Much work assumes poor mental health arises from high levels of social media use. But could there be an element of reverse causation occurring here – i.e the familiar chicken and egg conundrum?
Do young people who experience lower israel rcs data self-esteem or who are vulnerable to stress and anxiety spend more time communicating and seeking support from virtual friends?
For some young people, such support might improve their sense of belonging or acceptance. It might also help them to build resilience.
Other conundrums?
Many other complex factors influence a young person’s mental wellbeing, including the quality and quantity of support they receive from parents, guardians and other close family members, as researched by Oberle et al .
Young people thriving and experiencing good mental health include:
help with schoolwork having opportunities to discuss problems having someone on hand to provide adequate levels of emotional support
A parent or guardian’s ability to provide such support is constrained by his or her own (mental) health status as researched by Manning and Gregoire.