Application of social media applications by many teenagers in mental health conflicts

Amid increasing concerns about the impact of social media on small minds, 1 in 5 teenagers say it has negatively affected their mental health, according to what is new. Report from the Pew Research Center.

The research found that many adolescents believe that social media can be harmful to people of their age. The results come as legislators and The American surgeon warns Social platforms are a serious threat to young users Mental health issues Continue to rise among adolescents. The study was conducted over several weeks in the fall of 2024 between about 1,400 young men between the ages of 13 and 17.

Nearly half of the teenagers (48 %) who were included in the survey said that social media has a negative impact often on their age, with a significant increase of 32 % in 2022. But a number of less teenagers (14 %) said that it had a negative impact on their mental health.

Teenage girls were more likely than boys to report that social media had affected their mental health (25 % compared to 14 %), and they were also more likely to say that it negatively affected their confidence (20 % compared to 10 %) and sleep (50 % compared to 40 %).

The report also highlighted the increasing time that teenagers spend on these platforms and how they realize this change. About 45 % of adolescent respondents said they spend a lot of time on social media, compared to 36 % in 2022.

Parents are concerned

However, at the same time, many teenagers say platforms offer important benefits. A majority (74 %) said social media helps them feel more related to their friends.

Parents, at the same time, are more anxious. About 55 % report is very concerned or very anxious about the mental health of young people today.

The report also notes an increasing direction for teenagers who turn to social media for mental health information. More than a third (34 %) says they use platforms to learn more about mental health, after an increase in the effects of the processor and other personal stories and advice online advice.

Friends’ publications can affect adolescents

Alexandra Hamlet, a clinical psychologist in New York City, said she was not surprised by the total rise in adolescents who admit the negative impact on social media on mental health. But she did not expect such an important gap in the number of adolescents who mention that their personal well -being was affected by similar rates.

It attributes this, in part, to the lack of understanding of the many ways that social media can indirectly affect the other factors that have been examined in the survey, such as bullying, societal issues, school life and social pressures.

“I would like to claim that many individuals, and adolescents more than that, may not be aware of the effect of specific content or interactions on these other factors, and that there is no real way to completely separate them from the social media variable,” Hamlet said. “For example, although many adolescents are likely to say they feel a lot of pressure to achieve success in life, they may not realize that looking at the posts of friends who spend a fun time can make them feel less social success, even if their social life is reported.”