It turns out that more screen time could mean a sadder time. A large -scale study of the University of California, San Francisco, discovered that the more preteens use social networks, the more likely they are to show symptoms of depression. But interestingly, the opposite is not true: chillidos who already feel depressed do not necessarily resort to their screens more frequently. (Open Jama Network)
The study: What did the researchers discover? Directed by Dr. Jason Nagata, the study followed 11,876 children from 9 to 10 years approximately a period of three years as part of the adolescent cerebral development study. Between 2016 and 2018, the average use of daily social networks among these children increased from 7 minutes to 73 minutes. Duration at the same time, depressive symptoms increased by 35%.
When the researchers closely looked at the data year after year, they found a clear pattern: when children’s social networks are used in the Avage, their depressive symptoms also tended to increase. However, there was no evidence that children who already had depressive symptoms to use social networks more as results.
Why could social networks be unhappy to children? While the study did not identify the exact causes, the previous research provides some clues. Cybercase, sleep interruptions and feelings of exclusion or insufficiency of comparing themselves with others online, all known for negatively affecting mental health.
In fact, in a related study that uses the same group of children, people aged 11 to 12 who experienced cyberbullying had more than double probabilities of having suicidal thoughts or behaviors a year later. They also had a significant probability of experiencing with substances such as alcohol, tobacco or marijuana.
A call for the raising of digital children Social networks are a key tool for how children connect and communicate with their classmates, but this study highlights the emotional risks that it entails. Dr. Nagata points out that he simply tells children to “throw the phone” is not realistic. Instead, the recommendation establishes dinners without digital devices throughout the family or non -phones before bedtime to encourage healthier screen habits.
Carry: Social networks are inherently bad, but their useless use among young children can contribute to the increase in depression rates. As digital natives grow in an increasingly connected world, it is vital that parents, educators and policy formulators develop to promote emotional well -being along with digital literacy.