Results of a new study suggest social media negatively affects the mental health of teenagers.
Researchers from the Education Policy Institute and The Prince's Trust said social media appears to cause a negative impact on teenage mental health. The researchers said that self-esteem and wellbeing are all similar in all primary school-age children. Upon reaching the age of 14, some factors may affect their wellbeing, though girls' mental health may drop even more after this age, the study found.
Social media 'adversely affecting' teenage mental health, study says pic.twitter.com/hiHNuqQufW — HamacaSoft (@hamacasoft) January 28, 2021
While the UK study considers lack of exercise as a contributing factor in the deteriorating mental health of a teenager, researchers lay most of the blame on too much social media. The researchers said that although it is true the coronavirus pandemic prevented teenagers from going out and exercising, the same thing is already happening even before COVID-19 happened. They note most teenagers would rather spend time on social media than get some exercise outdoors, causing a negative impact on teenage mental health.
Research Highlights
According to the results of the study, one in three 14-year-old girls is unhappy with their personal appearance as compared to one in seven 10-year-old girls. Researchers also found that the number of young teenagers with likely mental ailments rose to one-in-six, which is up from one-in-nine in similar research in 2017. Though there are many contributory factors to the decline of their self-esteem and wellbeing, researchers say lack of physical interaction and exercise because of too much social media, is a very huge factor. This causes a negative impact on teenagers' mental health, the study revealed.
Although researchers also note that the self-esteem and wellbeing of teenage girls stabilize as they advance into their late teens, they also found too much use of social media created a lasting impact on their personalities. In the case of boys, their self-esteem and well-being continue to decline as they move into their late teens. Results of their study prompted researchers to conclude that social media is detrimental and negatively affects teenage mental health.
Turning To Social Media For Solace
Researchers also observed many teenagers, particularly those within the 14 to 16-age bracket, are turning to social media for solace. According to their study, many girls in this age range who experience feelings of hopelessness and depression are those who use social media the most. However, instead of helping them, it appears that social media worsens their condition by creating a negative impact on their teenage mental health. "Those who feel worse may turn to social media for solace or community," Dr. Amy Orben of the Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge said.
For Jonathan Townsend, the UK chief executive of The Prince's Trust, results of the study showing social media is detrimental and negatively affects teenage mental health highlights the need to address the problem at an early time. "The transition from childhood to adolescence can be turbulent, and the findings of this report underline why addressing and supporting young people's mental health will only become more crucial as the impact of the pandemic unfolds," Townsend said.
