As child referrals for mental health care reached 1.1 million in the year 2021-2022, a new report has found that social media is having a severe negative impact on how children and young people view themselves, leading to mental distress.
Stem4, a youth mental health charity, surveyed 1,024 children and young people aged 12 to 21 years old. The survey found that 97% of children and young people, as young as 12, are on social media, with 70% saying that social media makes them feel stressed, anxious and depressed.
Nearly half of all surveyed said that they have become withdrawn, started exercising excessively, stopped socialising completely or self-harmed because they are regularly bullied or trolled online about their physical appearance.
The impact of social media on how children and young people see themselves is further revealed by the startling results that three out of four children as young as 12 were found to dislike their bodies and eight out of ten young people aged 18-21 disliked their bodies. Four in ten said that they are in mental distress, while one in five said that they experience body image issues, and 14 per cent of all those surveyed said that they experience eating difficulties.
The results of the survey have prompted warnings that social media may pose a serious risk to the mental health of current and future young generations and that action is needed to address concerns.
Doctor Nihara Krause, a consultant psychologist and the CEO and founder of Stem4, told The Guardian that: “We need to improve understanding of the potentially compelling impact of social media content, and the reinforcement created through algorithms, on young people’s engagement with apps and their consequent mental health.”
The findings of the survey come at a time when data has revealed that the number of children needing treatment for mental health problems has risen by 39 per cent in a year to 1.1 million children in 2021-22. This figure includes those seeking treatment for serious mental health problems such as those who are suicidal, self-harming, suffering from serious anxiety, serious depression or an eating disorder.
According to NHS digital data, there has been an 82 per cent rise in hospital admissions for eating disorders in just two years, from 4,232 in 2019-20 to 7,719 in 2021-22.
Emphasising the concerning nature of the rise in figures, Tom Madders, director of campaigns for YoungMinds, told The Guardian: "The last year has been one of the most difficult for this age group, emerging from the pandemic to more limited prospects for their futures, coupled with an increase in academic pressure to catch up on lost learning, and the impact of the cost of living crisis."
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If you or someone you care for is experiencing problems with their mental health, you can find local sources of support on this website. See also services available for under-18s
