April 2022
Featured in this insight: IT & telecommunications, Children & young people
The more time teenagers spend on social media, the less likely they are to be satisfied with their life: A recent survey has uncovered that 19 year-olds are less likely to be content with their life if they spend a significant amount of time on social media. Furthermore, 11 to 13 year-old girls and 14 to 15 year-old boys who spent a significant amount of time using social media were least likely to say they were satisfied with life.
Scientists theorised that the vulnerability that certain age groups face towards social media is linked to brain, hormonal or social changes during development.
The study was conducted by researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Oxford and the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour. They polled over 72,000 people up to seven times between 2011 and 2018, with a follow-up study in the years after to specifically observe 10 to 21 year-olds.
For 16 to 21 year-olds, it was reported that those who spent over seven hours a day on social media were less likely to be satisfied with their situation, than those who spend three hours or less on their phones.
Although there was a correlation between the amount of time spent on social media, life satisfaction and age, the study could not help determine the individuals most likely to be affected.
Professor Bernadk Dubicka, expert in child mental health at the University of Manchester, said: "This study reflects the complexity seen in vulnerable adolescents in clinical practice, and finally moves away from the unhelpful dichotomy about whether social media is or isn't harmful. It will be vital to build on this research to understand both the harmful as well as supportive role of social media in young people's lives.
View more of our sector specific insights: IT & telecommunications
