Teens on social media more likely to develop mental health problems, study shows

MIAMI – A new study suggests teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media have an increased chance of developing mental health issues.

The study published in Journal of the American Medicine Association (JAMA) found depression, anxiety, aggression and antisocial behavior was more prevalent in teenagers who spent multiple hours on social media.

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According to Technology Review, JAMA's study involved 6,600 children ages 12-to-15 years old who self-reported their social media consumption. The teens who spent three or more hours on social media had higher rates of mental heal issues.

"Time spent on social media may increase the risk of experiencing cyberbullying, which has a strong association with depressive symptoms," according to the study. Seeing others' lives on social media platforms like Snapchat "may also expose adolescents to idealized self-presentations that negatively influence body image and encourage social comparisons."