Experts suggest that THIS common habit could be making kids depressed

“Why is my child depressed?” - Most parents today are asking themselves this question. As the rates of depression and related suicide among youth are rising at an alarming pace, many parents are left grappling for answers. Is it academic pressure? Bullying? Hormonal changes? New research suggests that there might be something more insidious at play, something that’s hidden in plain sight.

A new study by researchers at the UC San Francisco has found the answers to it. The experts looked at whether social media was making kids depressed or if the depressed kids simply spent more time on social media. The findings published in JAMA Network Open were shocking.

Causes of depression in kids

The researchers found that as preteens used more social media, their symptoms of depression increased. However, what was surprising was that it isn’t true that kids who became more depressed didn’t start using social media more later.

In the study, which took over three years, the researchers found that children’s social media use rose from seven to 73 minutes per day. This also led to a 35% increase in their depressive symptoms.

The researchers examined data of tracked nearly 12,000 children, starting when they were 9 to 10 years old and following up three years later at ages 12 to 13.

“There has been ongoing debate about whether social media contributes to depression or simply reflects underlying depressive symptoms. These findings provide evidence that social media may be contributing to the development of depressive symptoms,” Jason Nagata, MD, MSc, who led the study and is an associate professor in UCSF’s Department of Pediatrics, said, in a statement.

Findings

Though it is unclear why social media increases depressive symptoms, previous research has suggested that cyberbullying and disrupted sleep could be some of the contributing factors. The same researchers have recently published a separate study in The Lancet Regional Health on the effects of cyberbullying.

That study suggested that kids aged between 11 to 12 years who were cyberbullied were 2.62 times more likely to report suicidal ideation or a suicide attempt one year later. Also, those children were 2.31 times more likely to be involved in substance abuse (4.65 times more likely with marijuana, 3.37 with nicotine, and 1.92 with alcohol) in the following year.


What can be done
So, how can depression in children be addressed effectively? The American Academy of Pediatrics suggested using the tools in its Family Media Plan to create healthier digital habits for both kids and parents.

“As a father of two young kids, I know that simply telling children to ‘get off your phone’ doesn’t really work. Parents can lead by example with open, nonjudgmental conversations about screen use. Setting screen-free times for the whole family, such as during meals or before bed, can help build healthier digital habits for everyone, including adults,” Nagata added.



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