According to a survey conducted by the University of Michigan, the prevalence of depression and feelings of hopelessness among teenagers has significantly increased since the emergence of social media.
The university has been conducting this annual survey since 1991, involving 50,000 students in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades across the country.
Participants were asked to indicate their agreement with statements such as “I can’t do anything right,” “I do not find pleasure in life,” and “My life lacks purpose.”
While the survey results remained relatively stable until approximately 2012, they experienced a sudden surge the following year. Before that, fewer than 20% of students reported agreeing with the statement “I do not enjoy my life,” whereas now, half of the students express this sentiment.
Teens and Depression
Today, teenagers find themselves devoting as much as nine hours per day to screen-related activities, with approximately half of them admitting to being online “almost constantly.”
Consequently, the significance of traditional coming-of-age experiences such as dating, obtaining a driver’s license, and engaging in paid work has sharply declined since the introduction of smartphones.
Experts stated that there has been a significant shift in how teenagers spend their free time, which has important implications. The combination of increased screen time, reduced face-to-face interactions with friends, and insufficient sleep creates an unfavorable situation for mental well-being.
This change is a crucial factor in the equation, leading to poor mental health outcomes.
Depression extends beyond mere emotional experiences, experts say. It encompasses cognitive aspects and one’s perception of the world.
Mental health professionals emphasized that a more depressed generation is more inclined towards pessimism, interpreting ambiguous situations in a negative light. This mindset can have severe consequences.
Recent statistics reveal that nearly one-third of teenage girls have seriously contemplated suicide, and there has been a staggering 163% increase in hospitalizations due to self-harm among youth in the past decade.
Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among young Americans.
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