Teens with mental health conditions use social media differently than their peers, study suggests

Teens with mental health conditions use social media differently than their peers, study suggests

One of the first studies in this area to use clinical-level diagnoses reveals a range of differences between young people with and without mental health conditions when it comes to social media -- from changes in mood to time spent on sites.

Young people with mental problems seem to be particularly attracted to social media. According to a new study, they spend more time on the platforms than healthy ones and use them differently depending on the illness. By S. Delonge and S. v. Love.

Adolescents with mental health conditions use social media differently than their peers, study suggests

Young people with a diagnosable mental health condition report differences in their experiences of social media compared to those without a condition, including greater dissatisfaction with online friend counts and more time spent on social media sites.

Teens with anxiety and depression spend more time on social media

Survey of thousands of young people shows that those with mental health conditions spend more time on social-networking sites but are less happy with their online experience than their peers. Survey of thousands of young people shows that those with mental health conditions spend more time on social-networking sites but are less happy with their online experience than their peers.

The study involved 3.340 adolescents. About 93% of young people aged 12 to 17 in the United Kingdom have at least one profile in social networks and "the mental health of adolescents is getting worse".

expert reaction to study of how adolescents with and without mental health conditions use social media

A study published in Nature Human Behaviour looks at social media use in adolescents with and without mental health conditions.    Prof Chris Ferguson, Professor of Psychology, Stetson University, said: “Overall, I find this to be a basic, but overall well-done study by a reputable research group. There are some limits to this study, which the authors themselves acknowledge. The data is self-report, and that has been shown to sometimes relate to…