Social media use has increased significantly among adolescents, correlating with a rise in depressive symptoms. Research indicates that early adolescents who increased social media engagement showed worsening mood and increased depressive symptoms over time. Factors such as age, income, and adversity did not mitigate social media's negative effects on mental health. Importantly, it was established that teens with pre-existing depression did not disproportionately increase their social media use compared to their peers, indicating that social media may be a contributing factor to depression rather than a coping mechanism. Encouraging mindful social media use and non-screen activities may help protect teen mental health.
Over the past two decades, social media has become an integral part of the adolescent experience, but this rising use is not without its consequences.
From 2011 to 2021, there was a 50 percent increase in persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness among teens in the United States.
Nagata's team followed nearly 12,000 children between the ages of 9 and 10 over three years to understand how social media use impacts mental health over time.
Early adolescents who increased their social media use over those three years showed increased depressive symptoms, leading to a decline in their mood.
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