Children's mental health would improve if they spent less time on social media. That's what eight out of ten parents in the US say in a new survey by ParentsTogether . Over three million parents from the USA have joined forces in the non-profit NGO. For the study, 325 parents were surveyed about their children's use of social media and mental health. Overall, parents observed more signs of mental health problems in their children the more time they spent on social media.

Body image negatively affected

The study authors asked teenagers about common symptoms such as anxiety, mood swings, aggressive behavior and feelings of worthlessness. “The occurrence of these symptoms generally increased as time spent on social media increased ,” it said. The parents surveyed also have the impression that social media has a negative impact on their children's body image. Children on Instagram are 25 percent more likely to want to change their appearance than on other platforms, another finding shows.

Seven out of ten parents were also concerned that their children were addicted to online platforms. Two in three parents report disagreements with their children over how much time they spend on social media or gaming platforms. Many parents would also not know whether their children are being contacted by strangers or even sexual predators. Parents believe social media companies need to do more to provide tools to help children stay safe online.

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Source: press release


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