Media use: According to the study, children's social media use is often problematic

According to a study, almost one in four young people uses social media such as messenger and video services to a problematic extent. This is shown by a study of usage behavior in 2023 by the health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit and the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). The use of social media such as messenger and video services by 10 to 17 year olds is taken into account.

It is estimated that 1.3 million children and young people use digital media at risk, which is three times as many as in the pre-Corona year of 2019. In 2022, the proportion jumped significantly to 22.2 percent and is now rising further to 24.5 percent at. “Risky” use is defined as frequent and long-term use with an increased risk of harmful consequences for physical or mental health.

An estimated 360,000 children and young people currently meet addiction criteria with their usage behavior, the study data shows, according to the dpa news agency. That is 6.1 percent, less than the 6.7 percent in the 2022 survey. At the same time, the proportion is almost twice as large as in 2019.

Call for more education and prevention

DAK boss Andreas Storm said that social media has become an integral part of everyday life. There is a need for more information about the appeal and risks of Instagram or TikTok and more prevention campaigns and offers of help for those affected. Use with loss of control in terms of duration and frequency, increasing prioritization compared to other everyday activities and continuation despite negative consequences are considered “pathological” with addiction criteria.

For the study, a representative group of children between the ages of 10 and 17, each with one parent from around 1,200 families, was surveyed by the Forsa Institute. The new survey is from September 2023 and is the sixth wave of the survey. The frequency of use of social media and digital games was examined.

According to a study, almost one in four young people uses social media such as messenger and video services to a problematic extent. This is shown by a study of usage behavior in 2023 by the health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit and the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). The use of social media such as messenger and video services by 10 to 17 year olds is taken into account.

It is estimated that 1.3 million children and young people use digital media at risk, which is three times as many as in the pre-Corona year of 2019. In 2022, the proportion jumped significantly to 22.2 percent and is now rising further to 24.5 percent at. “Risky” use is defined as frequent and long-term use with an increased risk of harmful consequences for physical or mental health.

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