Social media time does not increase teenagers’ mental health problems - study
The Guardian • • world
Key Points:
- A large-scale study by the University of Manchester found no evidence that time spent gaming or on social media causes mental health problems such as anxiety or depression in teenagers aged 11 to 14.
- The research tracked 25,000 students over three years and revealed that increases in social media use or gaming frequency had no detrimental impact on their mental health in the following year.
- The study also found that different types of social media use, including chatting or passive scrolling, did not predict mental health difficulties.
- Researchers emphasized that while harmful online experiences like bullying or exposure to extreme content can affect wellbeing, focusing solely on screen time is not a useful approach to addressing youth mental health.
- Experts suggest that teenagers' online behavior may reflect their existing emotional state
