A major international study suggests there has been a sharp rise in what it calls "problematic" social media use among young people since the pandemic.
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00:00A major international study suggests there has been a sharp rise in what it calls
00:05problematic social media use among young people since the pandemic.
00:09Researchers came to the conclusion after surveying almost 280,000 children aged 11,
00:1513 and 15 across 44 countries. The Health Behavior in School Aged Children study found,
00:22on average, 11% of respondents engaged with social media in a problematic way in 2022
00:28compared to 7% in 2018. England, Scotland and Wales all recorded figures above that average.
00:36The report's authors say the findings raise urgent concerns about the impact of digital
00:41technology on the mental health and well-being of Europe's youth.
00:45Sharp Rise in Problematic Teenage Social Media Use, Study Says
00:5021 hours ago, Tom Singleton, technology reporter, share, save, Getty Images,
00:57a major international study suggests there has been a sharp rise in what it calls
01:02problematic social media use among young people since the pandemic.
01:07Researchers came to the conclusion after surveying almost 280,000 children aged 11,
01:1313 and 15 across 44 countries. The Health Behavior in School Aged Children
01:19study found, on average, 11% of respondents engaged with social media in a problematic
01:26way in 2022 compared to 7% in 2018. England, Scotland and Wales all recorded figures above
01:34that average. The report's authors say the findings raise urgent concerns about the
01:39impact of digital technology on the mental health and well-being of Europe's youth.
01:44They say more action is needed to promote healthy online behaviors.
01:49Problematic use is most common amongst 13-year-olds, it sort of peaks in that early
01:54adolescence phase and girls are more likely to report problematic social media use than boys,
01:59said the study's international coordinator Dr Jo Inchla, from the University of Glasgow.
02:06She said the research also revealed how much time young people spend online.
02:10Across the study as a whole, we found just over a third of adolescents report continuous online
02:16contact with friends and others, she said. That means almost all the time throughout the
02:21day they are connected online to friends and other people.