidality.
To sort out possible contributing factors, I spoke with Jean M. Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University. Twenge's extensive research led her to write a book, "iGen," about the generation of children born after 1995 whose entire adolescence occurred in the time of the smartphone.
Washington Post,
...
Esther from North Carolina attributes the rise in depression and anxiety to isolation from covid-19. "When will we finally acknowledge the damage that was done to kids from closing schools?"
Of course, they certainly are correct that covid was extremely disruptive to many young people. And some individuals could be experiencing anxiety or depression as a reaction to other things happening in the news. But on a population level, the clearest correlation is between smartphone and social media use and mental distress, self-injuring behavior and suicidality.
To sort out possible contributing factors, I spoke with Jean M. Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University. Twenge's extensive research led her to write a book, "iGen," about the generation of children born after 1995 whose entire adolescence occurred in the time of the smartphone.
She is convinced that smartphone use — and social media in particular — is the primary contributor to the disturbing trend of worsening teen depression.
As she explained, multiple studies have shown that "the increases in mental health issues among teens began in the early 2010s." This coincided with the period when most adult Americans gained access to smartphones and when teen smartphone use became the norm.
"These trends were going on for eight years before covid," Twenge said. "You can make a pretty strong argument that injustice based on race was much higher in the 1960s when depression rates were a lot lower." In addition, "concerns about environmental issues in this age group peaked in the '90s, not recently," and media attention around school shootings also predated this period.
Several readers asked whether certain types of digital technology were worse than others. As Annie, a parent of two in Massachusetts, wrote, "Surely letting my kids watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse isn't as bad as scrolling through TikTok videos."
Twenge agreed. She said her research shows that "screen time spent on social media and general internet use had the strongest link to depression," whereas "time spent on gaming and watching TV had a weaker link."
As she explained, multiple studies have shown that "the increases in mental health issues among teens began in the early 2010s." This coincided with the period when most adult Americans gained access to smartphones and when teen smartphone use became the norm.
"These trends were going on for eight years before covid," Twenge said. "You can make a pretty strong argument that injustice based on race was much higher in the 1960s when depression rates were a lot lower." In addition, "concerns about environmental issues in this age group peaked in the '90s, not recently," and media attention around school shootings also predated this period.
Several readers asked whether certain types of digital technology were worse than others. As Annie, a parent of two in Massachusetts, wrote, "Surely letting my kids watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse isn't as bad as scrolling through TikTok videos."
Twenge agreed. She said her research shows that "screen time spent on social media and general internet use had the strongest link to depression," whereas "time spent on gaming and watching TV had a weaker link."
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