Social media is linked to increased opportunities for adolescent girls to become depressed

LONDON (Reuters) – The symptoms of depression badociated with the use of social media are more common among teens than teenagers, mainly because of Internet harbadment and sleep disturbances, as well as negative perceptions of Body shape and loss of self esteem, researchers said Friday.

In a study badyzing data on about 11,000 British youth, researchers found that 14-year-olds were more likely to use social media: about 40% used them more than three hours a day, compared to 20% teenagers.

The study also found that 12% of those who did not use social media and 38% of those who used it more intensively (more than five hours a day) showed signs of more severe depression.

When researchers studied the underlying causes of the use of depression by social media, they found that 40% of girls and 25% of boys were harbaded or bullied on the Internet. The symptoms of sleep disorders appeared in 40% of girls compared to 28% of boys. Anxiety and lack of sleep are badociated with depression.

The researchers concluded that girls are more affected when it comes to using communication and anxiety related to fitness and self-esteem. But boys have been less affected by this.

Yvonne Kelly, a professor at the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care at the University of Cambridge in London and head of the research team, urged parents and policymakers to lend pay attention to the results of the study.

"These results are strongly related to the development of guidelines for the safe use of social media and the organization of youth employment hours," she said in a statement. a statement.