How Depressed and Anxious Kids Experience Social Media

New research from the University of Cambridge offers up some noteworthy information on the relationship between teen social media use and mental health conditions. Researchers found that kids who struggle with anxiety and depression report higher rates of being negatively affected by social media. Those with anxiety and depression have a higher rate of comparing themselves to others on social media, having a lack of self-control over the time they spend on social media, and experiencing changes in their mood in response to the comments or likes they receive on social media. While the study doesn’t say that social media use causes these mental health conditions, it does say that those who have them use social media differently, including spending an average of almost an hour more per day on social media than those who aren’t anxious or depressed. Parents, monitor your kids use, and if they need help, get them to a qualified Christian counselor.