Excessive Social Media Use & Mental Health

“How does time spent online, and especially social media, affect the brains and behaviours of children and youth?

Social media platforms are seemingly designed to capture the attention of users and produce habitual checking of apps and notifications. In recent years, our lives have become increasingly dominated by social media, either as a source of information, entertainment, or just a way to connect with others.

In Canada alone, more than 30 million social media accounts are currently registered, with teenagers one of the highest user groups.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, young people were drastically affected by the sudden shift to a digital world and the explosion of a reliance on screens. School closures, coupled with social isolation, led to dramatic increases in daily screen time use and exacerbated mental health challenges for many young people.

Research shows strong links between screen time and mental health concerns, including anxiety and depression, although few longitudinal studies have been conducted in the pandemic or post-pandemic eras to determine causal relationships. The stress of lockdowns and the absence of typical support networks left adolescents more vulnerable than ever to the negative effects of social media.

Now, in the years following the pandemic lockdowns, it’s imperative that we study and address the impact excessive screen time can have on brain development.”

Read more on Expert insight: Excessive social media use worsened adolescent mental health during COVID-19 via Western University News.