This report was published in May 2017. Please be aware that more current information may exist and that its positions may no longer reflect those of RSPH.
#StatusofMind
In May 2017, RSPH and the Young Health Movement published a report examining the positive and negative effects of social media on young people's health. The report includes a league table of social media platforms according to their impact on young people’s mental health. YouTube topped the table as the most positive, with Instagram and Snapchat coming out as the most detrimental to young people’s mental health and wellbeing
What we're calling for
RSPH and the Young Health Movement are calling for action from government, social media companies and policy makers to help promote the positive aspects of social media for young people, whilst mitigating the potential negatives. These recommendations include:
- Introduction of a pop-up heavy usage warning on social media – include the support from young people for each of these recommendations
- Social media platforms to identify users who could be suffering from mental health problems by their posts, and discretely signpost to support
- Social media platforms to highlight when photos of people have been digitally manipulated
Social media is becoming an ever-greater part of young people’s lives throughout the UK. I am looking forward to continuing to work closely with the RSPH to achieve real change on this vital issue.
91%
of 16-24 year olds use the internet for social networking
Rates of anxiety and depression have increased
70%
in the past 25 years
Social media
is linked with increased rates of anxiety, depression and poor sleep
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