There have been increasing calls in recent months for more to be done to prepare children for the emotional demands of social media. Just a few weeks ago, the Government’s Science and Technology Committee announced an inquiry into the impact of social media on the health of young people. But do girls and boys use social media as much as each other and is all this time spent Facebooking, Whatsapping and Snapchatting having a detrimental effect on their happiness and well-being? Cara Booker from the University of Essex, in collaboration with collleagues from UCL, has been looking at trends in social media interaction and well-being in nearly 10,000 10-15 year-olds in the UK over a 5 year period. Their findings indicate that girls may be at greater risk and therefore a focus for those looking to intervene to protect and promote children’s happiness. The Government’s inquiry into the impact of social media on the health of young people comes hard on the heels of a report from the Children’s Commissioner for England, which says that children between the ages of 8 and 12 find it hard to manage the impact of online life and become anxious about their identity as they crave ‘likes’ and comments for validation. An explosion in digital and social media platforms has revolutionised the way we all consume media with a recent report showing that young people aged 12-15 spending more time online than they do watching TV. Indeed, it seems a long time ago that parents’ prime concern around media was how much or what kind of TV their child was watching. All these major developments have taken place at a time when we also know that young people are becoming less and less happy. In the most recent United Nations Children’s Fund report, UK adolescents are ranked in the bottom third on overall well-being, below Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Portugal. Of course, it’s important to remember that the internet has done a great deal of good for children: connecting them with friends and family who may be far away, providing great opportunities to widen horizons and learn new things. These things have been shown in other studies to be linked with increased levels of happiness and well-being in children On the negative side, social media use has been linked with obesity, cyberbullying, low self-esteem and lack of physical activity, all things that can affect the lives of children as they move through school and into adulthood and work. Social media experiences Young people who took part in the Understanding Society survey, were asked if they belonged to a social web-site and then how many hours they spent ‘chatting’ or ‘interacting with friends’ on a normal school day. They could select a range of responses from none to more than 7 hours. At age 10, 50 per cent of girls and 55 per cent of boys said they had no internet access or spent no time on social media. At 15 years, this dropped to 8 and 10 per cent respectively. Ten per cent of ten year old girls reported spending one to three hours a day (compared with 7 per cent of boys) and this increased to 43 per cent of girls at age 15 (and 31 per cent of boys). At age 10 only a very small percent of girls/boys were spending 4 hours plus a day on social media. But by the age of 15, that rose to 16 per cent of girls and 10 percent of boys. Levels of happiness � � Young people who took part in the survey were asked about satisfaction with schoolwork, friends, family, appearance, school and life as a whole and this was used to create an overall happiness score for them. They were also asked about any social and emotional difficulties they might be facing using the well-established Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) with a higher score indicating more problems. For both boys and girls, levels of happiness decreased between the ages of 10 and 15, however the decrease was greater for girls than for boys. Additionally, whilst SDQ scores increased for girls between the ages of 10 and 15, they decreased for boys. 10 year-old girls who spent an hour or more on a school day chatting online had higher SDQ scores (more social and emotional problems) than girls of the same age who spent less or no time on social media. In addition, the score (number of problems) increased as they got older. Why the gender difference? So why the gender difference? This is hard to unpick and not something we were able to look at specifically in our research. It may say something about the different ways that girls and boys interact with social media. For example, girls may be more likely than boys to compare their lives with those of friends and peers – whether those are ‘filtered’ selfies or positive posts about friendships, relationships or material possessions – these could lead to feelings of inadequacy, lower levels of satisfaction and poorer wellbeing. The pressures associated with having peers like or ‘approve’ status updates and a perceived fall in or lack of popularity could add further pressure at, what for many teenagers is a tricky time in their lives. Boys are more likely to be gaming than interacting online in the way just described and that wasn’t covered in this research, so it’s possible that changes in well-being may be more related to gaming success or skill. What needs to change? It’s clear that social media is no short-lived phenomenon and our research indicates that girls, possibly because of the way in which they interact online and the amount of time they spend doing so could be at greater risk. In her report, A Life of Likes, the Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield has called for more to be done to check and stop underage use and to prevent children becoming over dependent on likes and comments and “adapting their offline lives to fit an online image”, something she believes can lead to an anxiety about ‘keeping up appearances ‘ as they get older. Our research really adds weight to recent calls for the technology industry to look at in-built time limits. Young people need access to the internet for homework, for watching TV and to keep in touch with their friends of course, but a body of evidence is emerging to show that substantial amounts of time spent chatting, sharing, liking and comparing on social media on school days is far from beneficial especially for girls. Gender differences in the association between age trends of social media interaction and wellbeing among 10-15 year olds in the UK, is research by Cara Booker (University of Essex), Yvonne Kelly (University College London) and Amanda Sacker (University College London) and is published in BMC Public Health.
