Health
Spike in teen depression aligns with rise of social media, new poll suggests: ‘It’s not going anywhere’
“I can’t do anything right.”
“I do not enjoy life.”
“My life is not useful.”
The share of teens who agree with these phrases has doubled over the past decade, according to an annual poll conducted by the University of Michigan — and one expert asserts that the increase in depressive symptoms is tied to the rise of social media.
SURGEON GENERAL RELEASES ADVISORY CALLING FOR IMPROVED SOCIAL CONNECTION
In her book, “Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents — and What They Mean for America’s Future,” Dr. Jean Twenge, a psychologist and a professor at San Diego State University, highlighted the poll’s results as a means of linking the spike in teen depression to the increase in social media use.
The share of teens who agree with these phrases has doubled over the past decade, according to an annual poll conducted by the University of Michigan. (iStock)
Since 1991, the University of Michigan has polled 50,000 students in 8th, 10th and 12th grades about their level of agreement with those three questions.
After 2012, the number of students expressing agreement with those sentiments started to climb.
In particular, the number of students who agreed with the phrase “I do not enjoy my life” has more than doubled in that decade.
“Frequent and prolonged social media use is associated with elevated risk for psychological distress.”
Ryan Sultán, M.D., an adult and pediatric mental health physician at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, agreed that social media presents mental health risks — but he pointed out that Twenge is demonstrating correlation rather than causation.
SURGEON GENERAL’S ADVISORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH COMES AMID ‘REAL-TIME EXPERIMENT’
Sultán was not involved in the poll.
“I think it’s a fair conclusion that one might make from looking at this data,” he told Fox News Digital in a phone interview. “However, I think it’s important to acknowledge that this is not a scientifically rigorous, peer-reviewed analysis.”
“Despite the potential benefits of social media for some groups, the prevalent theme is that frequent and prolonged social media use is associated with elevated risk for psychological distress,” an expert said. (iStock)
Dr. Zachary Ginder, a psychological consultant and doctor of clinical psychology at Pine Siskin Consulting, LLC in Riverside, California, was also not involved in the poll but said the correlation between depression and social media use aligns with previous research.
“Despite the potential benefits of social media for some groups, the prevalent theme is that frequent and prolonged social media use is associated with elevated risk for psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety, for children and adolescents,” he told Fox News Digital in an email.
TEEN GIRLS ARE STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AT RECORD LEVELS, WITH MANY ‘PERSISTENTLY SAD,’ DATA REVEALS
“Unfortunately, this trend appears to be increasing in severity.”
As young people rely more heavily on their screens for their social interactions, Ginder noted that there are far fewer opportunities for real-life, person-to-person relationships.
As young people rely more heavily on their screens for their social interactions, an expert said there are fewer opportunities for real-life, person-to-person relationships. (iStock)
“These apps are designed to support dependency, and a young person’s natural tendency to ‘compare and despair,’” he said. “Prolonged social media use is opening the door for psychological distress for an already vulnerable segment of our population.”
He added, “It’s akin to throwing fuel on a fire.”
Social media is ‘not going anywhere’
While Sultán agreed that social media poses serious risks for kids, he said the real problem is that it’s undermining the protective factors that help to prevent depression, such as fostering close relationships, spending time outdoors and participating in physical activity.
Kids also need to have stability at home to boost their mental health, said Ginder.
“It’s a system that was designed to be addictive.”
Proper nutrition, opportunities for positive social interaction and quality sleep routines are also important, he said.
“Ultimately, social media is not going anywhere,” Sultán noted. “I don’t think it’s realistic to make it go away, but we should push for limitations on it for kids and teens.”
TEEN GIRLS SPEND MORE TIME ON ‘SENSITIVE’ SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT THAT CAN HARM MENTAL HEALTH, REPORT SAYS
Part of the reason social media has become so problematic for kids is that they are less able to regulate themselves, Sultán explained.
“It’s a system that was designed to be addictive, to get them to keep using it,” he said. “And kids’ brains are not as developed as adult brains.”
At a minimum, Sultán recommended that parents set guidelines for kids to stop using devices at a certain time each evening.
Experts recommend that parents set guidelines for kids to stop using devices at a certain time each evening. (iStock)
“I think there needs to be a larger discussion and a societal expectation,” he said. “We need to think about how to set expectations for reasonable social media use and to enforce those in a larger way.”
