Imperial College London recently held a forum to discuss the effects of online harms and their impact on young people's mental health and wellbeing. A panel of experts, researchers, and governmental organizations, including the Department of Culture, Media & Sport, the Home Office, the Mental Health Foundation, and the Samaritans, attended the forum to help develop strategies for policymakers dealing with the protection and safety of internet users and young people.
Dr. Dasha Nicholls from Imperial's Department of Brain Sciences spoke about the impact of online harms on child and adolescent mental health, outlining how harmful content can trigger or worsen mental health issues such as eating disorders, depression, and self-harm. Other contributing factors also outlined include the strive for perfectionism, which can lead young people to seek the unattainable, and excessive screen time.
The forum coincided with the launch of Digital Wellbeing 2020, an independent national study we undertook with 1,000 12 to 16-year-olds about important topics such as smartphone addiction, parental and school support, screen time, and other key indicators we identified as areas of potential risk to young people's mental and physical wellbeing.
Cybersmile's Digital Wellbeing 2020 report provides valuable insights into many of the points raised by the panel. We know from our research that there is work to be done in all areas of online harm, including increased investment in education and support for young people, parents, and educators.
Dan Raisbeck, Co-founder, The Cybersmile Foundation
The findings of our Digital Wellbeing 2020 Report provide further insights relating to young people's relationship with technology. Key findings include:
- 60% of young people felt that the time they spend online negatively impacts other important areas of their lives, including sleep, diet, exercise, and study.
- 46% of young people considered themselves addicted to their smartphones.
- Over half (51%) of young females considered themselves addicted to their smartphones.
- 42% of young people considered their parents to be addicted to their smartphones.
- 35% of young people felt that internet and social media use negatively affects their mental and/or physical health.
- 18% of young people wanted their parents to help them more with reducing the amount of time they spent online.Over a quarter (27%) of young people felt that their parents would not know how to help them with online-related problems.
- A third (33%) of 16-year-olds felt that their parents would not know how to help them with online related problems.
- 30% of young people felt that their school would not know how to help them with an online-related problem.
- 18% of young people did not feel comfortable going to their parents with an online-related problem.
- Over a quarter (27%) of 16-year-olds did not feel comfortable going to their parents with an online-related problem.
- 12% of 13-year-olds felt that their parents' internet social media use has affected their ability to look after them.
The forum concluded with panelists agreeing that children and young people must be at the heart of social media design practices going forward, as policymakers continue to consider these crucial issues. Recommendations from the panel include further development of intervention-based social media support tools for vulnerable users, as well as more support and education for parents and schools to help engage children in important conversations about their digital wellbeing.