A new study has found that the negative impact of social media on young people's mental health affects girls at a younger age than boys.
Researchers from the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. discovered the difference in susceptibility between boys and girls after asking about their levels of social media use and 'life satisfaction.'
The study found that girls aged 11-13 experienced a negative link between social media and life satisfaction compared with boys, who experience this at 14-15. Worryingly, they also found that lower life satisfaction can drive increased social media use, creating a negative cycle.
Changes within our bodies, such as brain development and puberty, and in our social circumstances appear to make us vulnerable at particular times of our lives. With our findings, rather than debating whether or not the link exists, we can now focus on the periods of our adolescence where we now know we might be most at risk and use this as a springboard to explore some of the really interesting questions.
Dr. Amy Orben, Group Leader, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge
Although the different experiences of young people found in the survey appear clear, researchers point out that they can't specifically conclude that increases in social media use cause decreases in life satisfaction, even though it appears likely, stating that even after years of research there is still 'considerable uncertainty' about how social media use relates to wellbeing. This has prompted calls for more data transparency from social media companies to enable scientists to establish which individuals may be negatively affected.
We therefore call on social media companies and other online platforms to do more to share their data with independent scientists, and, if they are unwilling, for governments to show they are serious about tackling online harms by introducing legislation to compel these companies to be more open.
Professor Andrew Przybylski, Director of Research, Oxford Internet Institute
This study is the latest in a growing body of evidence that demonstrates the potentially negative impact that social media is having on young people, with a need for scientists to access more data to understand the health implications on different demographics.