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Diseases

Social Media Addiction Linked to Poor Mental Health in Adolescents

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Research conducted in Ambon, Indonesia, has found a significant correlation between social media addiction and poor mental health among adolescents. The study, published in the Biology, Medicine & Natural Product Chemistry journal, analyzed the behavior of 336 young people aged 13-18 who actively used social media. The findings revealed that 64.88% of the respondents had poor mental health scores, with certain factors increasing the risk of mental health conditions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found a significant association between social media addiction and poor mental health among adolescents in Ambon, Indonesia.
  • Adolescents aged 18-20 years, those who studied infrequently, used social media for over three hours daily, and had high social media usage scores were at greater risk of poor mental health.
  • The research concluded that collaborative efforts among stakeholders are necessary to design effective interventions and policies that promote responsible social media use and adolescent well-being.
  • The study used a quantitative cross-sectional research design, involving 336 adolescents aged 13-18 who actively used social media.
  • The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess mental health status.

Statistics:

  • 64.88% of the respondents had poor mental health scores.
  • 336 adolescents participated in the study, aged 13-18 years old.
  • The study found significant associations between age, study frequency, duration of social media use, and social media usage scores with mental health conditions (p < 0.05).
  • Adolescents who studied infrequently were more likely to have poor mental health (OR = 2.15, p < 0.01).
  • Those who used social media for over three hours daily were more likely to have poor mental health (OR = 2.31, p < 0.05).

Sources:

  • Biology, Medicine & Natural Product Chemistry, "The Impact of Social Media Addiction on Adolescent Mental Health in Ambon City, Indonesia," 2025,14(1):259-266.
  • The publisher for Biology, Medicine & Natural Product Chemistry is State Islamic University Sunan Kalijaga.
  • Science Direct, https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.14421/biomedich.2025.141.259-266.

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