Increased screen time associated with "increased risk of depression" among youth

New research has found that teens who spend more time in digital screens are more likely to experience symptoms of depression.

In a study published in the newspaper JAMA Pediatricsresearchers from the University of Montreal in Canada and the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, evaluated the correlation between screen time and the symptoms of depression in young people.

Scientists conducted their survey for four years, badyzing 3,826 young people with an average age of 12½ years.

Participants participated in an annual survey in which they asked about the time they spent in digital screens every week and the state of their mental health.

Adolescents were asked to rate on a scale of zero to four the extent to which they displayed seven symptoms of depression, including feeling sad, desperate and lonely.

According to the findings of the study, each additional hour spent on social networks by adolescents showed an increase in symptoms of depression.

This interrelation has also been reported with the use of computers and the use of televisions.

Elroy Boers, a postdoctoral researcher from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Montreal, explained that the perfect nature of social media can have a significant impact on the mental well-being of impressionable youth.

"Social media and television are forms of media that frequently expose teenagers to images of people operating in more prosperous situations, such as those with a" perfect "body and a more exciting or richer lifestyle, said the scientist.

Boers added that "the algorithmic features of viewing television and social media" can cause a person to constantly watch the same harmful content on his digital screens.

"The more the depressive state influences visualization choices, the more the proposed and proposed content is similar, and the more people who are likely to become exposed to this content on an ongoing basis, maintaining and improving depression." said the researcher.

Common signs of depression include numbness, irritability, tears, not finding pleasure in things you usually enjoy, having low self-esteem and feeling isolated, describes the spirit of charity for mental health.

According to the Foundation for Mental Health, a fifth of teens are likely to suffer from a mental health problem.

In addition, the organization adds that 50% of mental health problems develop before the age of 14 years.

This is not the first time that scientific studies have explored the correlation between increased screen time and the risk of mental health problems.

According to a study published in the journal Preventive medicine reports in November, spending too much time on smartphones and tablets could have detrimental effects on the mental well-being of children as young as two years old.

Research has shown that one hour of on-screen projection can cause children and adolescents to lose curiosity and lose their emotional stability.