A new study has found that addiction to social media, video games and mobile devices is linked to a higher risk of suicidal behaviors and thoughts.
JAMA Network published the study Wednesday, which looked at data from over 4,000 children starting at 9 or 10 years old. The study followed these children for years and found that, by the age of 14:
Around a third of participants became increasingly addicted to social media
About 25% of kids were increasingly addicted to their cell phones
Over 40% showed signs of being addicted to video games
The study author, Yunyu Xiao, said, “And these youth are significantly more likely to report suicidal behaviors and thoughts.”
According to NPR, Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician at the University of California, San Francisco, said, “It’s an important study and raising awareness about screen addiction. … It shows that elements of addiction related to screen use are more strongly predictive of poorer mental health and even suicide risk compared to just screen time. So, I think that it provides more nuance.”
