Teenagers who report addictive use of screens at greater risk of suicidal behaviour, study shows | Children’s health

Teenagers who show signs to be addicted to social media, mobile phones or video games are more dangerous for suicide behavior and emotional problems, according to the research.

A study, which tracked more than 4000 teenagers for four years, found that nearly one in three was reported to be increasingly addicted to social media or mobile phones. Those who are increasingly following the use of the addiction course may almost double the risk of suicide behavior at the end of the study.

The results do not prove that the use of the screen was the cause of mental health problems. But they highlight this compulsive use, which appears to be very common, as an important dangerous factor that should be parents and healthcare services on alert.

“For parents and teachers, the discussion on mobile phones and social media focused on reducing or banning use, but our results indicate that the most complex factors are involved,” said Dr. Jun Xiao, Assistant Professor of Population Health Sciences at Will Cornell Medicine and the first author of the study.

“The interventions that work with other types of addiction may be one of the ways to deal with this type of social media and use a mobile phone.”

The results come in the middle Ascending mental health problems among young people Since governments are struggling with how to apply guarantees about smartphones and social media. Against this background, Scientists faced a semi -deserved challenge To try to determine evidence of the development of the advanced screen and the screen in a large way, it can be linked to the mental health of young people.

I tracked the latest study of nearly 4,300 teenagers between the ages of nine to 10 years when they started studying. Instead of just measuring the screen time, scientists evaluated the participants on “Using addiction”, such as whether technology interferes with activities such as school work and exercise and whether people suffer from passion or feelings of distress when withdrawing the screens. Automated learning was used to assemble participants in groups based on screen use paths.

For mobile phones, about half of the children were about the high use of addiction from the beginning of the study that remained high during the early adolescence, and a quarter of the increasing use of addiction has developed with their age.

For social media, 41 % of children had a high or increasing use of addiction. For social media and mobile phones, high and increasingly use paths of addiction have been associated with a risk of two to three times for suicide behaviors and suicide thinking compared to the circular of low use of addiction.

More than 40 % of young people had the high -use of video game use. These adolescents were more likely to report suicide ideas or behaviors, as well as symptoms of anxiety, depression, aggression, or breaking rules.

In contrast, the total time spent on social media, mobile phones and video games is not associated with the mental health results associated with suicide in the future. What matters most is whether their use showed signs of coercion, distress, or loss of control.

“There are many factors that stimulate addictive feelings, such as social media designs or video games, some children may suffer from bullying and the most negative childhood that they find using more comfortable phones, but later they cannot stop using it.”

Results, Posted in Jama magazineAsking more questions about how parents are managed on the children’s screen. “We don’t know if just getting access will help, unless it takes away access around the clock throughout the week, because we know from addiction management studies that partial access can enhance addiction quickly,” said Xiao.

Professor Amy Urbin, who leads the digital mentality health A group at Cambridge University said that the study cannot prove that the use of technology causes mental health problems. An alternative interpretation is that poor self -control can be the root cause of the use of doubtful screen and mental health results.

She added: “However, the study highlights an important way that why and how young people use techniques, and how they feel that techniques affect their lives, may concern their mental health more than the time they spend on the Internet.”

“Since those who report such issues are not a small percentage of the population, their support should be taken seriously.”