According to a new study, social media, as well as low physical activity, negatively affect children’s mental health.
A new study conducted in the UK shows that the adolescent mental health is deteriorating because of too many social media and little physical activity.
The study, Youth Mental and Emotional Health, addresses a range of problems affecting teens, including the coronavirus pandemic. However, according to the full research paper, there is a sharp decline in “median well-being scores” as teens become active on social media.
“We find a significant relationship between intense use of social media at age 14 and worse self-esteem and greater psychological distress at age 17. However, we do not find a similar relationship between the intense use of social media and well-being ”.
In addition to issues such as the pandemic, lack of exercise and constant discussions with parents, the report examines how social media affects both boys and girls. For example, one in three girls are said to be dissatisfied with their appearance at the age of 14, compared to one in seven at the end of primary school, around 11.
The Prince’s Trust recommends a series of measures to the UK government to educate young people on these issues.
Though unrelated to this report, Tim Cook’s concerns about similar issues led Apple to take some steps to help kids, including the Screen Time feature and the Fitness + service .
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