Ginder agreed that children and teens often lack the ability to self-regulate their social media use and manage their impulses — especially as they are experiencing peer pressure and forming their identities.
“In addition, mental health concerns often begin to emerge between the ages of 14 and 18,” he told Fox News Digital.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“All of this creates a very difficult circumstance for teens to navigate without support.”
In May, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory titled “Social Media and Youth Mental Health,” warning about the potentially negative impact of social media on children and teens.
The 25-page advisory outlines the potential risks, including depression, anxiety, disordered eating, sleep problems, attention disorders, low self-esteem, feelings of exclusion and suicidal ideations, among others.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Ivanka Trump, the daughter of incoming President Donald Trump, has been known to lead an active life.
As the mother of three kids and a lover of outdoor sports, the 43-year-old is always on the move, recently adding jiu-jitsu to her mix of physical activity.
In a recent appearance on The Skinny Confidential Him & Her podcast, Trump shared how her daughter, Arabella, expressed interest in learning self-defense when she was 11.
IVANKA TRUMP SHARES THE FITNESS ROUTINE THAT HAS ‘TRANSFORMED’ HER BODY: ‘SAFE AND STEADY’
“I’m just so in awe of [her],” Trump said about her daughter. “She came to me and said, ‘As a woman, I feel like I need to know how to defend myself, and I don’t have a confidence level yet that I can do that.’”
Ivanka Trump plays with her daughter, Arabella Rose Kushner, in the Rose Garden during a Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in June 2017. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Trump responded, “At 11 … I was not thinking about how to physically defend myself, and I thought it was the coolest thing.”
After researching self-defense options, Trump enrolled Arabella, now 13, in jiu-jitsu (martial arts) classes with the Valente Brothers in Miami, Florida – and soon the whole family joined in.
STAY SAFE WITH 4 SELF-DEFENSE TIPS FROM EXPERT RENER GRACIE: ‘NOT AN EASY TARGET’
“[Arabella] started asking me to join – I joined,” she said. “Then my two sons wanted to do what their older sister was doing. Then my husband joined … It is good for everyone.”
“It’s almost like a moving meditation.”
Trump, who is now a blue belt in jiu-jitsu, described that she likes how the sport “meshes physical movement.”
“It’s almost like a moving meditation because the movements are so micro,” she said. “It’s like three-dimensional chess.”
“There’s like a real spiritualism to it … The grounding in sort of samurai tradition and culture and wisdom.”
During President Trump’s first term in the White House, Ivanka Trump noted that she had very little focus on fitness, only taking weekly runs with husband Jared Kushner and “chasing the kids around the house.”
WHAT IS RUCKING? THIS POPULAR FITNESS TREND GOES BACK TO BASICS FOR BIG GAINS
Trump shared that she was “never a gym person,” but always loved sports, which still holds true today.
She said she enjoys skiing, surfing and racquet sports like padel tennis (a hybrid of tennis and squash) and pickle ball, which she described as “fun and social.”
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are seen out for a walk with their children on Dec. 10, 2022, in Miami, Florida. (MEGA/GC Images)
‘Elevating awareness’
On the podcast, Trump said she was drawn to jiu-jitsu because it combines physical fitness and philosophy.
It also focuses more on how to extract yourself from a dangerous situation before having to harm someone who’s a threat, she noted.
MARTHA STEWART, 83, STAYS FIT AND FLEXIBLE WITH THIS ROUTINE
“Having these skills makes you less likely to get into a fight, not more likely to,” Trump went on.
“Once you have the confidence that you can sort of move out of a situation, there’s a real focus on elevating awareness.”
Ivanka Trump waves as she arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland for US President Donald Trump’s departure on Jan. 20, 2021. (ALEX EDELMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, Rener Gracie, head instructor of jiu-jitsu at Gracie University in California, stressed that the only truly reliable skills are those that have been “mastered into muscle memory.”
This occurs through extensively practicing self-defense methods like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which are “leverage-based and don’t rely on you having a physical advantage over the subject,” he noted.
“Having these skills makes you less likely to get into a fight, not more likely to.”
“And by that, I mean strength, speed, power and size — because in almost every case, the attacker is going to target someone who they feel is physically inferior to them.”
