Being bombarded with bad news and “constantly” compared to edited images of models online is having a negative impact on young people’s mental health, in particular teenage girls, an event at the Department of Health was told on Tuesday.
More than half of girls (57.6 per cent) and 35.2 per cent of boys reported feeling low on at least a weekly basis, according to a new report.
The Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey monitored the health behaviours and outcomes of young people every four years between 1998 and 2022. More than 70,500 children aged 10-17 have been surveyed as part of the research, including more than 8,000 people in 2022.
In 2022, 15-year-olds in Ireland were below the international HBSC average for reporting high life satisfaction (a score of 7/10 or higher). Ireland ranked 44th out of 45 countries, with 43 countries reporting a higher percentage of high life satisfaction.
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Speaking at the launch of the report, 15-year-old Anna Adler said that spending so much time online is having a detrimental impact on young people’s mental health.
“I have witnessed first hand its effect on young people and myself,” she said, citing a common habit of “waking up and grabbing your phone” and scrolling through a mix of content about climate change, politics and entertainment.
[ Should parents be checking their teenagers’ phones?Opens in new window ]
The teenager said women in particular “have always been scrutinised” but “with the age of the internet, you get constantly compared to edited Instagram models”.
“It’s only natural that everyone, and not just women, are going to feel negative about their appearances.”
She said young people are “falling victim” to online trends, with some girls as young as nine feeling pressured to buy skincare.
Prof Colette Kelly, who co-led the research at the University of Galway, said the number of those reporting feeling low is “definitely worrying”.
The survey doesn’t ask children why they feel low, noted Prof Kelly, but she said young people are consuming information about war, climate change and the cost-of-living crisis. They are also dealing with the long-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, she added.
The report also found an increase in the number of children and teenagers feeling pressured by school work (up from 32.9 per cent to 47.8 per cent between 1998 and 2022), and increases in the number of children who reported experiencing headaches (up from 26 per cent to 38.2 per cent) and sleep disturbances (30.9 per cent up to 46.3 per cent).
The research found the proportion of young people smoking, drinking and using cannabis had reduced in recent years. There has been a small decrease in the proportion of 15- to 17-year-olds who have had sex.
One in five teenagers (19.6 per cent) who took part in the survey in 2022 said they had already engaged in sexual intercourse, compared with a quarter (25.5 per cent) in 2010.
Of those who reported having sex, there was a decrease in the proportion who reported using a condom the last time they had sex. In 2010, 78 per cent said they used a condom, compared with 55.2 per cent in 2022.
[ Opinion: Social media has a limited effect on teenage mental healthOpens in new window ]
Older teenagers were asked certain questions about their sexual habits as part of the research. The authors of the Irish study have noted that the data in the most recent report relates to condom use only and not that of other contraceptives.
The figures in the 2022 report were collected in the first half of that year, before the launch of the Free Contraception Scheme, for which 17-year-olds are eligible.
The HBSC is an international study carried out in 51 participating countries and regions in collaboration with the World Health Organisation.
