Emerging Trends with Mental Health Disorders and The new legislation with social media bans

MENTAL HEALTH TRENDS

I recently gave a talk at a conference on the Emerging Trends with Mental Health and Developmental Disorders in Children & Adolescents. When we think of today’s younger generations, Gen Z or the newly coined Alphas, some may assume that the majority of these kids are confident, tech savvy, digital experts. However, when investigating the current trends and research, it is evident that children today are less optimistic, less happy, less satisfied with their lives and less resilient than previous generations. Studies have shown that children’s wellbeing has gradually declined over the past 6 years or so with a steeper decline in 2020 aligned with the COVID pandemic. This decline has been consistent across all aspects of wellbeing including happiness, life satisfaction, optimism, cognitive engagement, emotional regulation, resilience, anxiety and perseverance.

Rates of self-harm have increased dramatically as have other issues including body dysmorphic disorder, image-based sexual abuse, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders and eating disorders. There has also been a steep increase in developmental disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, anxiety disorders and other disorders associated with mental health issues.

There has been a significant rise in mental health disorders, including anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, AD(H)D, ODD, ASD, self harm, body dysmorphic disorders, eating disorders, LDs, behavioural disorders and substance use disorders. The increased prevalence may be shaped by increased awareness, changes in diagnostic criteria, societal pressures, the impact of major life events (COVID), the use of technology and environmental factors.

TRENDS

•  One in 5 children face a mental health challenge
•  2008 - 2022 rates of self harm under 14 TRIPLED
•  A third 16-19 victims of image-based sexual abuse
•  Research has shown the Gen Z (1995-2012) or Gen Alpha (2013-2025) are less optimistic, less satisfied with their lives, less resilient
• Gradual decline over the past 6 years with a steeper decline in 2020 (pandemic)
• Decline has been consistent across all aspects of wellbeing: life satisfaction, optimism, cognitive engagement, emotional regulation, resilience, anxiety and perseverance
•  Over the last 15-20 years we have seen a 50% increase in the need for care for this age group (Professor Patrick McGorry; Psychiatrist; The Lancet Psychiatry)
• ‘Young people’ have been termed as the ‘snowflake generation’, lacking in resilience (McGorry) ?
• Mental Health issues account for 45% of the disease burden for 10-24yo world-wide
• However only 2% of health budgets globally are devoted to mental health care

MEGA TRENDS

Mega trends driving psychological distress:

• Financial Pressures / cost of living
• Growing inter-generational inequality - unequal distribution of resources, opportunities and outcomes across generations e.g. ADHD, anxiety, depression
• Global instability
• Increased Awareness and diagnosis: rising awareness
• Social Isolation
• Rise of social media

Jonathan Haidt, an American social Psychologist and author of  ‘The Anxious Generation’ discussed how the ‘great re-wiring’ of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness. He talked about the rise of the phone based childhood. Dr Haidt discussed the four foundational harms including: Social Deprivation, Sleep Deprivation, Attention Fragmentation and Addiction.

SOCIAL MEDIA BAN FOR UNDER 16s

I recently spoke about the new legislation being developed by the Australian government that will ban children under the age of 16 from some social media platforms.

Reasons for the ban

Protecting mental health/well-being:

• Studies linking social media to mental health issues: There is growing evidence that excessive social media use can contribute to anxiety, depression, body image issues, sleep issues, attention and focus difficulties.
• Cyberbullying: Social media platforms can be a breeding ground for cyberbullying, which has led to emotional distress and, in some tragic cases, suicide among vulnerable children.
• Addiction: Social media platforms are designed to be addictive, and children may not have the self-regulation skills needed to limit screen time

Protecting Privacy:

• Data exploitation: Many social media companies collect vast amounts of personal data from users, including children, and use it for targeted advertising. Laws could limit the collection of this data for users under 16, safeguarding their privacy.
• Age-inappropriate content: Younger users may be exposed to explicit, violent, or disturbing content that is not suitable for their developmental stage. Laws could require stronger age verification mechanisms to restrict access to such content.

Parental Control and Oversight:

Laws could empower parents to have more control over their child’s social media activity.

Creating Age-Appropriate Platforms:

Proponents argue that social media platforms should be specifically designed for children, with appropriate safety features and content moderation in place. This would encourage age-appropriate interactions while still allowing for social engagement.

Reasons for some reservation

Impact on Freedom of Expression:

Critics argue that restricting access to social media could limit children’s ability to express themselves freely or engage in important conversations. Social media is often seen as a space for self-expression, learning, and activism, especially for marginalized groups.

Education and Socialization Opportunities:

Social media platforms offer children educational content, opportunities to learn new skills, and ways to interact with peers globally. Some argue that overly restrictive laws could deprive children of these valuable experiences.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many children relied on social media for staying connected with friends and participating in virtual learning. Social media could be seen as an essential tool for communication and personal growth.

Practical Challenges with Age Verification:

Verifying the age of users on platforms is a major challenge. Many argue that it’s difficult for platforms to accurately determine age, leading to potential false reporting or children lying about their ages to access content.

If laws are overly strict, they could inadvertently push children to circumvent rules, either by lying about their age or seeking unregulated platforms.

Overregulation:

Some believe that excessive regulation of social media could stifle innovation and limit the development of new platforms that may be more beneficial for children. Overreaching laws might hinder the growth of positive social media tools.

Effectiveness of the Laws:

Some critics argue that laws alone may not be effective in protecting children online. They believe education and teaching children about online safety and critical thinking might be more effective in the long term than creating restrictive laws.

The digital world evolves rapidly, and social media platforms may find ways to circumvent new laws, making them ineffective.

To summarise, there are varying views on whether depression and anxiety cause higher screen time use, or higher screen time causes more anxiety and depression and anxiety. I think it is bidirectional. Social media use can activate envy, comparisons, FOMO and as mentioned above can lead to poor sleep hygiene, attention and focus difficulties and social deprivation. The fundamental issue is the addictive nature of the social media platforms. We need be more educated, have better parental control and have a screen/life balance when it comes to screens and social media.