We are all widely aware, today’s teenagers are social media addicts. But, did you know this addiction negatively affects a teenager’s mental health? A social media overuse disturbs the sleep cycle and reduces physical activities.
From @clivecookson via @FT: "[F]requent use of #socialmedia does damage the #mentalhealth of teenage girls but causes harm indirectly — through #cyberbullying, sleep loss & reduced physical activity — rather than directly by affecting brain development."https://t.co/E4jQ4v14qo
— ATAI Life Sciences (@ATAI_life) August 14, 2019
Moreover, the overuse of social media has also led to crimes like cyberbullying. In fact, researchers have revealed that decrement in the usage of social media in adolescents has a direct relationship with the improvement of their mental health.
Social media overuse: What is the reason?
Russell Viner, who is a professor at the University College London’s Great Ormond St. Institute of Child Health informed, the emergent evidence, proposes that the overuse of social media leads to various rejection as well as acceptance experiences.

Immediate peer feedback which can be both satisfactory as well as negative may lead to changes in the brain stimulation.
The documentation via imaging studies reveals that this immediate peer feedback which can be both satisfactory as well as negative may lead to changes in the brain stimulation.
His colleagues also wrote it’s still unclear whether these social media influences are more positive or negative. In fact, there is a chance the effects are neutral in some cases.
Heavy social media use may hurt teens' mental health, study says – KSFY #SocialMedia https://t.co/GflS8QoDKt pic.twitter.com/SORezHIyMq
— Ashley Kyle (@AshleyKKyle) August 14, 2019
In order to study a young brain’s development, children who are aged 10-19 years are more sensitive to various social media experiences than children of other age groups.
Statistics
The data analysis by Russell Viner was a longitudinal study that consisted of 12,866 youngsters who were aged between 13 to 16 years. All the participants, nationally represent England.

The results of these findings state that the overuse of social media alone is not evil. It includes overlooking healthy lifestyle alternatives in all.
The study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between the frequency of social media usage and their mental health. The study also revealed the well-being status of potential mediators. A thorough study was conducted.
Measurement-
The researchers measured the social media usage frequency under various categories that include:
- Never
- Weekly
- Every few days
- Daily
- Two to three times per day
- Multiple times daily
- Very frequent
Results:
The results of these findings state that the overuse of social media alone is not evil. It includes overlooking healthy lifestyle alternatives in all.