Rise in use of social media may be linked to increase in teen suicides: researchers

'We need to stop thinking of smartphones as harmless', says study author

An analysis of suicide rates among teens in the United States (US) and timing of the surge in social media usage suggests the two may be linked.

The data from the Federal Centres for Disease Control and Prevention showed suicide rates in teens to have increased between 2010 and 2015 – after declining for nearly two decades. The reason behind the rise is unknown.

While the research, published in Clinical Psychological Science journal, does not directly answer the question, it suggests that one of the factors could be the rising influence of social media as cyber-bullying, painting a ‘perfect’ life can take a toll on teens’ mental health.

"After hours of scrolling through Instagram feeds, I just feel worse about myself because I feel left out," said a 17-year-old Caitlin Hearty, who helped organise an offline campaign in October owing to several local teen suicides.



"No one posts the bad things they're going through," added 17-year-old Chloe Schilling, who was also part of the campaign.

The researchers looked at suicide reports by the CDC from 2009 to 2015 and the results of two high school surveys measuring attitudes, behaviours and interests. In the study, half a million teenagers between 13 and 18 years were questioned on the use of electronic devices, social and print media, television and time spent with friends. They were also asked about mood including frequency of feeling ‘hopeless’ and suicidal tendencies. However, circumstances surrounding individual suicides were not examined in the study.

On the other hand, the chief medical officer at the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention said that the research “provides weak evidence for a popular theory" and that "many factors influence teen suicide.”

But the study author, Jean Twenge was adamant that “we need to stop thinking of smartphones as harmless."

A psychology professor at San Diego State University who studies generational trends, Twenge said that “there's a tendency to say, 'Oh, teens are just communicating with their friends'. Monitoring kids' use of smartphones and social media is important, and so is setting reasonable limits.”

Meanwhile Dr Victor Strasburger observed that the study “only implies a connection between teen suicides, depression and social media.”

“It shows the need for more research on new technology,” said Strasburger, who is a teen medicine specialist at the University of New Mexico. "When dime-store books came out, when comic books came out, when television came out, when rock and roll first started, people were saying 'This is the end of the world.’”

“With its immediacy, anonymity, and potential for bullying, social media has a unique potential for causing real harm,” he explained. "Parents don't really get that.”



Data highlighted in the study include:

Teens' use of electronic devices including smartphones for at least five hours daily more than doubled, from 8 per cent in 2009 to 19 per cent in 2015. These teens were 70 percent more likely to have suicidal thoughts or actions than those who reported one hour of daily use.

In 2015, 36 per cent of all teens reported feeling desperately sad or hopeless, or thinking about, planning or attempting suicide, up from 32 per cent in 2009. For girls, the rates were higher — 45 per cent in 2015 versus 40 per cent in 2009.

In 2009, 58 per cent of 12th grade girls used social media every day or nearly every day; by 2015, 87 per cent used social media every day or nearly every day. They were 14 per cent more likely to be depressed than those who used social media less frequently.

This article originally appeared in Yahoo News.