KATE MIDDLETON EATS THIS HEART-HEALTHY ‘SUPERFOOD’ FOR BREAKFAST EACH DAY
Gracie, whose family created Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), shared that jiu-jitsu is “highly sought after” because it only takes weeks or months for someone to “develop the core skills that could keep them safe in a violent physical encounter.”
‘Transformative’ strength training
In addition to mastering self-defense skills, Ivanka Trump recently revealed a shift in her fitness routine to include weightlifting and resistance training.
On Instagram, Trump posted a video displaying different exercises with various equipment in the gym, noting in the caption that she used to focus primarily on cardio, yoga and Pilates.
“Since moving to Miami, I have shifted my focus to weightlifting and resistance training, and it has been transformative in helping me build muscle and shift my body composition in ways I hadn’t imagined,” she wrote.
“I believe in a strength training approach built on foundational, time-tested and simple movements – squats, deadlifts, hinges, pushes and pulls. These are the cornerstones of my workout, emphasizing functional strength for life.”
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
Trump added that prioritizing form is “essential” to ensure results before adding on weight.
“This ensures a safe and steady progression while maintaining the integrity of each movement,” she continued. “I incorporate mobility work within my sessions to enhance range of motion.”
“I believe in a strength training approach built on foundational, time-tested and simple movements – squats, deadlifts, hinges, pushes and pulls,” Ivanka Trump wrote in an October Instagram post. (Ivanka Trump/Instagram)
“Weightlifting has enhanced not just my strength but my overall athleticism and resilience,” she added.
Trump said she dedicates three to four days a week to strength training, including two solo sessions and two with a personal trainer.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
She also said that increasing her protein intake has also been “critical” to her progress.
“I now consume between 30 and 50 grams of protein a meal,” she said. “It works … I’ve never been stronger!”
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are seen arriving at the beachside eatery on May 2, 2024, in Miami Beach, Florida. (MEGA/GC Images)
Trump also still enjoys weekly yoga sessions, spending time outdoors with her children and playing sports with friends, she said.
“I also incorporate a couple of short (10-minute), high-intensity interval training sessions (such as sprints) each week to keep my cardiovascular fitness sharp and dynamic,” she noted.
“This balanced approach has infused new energy into my fitness routine and yielded great results.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Ivanka Trump for comment.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Frank Matus, Zach Peterson elected to leadership positions on North Dakota Unmanned Autonomous Systems Council
‘Fear of what’s to happen’: Haitians in Ohio city brace for Trump’s return
Injury-Riddled Nets-Thunder Contest Should Prove Fortunate for Oklahoma City
People with disabilities are extra vulnerable in major disasters like wildfires, says Oregon advocate
Pennsylvania Lottery Powerball, Pick 2 Day results for Jan. 18, 2025
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Biden to Spend a Last Day as President in Charleston
How will DeSantis, Youngkin and other 2028 hopefuls stay relevant outside the Trump administration?
Photos: Palestinians in Gaza celebrate the ceasefire
Arctic blast surges across US as snowstorm targets Mid-Atlantic, Northeast
Video: People’s March in Washington Draws Thousands of Demonstrators
-
Science1 week agoMetro will offer free rides in L.A. through Sunday due to fires
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23935558/acastro_STK103__01.jpg "Amazon Prime will shut down its clothing try-on program")
Technology1 week agoAmazon Prime will shut down its clothing try-on program
-
News1 week agoMapping the Damage From the Palisades Fire
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25826211/lorealcellbioprint.jpg "L’Oréal’s new skincare gadget told me I should try retinol")
Technology1 week agoL’Oréal’s new skincare gadget told me I should try retinol
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25832751/2192581677.jpg "Super Bowl LIX will stream for free on Tubi")
Technology4 days agoSuper Bowl LIX will stream for free on Tubi
-
Business5 days agoWhy TikTok Users Are Downloading ‘Red Note,’ the Chinese App
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25835602/Switch_DonkeyKongCountryReturnsHD_scrn_19.png "Nintendo omits original Donkey Kong Country Returns team from the remaster’s credits")
Technology2 days agoNintendo omits original Donkey Kong Country Returns team from the remaster’s credits
-
Politics1 week agoTrump to be sentenced in New York criminal trial