Kids in social media probe
The impact of social media on children’s mental health will be examined in a major study for the first time.
A database tracking the wellbeing of thousands of 10 to 15-year-olds is to be analysed to determine whether social media is causing raised levels of anxiety and depression.
With poor mental health in teenagers on the rise, the study will be used to give doctors insight into the influence sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are having.
The study will be funded by mental health charity MQ, who claim three children in every school class now have a diagnosable mental health condition.
Liz Twigg, a professor of human geography at the University of Portsmouth, will lead the study.
She said: “Poor mental health among children is on the rise and it’s unclear whether social media is implicated or is helping.
“It may be online friendships are a great help in protecting some children, or that social media communities help some children develop resilience to stress.
“It could be some uses of social media undermine children’s wellbeing or are more damaging for boys than girls – we don’t know yet.
“We need a more complex and detailed understanding of the contexts in which social media might provide a level of resilience for young people.”