New report shows sharp increase in social media addiction among adolescents
New data from the World Health Organisation's European Section shows a sharp increase in problematic social media use among adolescents. This, coupled with the finding that 12% of adolescents are at risk of problematic gaming, raises urgent concerns about the impact of digital technologies on the mental health and well-being of European youth.
The findings emerged from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, which surveyed nearly 280,000 young people aged 11, 13, and 15 in 44 countries and regions in Europe, Central Asia, and Canada in 2022. The study showed an increase in problematic social media usage by four percentage points from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022.
Lukáš Blinka of the Institute for Psychological Research at Masaryk University contributed significantly to the research and the published report. Speaking to Czech Radio, he said that the findings have changed some of our previous understanding of the issue for the worse.
“We previously thought that the problem was in adolescence. Now, we have seen that the problem starts a lot earlier. We have seen that the problem is at 11. But the fact that we already see 10 percent of problematic cases at 11 means that the addiction starts earlier at 10, 9, 8. Meanwhile, there are recommendations to start using social media at 13 or 15.”
Some of the key findings of the study include that more than 1 in 10 adolescents (11%) showed signs of problematic behaviour on social media. Girls reported higher rates of problematic social media use than boys (13% vs. 9%). Meanwhile 12% of adolescents are at risk of problem gaming, with boys showing signs of problem gaming more often than girls (16% vs. 7%).
Mr. Blinka spoke of some of the indications of addiction:
“Not devoting time to hobbies, the worsening of grades in school, a nonexistent social life in terms of not having friends, fighting with parents, not finishing homework, being stressed, aggressive when parents do not give permission to be online.”
The increase in problematic social media use among adolescents raises significant concerns about the potential impact on young people. Previous research has found that problematic social media users also report lower mental and social well-being and higher rates of substance use compared to non-problematic users and non-users.
Professional Director of Prevention and Education Aneta Zapotocká commented on the means of treatment for those fighting with addiction.
“This treatment is not simple. In contrast, with alcohol consumption, you don’t necessarily need alcohol for the rest of your life. But the fact that you will never use your phone or computer is very unrealistic. It’s about reversing the endorphins – the feeling of why I want the devices – to other areas.”
If this trend continues, it could have far-reaching implications for adolescent development and long-term health outcomes. In addition, problematic social media use has been associated with shorter sleep duration and later bedtimes, which impacts the health of adolescents.
The report highlights the risks but also the benefits of responsible social media use. Teens who are heavy but non-problematic users reported stronger peer support and social connections.