Teenage girls are twice as likely as boys to show depressive symptoms linked to social media use - mainly due to online harassment and disturbed sleep, as well as poor body image and lower self-esteem, researchers said on Friday.
Social media use by teenagers is associated with an increased prevalence of depression, low self-worth, and poor sleep, particularly in girls, say UK scientists.
This is Pulse by Klara. Follow us to keep a tab on what's happening in healthcare. Visit: www.klara.com Klara is the secure healthcare communication platform...
Researchers at University College London (UCL) found girls tend to spend more time on social media – and also experience worse psychological effects from doing so.
Though social media can be a helpful tool for teenagers to learn and connect with friends, experts have long warned that too much Snapchatting or Instagramming can come with downsides.
Though social media could be a helpful software for youngsters to study and connect with associates, specialists have long warned that an excessive amount of Snapchatting or Instagramming can come with downsides.
Though social media can be a helpful tool for teenagers to learn and connect with friends, experts have long warned that too much Snapchatting or Instagramming can come with downsides.
Though social media can be a helpful tool for teenagers to learn and connect with friends, experts have long warned that too much Snapchatting or Instagramming can come with downsides.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram -- the list of popular social media outlets is long and always expanding. But could staying connected through them lead to depression?
According to a new study published in the journal EClinicalMedicine, the link between social media use and depressive symptoms in 14-year-olds may be much stronger for girls than boys. CNN reports: Among teens who use social media the most -- more than five hours a day -- the study showed a 50%...
Girls are twice as likely to show signs of depressive symptoms linked to social media use compared to boys at age 14, according to new research by ICLS Director Yvonne Kelly and colleagues. The paper, published today in The Lancet's EClinicalMedicine, is the first of its kind to look at associations between social media and depressive symptoms and analysed data from nearly 11,000 young people from the Millennium Cohort Study. The participants completed information on their social media use, online harassment, sleep patterns, self-esteem and body image – all of which are potential pathways to having depressive symptoms; additionally, they completed a Moods and Feelings Questionnaire – a widely validated internationally used screening (not diagnostic) tool for depressive symptoms. The questionnaire has 13 questions and asks young people about whether, in the previous two weeks, they have felt miserable, cried a lot thought they could not be as good as others, found it hard to think properly or concentrate (for example). The researchers found that 14-year-old girls were heavier users of social media with two fifths of them using it for more than three hours per day compared with one fifth of boys. Only 4% of girls reported not using social media compared to 10% of boys. The findings also showed that 12% of light social media users and 38% of heavy social media users (five or more hours a day) showed signs of having more severe (clinically relevant) depression. “The link between social media use and depressive symptoms was stronger for girls compared with boys. For girls, greater daily hours of social media use corresponded to a stepwise increase in depressive symptoms,’’ Yvonne Kelly explained. “For boys, higher depressive symptom scores were seen among those reporting three or more hours of daily social media use.” When the researchers examined the underlying processes that might be linked with social media use and depression they found 40% of girls and 25% of boys had experience of online harassment or cyberbullying and 40% of girls compared to 28% of boys said their sleep was often disrupted. When it came to body image, self-esteem and appearance - while more girls were affected, the gap with boys was not as great. They found the most important routes from social media use to depressive symptoms were shown to be via poor sleep and online harassment. Social media use was proportionately related to less sleep, taking more time to fall asleep and more disruptions during sleep. In turn, depressive symptom scores were higher for girls and boys experiencing poor sleep. Time spent on social media was related to involvement with online harassment which had direct and indirect associations (via sleep, poor body image and self-esteem) with depressive symptom scores. The pathways from social media to depressive symptoms were the same for girls and boys Professor Kelly added: “These findings are highly relevant to current policy development on guidelines for the safe use of social media and calls on industry to more tightly regulate hours of social media use for young people. Clinical, educational and family settings are all potential points of contact where young people could be encouraged and supported to reflect not only on their social media use, but also other aspects of their lives including on-line experiences and their sleep patterns. “At home, families may want to reflect on when and where it’s ok to be on social media and agree limits for time spent online. Curfews for use and the overnight removal of mobile devices from bedrooms might also be something to consider.” Shirley Cramer, Chief Executive, Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) commented: “This important new research confirms that we need to increase awareness and understanding amongst parents, schools and policy makers about the role of social media in our young people’s mental health, particularly taking into account the increased risks for girls.” The study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
A new mobile phone will be in the pockets of many teenagers as they head back to school in the coming days.The period between Xmas and New Year will have been spent signing up for social media app…...
