“Problematic” social media usage on the rise, study finds
According to a major new study, there has been a surge in “problematic” social media usage among teenagers.
Around one in ten school-aged children now engage with social media apps in a way that is deemed problematic.
The issue has become more acute since the pandemic, with health authorities increasingly worried about digital technology’s role in young people’s lives.
The study was published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and featured findings from a survey involving 280,00 children aged between 11 and 15 in 44 countries.
While the problems with social media are multinational, the figures from England, Scotland, and Wales were above average.
Commenting on the report, co-author Dr Jo Inchley noted: “Problematic use is most common amongst 13-year-olds – it sort of peaks in that early adolescence phase, and girls are more likely to report problematic social media use than boys.”
The study will again raise concerns about the negative consequences of social media.
Problematic usage, in this instance, is defined as behaviour that exhibits a lack of self-control and a propensity to lie about usage and to have arguments about it with parents.
The report does stress that addiction-like symptoms are still uncommon overall.
However, it recommends “digital literacy education” for youngsters to combat social media’s negative consequences, which can affect mental health and academic performance.
The study also found that “problematic gaming” is on the rise.
England had the second-highest proportion of teens with this designation; around half of boys now play computer games daily.