Researchers investigating how various kinds of screen time affect mental health found that social media can significantly increase the risk of depression. A group of almost 4,000 teens were examined for many years for the study, which was conducted by a team from the University of Montreal.
For the study, the adolescents self-reported on a wide range of information that included screen time usage and depression levels. The team divided screen time into four categories: television, social media, video games, and other computer activities. The purpose of this was to understand each activity impact on well-being. Excessive time on social media and watching TV were more likely to increase the risk of depression in teens, according to the results.
"With our study, we really showed that increased social media and television use within a given year predicted more severe symptoms of depression within that same year,” Elroy Boers, study author and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Montreal’s Department of Psychiatry, told a news portal.
Researchers believe there is a crucial element that may be the reason these two types of screen time have such an impact. “We attribute these findings to the fact that social media and television, unlike video gaming and functional computer use, contain idealised depictions of fellow peers that have ‘better lives’, such as depictions of exciting life events and perfect bodies,” Boers told a news portal.
Researchers urge parents to keep a watchful eye on their children when it comes to their use of social media. "Parents should moderate and/or monitor their child’s social media and television use. Especially when a child is vulnerable to mental health issues and/or has already experienced mental health issues in the past,” Boers told a news portal. Adding, "Prevent your child from exposing him/herself to idealised content of fellow peers, content that lowers their self-esteem and, in turn, increases the severity of depressive symptoms."
The study's findings were originally published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.
