Teenagers who spend too much time on social media are at higher risk of mental illness, researchers from Ottawa, Canada suggest. Their results, published in the Ottawa Public Health study, show that young people who spend more than 2 hours a day on sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are more likely to be in poor health. Mental Health, to experience more suicidal thoughts and to have more need for psychological support.
The researchers looked at the responses of 753 Canadian students to a 2013 survey on health and drugs, the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey. This is the first study conducted on the impact of social networks on middle and high school students.
However, the investigation does not show a causal link between the social networksand mental health: psychological disorders could be due to the abuse of social networks, or the reverse. The researchers explain to the Metro News site that it is necessary to learn more about this relationship between the two phenomena to know how one exerts an influence on the other. They add that young people who feel alone could turn to social networks as a defense mechanism.
“Public health organizations and service providers need to be more present on social media and offer more support for adolescents who need it,” concludes the study’s lead author, Dr. Hugues. Sampasa-Kanyinga.
Read also: Teenage depression: how to spot it?
Adolescence: obesity and depression are often linked
