Social media use linked to teen depression

The pressure on teenagers to be always available on social media can lead to depression, anxiety and low self-esteem, according to a new report.

The research, carried out at the University of Glasgow, says the emotional investment involved in being available 24/7 is a major factor in reducing sleep quality.

But according to the psychologist who led the research, there is no definite conclusion on the cause of the link.

Dr Heather Cleland Woods explained: "Adolescence can be a period of increased vulnerability for the onset of depression and anxiety, and poor sleep quality may contribute to this.

"It is important that we understand how social media use relates to these. Evidence is increasingly supporting a link between social media use and well-being, particularly during adolescence, but the causes of this are unclear."

At Blackburn College, a group of teenagers told Sky News that it can be tempting to stay up late maintaining their social media status.

"Facebook is great for putting on a generic question, such as to ask when you are back at school or college, or when you have got a meeting, and you can just get an answer from anybody," one teenager said.

Another said: "When I'm using different social media I'll go from one to another and eventually I'll have been on for about four hours.

"Then I'll check the time. I should have been asleep, but I never will be because I'm checking Facebook, Twitter and Instagram."

Vice-principal Tracy Stuart says the college has an inclusive attitude to social media and uses it in lessons.

"We use our teaching techniques to drive their social media competence because as you'll imagine a lot of employers now expect that level of digital literacy," she said.

"Everybody needs to be understanding what Twitter does for you, what your Facebook profile is or whether you are using LinkedIn to find work.

"Particularly I'm thinking about apprenticeships or degree students who are in work or are looking for that next advancement - they need to be media savvy."

The lure of social media is obvious. As of March, Facebook had over 1.4 billion users worldwide and Twitter had 288 million.

The British Psychological Society, which announced the study's findings, estimates that 90% of adolescents are on social media.

The researchers provided questionnaires for 467 teenagers regarding their overall and night-time social media use.

A further set of tests measured sleep quality, self-esteem, anxiety, depression and emotional investment in social media relating to the pressure felt to be available 24/7 and the anxiety around, for example, not responding immediately to texts or posts.

The research concluded that the problems caused by poor sleep could most affect individuals who are "highly emotionally invested" in their online lives.