Sounding the Alarm: Unchecked Social Media Use Among Teens Leads to a Mental Health Crisis
Teenage internet usage escalates to remarkable heights, causing significant concern among experts and parents alike
Hey there! Listen up, folks, because we've got a pressing issue to tackle: the escalating mental health crisis among our young'uns, spurred by the uncontrolled spread of social media.
According to a report by KidsRights, a child protection organization, the mental health crisis among teenagers is reaching critical levels, exacerbated by the unregulated proliferation of popular platforms like Instagram and TikTok. In collaboration with Erasmus University in Rotterdam, they found that one in seven teenagers aged 10 to 19 is affected by this problem. Marc Dullaert, KidsRights' chairman, warned that we can no longer ignore this wake-up call.
Growing worries about the connection between excessive social media and internet use and increased suicide attempts among young people are surfacing. While the official count of suicides among 15 to 19-year-olds stands at six per 100,000, Dullaert referred to this figure as the "tip of the iceberg," as many suicides go unrecorded due to social stigmas.
Europe appears to be the region with the highest risk for 13-year-olds to engage in problematic online use. A staggering 39% of 15-year-olds in Europe suffer from internet addiction, a figure KidsRights deems as "unprecedented."
Protecting young minds from the potential harms of technology doesn't mean imposing blanket internet bans for minors, according to KidsRights. Instead, they advocate for comprehensive global research into the effects of social media use on young people, better education, and improved training for psychologists.
Parents need stronger controls to ensure the digital revolution benefits the well-being of children, not jeopardizes it. Last week, EU digital ministers discussed the proposal to ban online networks like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for children under 16. Countries such as France, Greece, and Denmark believe these platforms should only be accessible from age 15, with strict user age control.
Despite the age restrictions mentioned in the EU terms of use for platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and X (13 years old), and YouTube and Tumblr (16 years old), there's no actual enforcement. It's up to users to provide their birth dates upon registration.
Coupled with increased social media use, the coronavirus pandemic has further intensified the dependency of teenagers on screens, driving the need for dialogue on responsible internet use and mental well-being support.
Insights:
- Study from the UK: Excessive social media and internet use are linked to a rise in suicide attempts among youth.
- Overall: The trends indicate a complex relationship between teenagers and social media, with both benefits in connectivity and drawbacks in addiction and mental health impacts. Addressing these issues requires a nuanced approach to promote responsible internet use and support mental well-being.
Footnotes:
- [1] https://www.psypost.org/2020/12/college-students-who-are-more-addicted-to-social-media-show-significantly-higher-levels-of-anxiety-48129
- [2] https://www.socialcreatures.co/blog/2019/10/7-stats-about-social-media-and-youth-mental-health
- [3] https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jun/17/more-than-two-thirds-of-children-say-they-spend-too-much-time-on-screens-poll
- [4] https://www.mindwiresmedia.com/the-surprising-mental-and-physical-impacts-of-social-media-on-teens-infographic/
- [5] https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210715-half-of-young-people-would-prefer-a-world-without-the-internet
Keywords:
- Children
- Teenagers
- Internet Use
- Smartphones
- Social Media
- Addiction
- To combat the escalating mental health crisis among youth, it's crucial to implement a comprehensive global youth policy that focuses on research, education, and training on the impacts of technology, particularly social media, on young people's mental health.
- The science of mental health and wellness should be integrated into our community policy to address the unhealthy relationship between excessive social media use, technology addiction, and the mental health of our youth.
- In the face of the mental health crisis among teenagers exacerbated by social media, Europe is leading the call for new policies promoting health-and-wellness, technology regulation, and mental health support to protect young minds from the potential harms of modern entertainment platforms.
