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An Australian decade-long study finds teens using social media two or more hours daily face higher risks of depression and poorer wellbeing, especially in early adolescence.
The study found higher social media use at ages 12-18 was linked to “small but noticeable increases in mental health problems one year later,” highlighting the need to curb excessive screen time, said a statement released Friday by Australia’s Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), which led the study.
Published in the Medical Journal of Australia, the study tracked nearly 1,200 Melbourne participants aged nine to 19, collecting annual data before Australia’s 2025 restrictions on social media access for under-16s, including measures of use, depression, anxiety, wellbeing and self-harm.
Researchers said high levels of mental health problems, cyberbullying and exposure to harmful online content linked to social media use have sparked widespread alarm.
The impact was most pronounced among girls aged 12 to 13, although increases were observed across both genders, they said, adding that while the individual risk increases were modest, they could have significant effects at the population level.
The findings highlight early adolescence as a critical window for intervention, said lead author Nandi Vijayakumar, senior research fellow at the MCRI and Deakin University.
Co-author, MCRI Professor Susan Sawyer said the findings reinforce the need for age-appropriate limits, better digital literacy programs, and clearer parental guidance to reduce mental health risks.
Previous MCRI research found nearly three-quarters of Australian adolescents experience clinically significant depression or anxiety, underscoring the need for broader prevention beyond clinical care. Xinhua
प्रकाशित: ३० जेष्ठ २०८३, शनिबार
