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Sharp rise in problematic teenage social media use, study says

The report says a "continuously online" generation needs more help to live healthy digital lives.

Dr Hans Henri P Kluge, the WHO's regional director for Europe, said the findings made clear social media could have both positive and negative consequences for young people. He said there needed to be more "digital literacy education" to help young people develop a healthy approach to being online, and governments, health authorities, teachers and parents all had to play their part. "It's clear we need immediate and sustained action to help adolescents turn the tide on potentially damaging social media use, which has been shown to lead to depression, bullying, anxiety, and poor academic performance," he said.

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