Girls are more than twice as likely than boys to show signs of depression linked to social media usage.The study Experts are urging parents to limit their children's phone use...
Heavy social media use linked to depression in young teens, new study shows NEWS 4 January 2019 Adolescents using social media for three hours or more a day are more likely to show signs of depression at age 14, compared to their peers who use it less often. Researchers from University College London (UCL) analysed information on nearly 11,000 young people born in the UK at the turn of the century who are taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study. At age 14, the teens were asked questions about their mental health, and were also asked to report on their social media use, experience of cyberbullying, sleep patterns, self-esteem and body image. The findings revealed that the link between excessive social media use and depression could be partly explained by the fact that teens who used it heavily were more likely to have disrupted sleep and tended to experience cyberbullying. Heavy social media use and cyberbullying also appeared to lower their self-esteem and satisfaction with their body image. Girls who were heavy users of social media tended to have greater depressive symptoms than boys. Girls who logged in for three to five hours a day experienced a 26 per cent increase in depressive symptoms while boys had a 21 per cent rise, compared to those who used social media for one to three hours a day. However, when the researchers took into account reports of cyberbullying, sleep patterns, self-esteem and body image these increased symptoms partly diminished. Once cyberbullying was considered, girls who were heavy social media users saw their depressive symptoms fall by 9 per cent, while boys’ symptoms fell by 5 per cent. After sleeping patterns were taken into account, girls’ symptoms dropped by 8 per cent and boys’ were reduced by 7 per cent. Once self-esteem was accounted for girls’ increased symptoms dropped by 6 per cent and boys’ by 3 per cent. And, when body image was considered, girls’ symptoms decreased by 9 per cent and boys’ by 4 per cent. The researchers found that 14-year-old girls were heavier users of social media, with more than two fifths (43%) of them using it for more than three hours per day compared with one fifth (21%) of boys. Two fifths (40%) of girls and a quarter (25%) of boys had reported cyberbullying and two fifths (40%) of girls compared to almost a third (28%) of boys said their sleep was often disrupted. Professor Yvonne Kelly, the lead author, explained: “These findings are highly relevant to current policy development on guidelines for the safe use of social media and calls on industry to more tightly regulate hours of social media use for young people. Clinical, educational and family settings are all potential points of contact where young people could be encouraged and supported to reflect not only on their social media use, but also other aspects of their lives including on-line experiences and their sleep patterns. “At home, families may want to reflect on when and where it’s ok to be on social media and agree limits for time spent online. Curfews for use and the overnight removal of mobile devices from bedrooms might also be something to consider.” Shirley Cramer, Chief Executive, Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) commented: “This important new research confirms that we need to increase awareness and understanding amongst parents, schools and policy makers about the role of social media in our young people’s mental health, particularly taking into account the increased risks for girls.” Further information The research was featured in national newspapers, including The Guardian and Daily Mail ‘Social media use and adolescent mental health: findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study’ by Kelly, Y, Zilanawala A, Booker C, Sacker A, is published in the EClinicalMedicine journal. Back to news listing
Category: Family Medicine | WebScout Back to Health News Health Highlights: Jan. 4, 2019 Last Updated: January 04, 2019. Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: Swedish Hospital Patient Might Have Ebola An unidentified hospital patient who recently returned to Sweden after three weeks in the East African country of Burundi is being checked for possible Ebola illness, local health authorities said. The patient was cared for at a hospital in Enkoping, about 50 miles from Stockholm, before being transferred to a hospital in Uppsala early on Friday, CNN reported. The patient is now in isolation, the wire service reported. Mikael Kohler, chief medical officer for the Uppsala region, said the patient visited "mostly urban areas in Burundi, where there isn't thought to be any active Ebola as far as we know." However, upon arrival at the hospital in Enkoping the patient displayed symptoms of Ebola infection, including vomiting blood, Kohler said. Test results are expected by 12 p.m. ET, he added. The emergency room where the patient was cared for has been closed, and any staff who had contact with the patient are being monitored, officials said. Ebola is caused by a virus and can cause fever, hemorrhaging and severe headaches. It is fatal in about half of cases. There's an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which borders Burundi, with case numbers topping 600 by Wednesday, CNN reported. The largest Ebola outbreak occurred in 2014 in West Africa and claimed more than 11,000 lives. In related news, Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha is currently monitoring an American who was potentially exposed to Ebola whole providing medical assistance in the Congo, CNN said. In a Dec. 29 statement, Dr. Ted Cieslak, an infectious disease specialist at the medical center, said "the person may have been exposed to the virus but is not ill and is not contagious." ----- Social Media Tied to Depression in Teens, Especially Girls Using social media for five hours or more per day is tied to a big jump in risk for depression among 14-year-olds, and especially for girls, a new British study shows. As compared to girls who spent just one to three hours daily on social media, girls who spent five or more hours on Snapchat, Instagram and the like had 50 percent higher odds for depressive symptoms, says a team from University College London. The number was somewhat less for boys -- a 35 percent hike in risk for boys who used social media five-plus hours per day. "We were quite surprised when we saw the figures and we saw those raw percentages: the fact that the magnitude of association was so much larger for girls than for boys," study author Yvonne Kelly, a professor of epidemiology and public health at the university, told CNN. The researchers stressed that the study couldn't prove that excessive social media use caused depressive symptoms, only that there was an association. Depressive symptoms included feelings of loneliness, unhappiness or restlessness. The researchers looked at data from a national study that included nearly 11,000 British 14-year-olds born between 2000 and 2002. The data showed that girls were typically on social media more than boys: about 43 percent of girls used social media three or more hours per day, compared to about 22 percent of boys. "For both girls and boys, the more social media they use, the more likely they are to have mental health problems, but not that many studies have been able to look for the explanations why," Kelly told CNN. "We looked at four potential explanations simultaneously, and this is the first paper to do that. We looked at sleeping habits; experiences online, so cyberbullying; how they thought about their bodies, or their body image, and whether they were happy with how they looked; and their self-esteem," she explained. "All of those four things -- the sleep, the cyberharassment, the body image or happiness with appearance, and the self-esteem -- they are all linked with the risk of having depression," Kelly said. She noted that girls tend to gravitate towards Instagram and Snapchat. Those platforms are "more based around physical appearance, taking photographs and commenting on those photographs," she said, so the stronger link between social media and depression in girls may have "to do with the nature of use." The findings were published Jan. 3 in EClinicalMedicine. Previous: Catching Up on News About Catch-Up Sleep Next: 1 in 10 Adults Have Food Allergies, But Twice as Many Think They Do Reader comments on this article are listed below. Review our comments policy. Submit your opinion: You must be logged in to post a comment. Please log-in. Not a member? Please register. Have you forgotten your password?
Though social media can be a helpful tool for teenagers to learn and connect with friends, experts have long warned that too much Snapchatting or Instagramming can come with downsides.
Though social media can be a helpful tool for teenagers to learn and connect with friends, experts have long warned that too much Snapchatting or Instagramming can come with downsides.
To get content containing either thought or leadership enter:
To get content containing both thought and leadership enter:
To get content containing the expression thought leadership enter:
You can enter several keywords and you can refine them whenever you want. Our suggestion engine uses more signals but entering a few keywords here will rapidly give you great content to curate.
Your new post is loading...
