Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 15 november 2017

Rise in teen suicide, social media coincide; is there link?

By LINDSEY TANNER nicating with their friends.’
AP Medical Writer Monitoring kids’ use of
CHICAGO (AP) — An in- smartphones and social
crease in suicide rates media is important, and so
among U.S. teens oc- is setting reasonable limits,
curred at the same time she said.
social media use surged Dr. Victor Strasburger, a
and a new analysis sug- teen medicine special-
gests there may be a link. ist at the University of New
Suicide rates for teens rose Mexico, said the study only
between 2010 and 2015 implies a connection be-
after they had declined for tween teen suicides, de-
nearly two decades, ac- pression and social media.
cording to data from the It shows the need for more
federal Centers for Disease research on new technol-
Control and Prevention. ogy, Strasburger said.
Why the rates went up isn’t He noted that skeptics who
known. think social media is being
The study doesn’t answer unfairly criticized compare
the question, but it sug- it with so-called vices of
gests that one factor could past generations: “When
be rising social media use. dime-store books came
Recent teen suicides have out, when comic books
been blamed on cyber- In this Friday, Sept. 16, 2017, file photo, a person uses a smart phone in Chicago. came out, when televi-
bullying, and social media Associated Press sion came out, when rock
posts depicting “perfect” The study’s authors looked study provides weak evi- or attempting suicide, up and roll first started, people
lives may be taking a toll at CDC suicide reports from dence for a popular theory from 32 percent in 2009. For were saying ‘This is the end
on teens’ mental health, 2009-15 and results of two and that many factors in- girls, the rates were higher of the world.’”
researchers say. surveys given to U.S. high fluence teen suicide. — 45 percent in 2015 versus With its immediacy, ano-
“After hours of scrolling school students to measure The study was published 40 percent in 2009. nymity, and potential for
through Instagram feeds, attitudes, behaviors and in- Tuesday in the journal Clini- —In 2009, 58% of 12th bullying, social media has
I just feel worse about terests. About half a million cal Psychological Science. grade girls used social me- a unique potential for
myself because I feel left teens ages 13 to 18 were Data highlighted in the dia every day or nearly ev- causing real harm, he said.
out,” said Caitlin Hearty, involved. They were asked study include: ery day; by 2015, 87% used “Parents don’t really get
a 17-year-old Littleton, about use of electronic de- —Teens’ use of electronic social media every day that,” Strasburger said.q
Colorado, high school se- vices, social media, print devices including smart- or nearly every day. They
nior who helped organize media, television and time phones for at least five were 14% more likely to be
an offline campaign last spent with friends. Ques- hours daily more than depressed than those who
month after several local tions about mood included doubled, from 8 percent in used social media less fre-
teen suicides. frequency of feeling hope- 2009 to 19 percent in 2015. quently.
“No one posts the bad less and considering or at- These teens were 70 per- “We need to stop thinking
things they’re going tempting suicide. cent more likely to have of smartphones as harm-
through,” said Chloe Schil- The researchers didn’t ex- suicidal thoughts or actions less,” said study author
ling, also 17, who helped amine circumstances sur- than those who reported Jean Twenge, a psychol-
with the campaign, in rounding individual sui- one hour of daily use. ogy professor at San Diego
which hundreds of teens cides. Dr. Christine Moutier, —In 2015, 36 percent of all State University who stud-
agreed not to use the in- chief medical officer at the teens reported feeling des- ies generational trends.
ternet or social media for American Foundation for perately sad or hopeless, “There’s a tendency to say,
one month. Suicide Prevention, said the or thinking about, planning ‘Oh, teens are just commu-