"Mental Health Days"

How social media threatens the adolescent psyche

Several international studies have now shown that mental health problems among young people are on the rise.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

Researchers are sounding the alarm: social media services such as Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok as well as video streaming are threatening the life satisfaction of young people in Austria. Depression is widespread.

Although a study for the "Mental Health Days", in which responses from around 14,500 young people were evaluated, showed a high level of life satisfaction in general, individual aspects such as depression are widespread. The online content consumed could play a role here, as was reported at a press conference in Vienna on Monday.

According to one of the authors of the study, Tobias Dienlin, the young people surveyed at an average age of 14 spent around four hours a day on their cell phones. While the use of messenger services, online games or the consumption of news had no effect on life satisfaction, this was different for streaming services or, in particular, social media such as Instagram. "People generally show their good sides here too," said Dienlin. This distorted image is then often compared with people's own - real - lives. "The effects may be small, but they are relevant," said the author.

86 percent of respondents hopeless
Overall, life satisfaction is very high, with 73 percent agreeing. "However, the values are decreasing slightly," said Dienlin. Psychological problems also became apparent when specific questions were asked. In the survey, 86% stated that they had felt depressed or hopeless in the past two weeks. 28 percent even said that they thought they would rather be dead or cause themselves harm.

Paul Piener, another author of the study, said that several international studies have now shown that mental problems are on the rise among young people. It has also been established that the prescription of psychotropic drugs to young people has increased significantly. This is primarily due to multiple crises: From war to inflation to climate change. Covid, on the other hand, is "no longer an issue".

130,000 young people at "Mental Health Days"
In order to make the topic of mental health more tangible for young people, author Golli Marboe introduced "Mental Health Days" in schools in 2023. So far, the initiative has reached around 130,000 young people. The topics covered include bullying, body image, pressure to perform, anxiety and suicidal tendencies.

According to Marboe, the demand is enormous. A total of 500 days are planned for 2025, but the costs of 1.5 million have not yet been fully financed despite funding. Paul Freysinger from the Federal Youth Council (BJV) also emphasized the great importance of support measures for mental health problems. He called for one psychologist per 1,000 pupils and one school social worker - otherwise there is a risk of "a conflagration that will be very difficult to stop".