study
Problematic social media use among children remains high
“Social media has become an integral part of everyday life.” photo
© Annette Riedl/dpa
During the pandemic, many boys and girls also immersed themselves more in the digital world with Instagram, TikTok and Co. How big is smartphone addiction now?
Almost a quarter of 10 to 17 year olds (24.5 percent) use social media such as messenger and video services to a risky extent, as the study by the health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit and the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) showed. Extrapolated to 1.3 million children, three times as many as in the pre-Corona year of 2019. In a survey in 2022, the proportion jumped significantly to 22.2 percent and has now continued to increase.
An estimated 360,000 children and young people are currently using it with addiction criteria, according to study data available to the German Press Agency. The proportion fell to 6.1 percent after 6.7 percent in the 2022 survey – but is almost twice as large as in 2019. DAK boss Andreas Storm said that social media has become an integral part of everyday life. But more information is needed about the appeal and risks of Instagram or TikTok and more prevention campaigns and offers of help for those affected.
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 is examined. “Risky” use is defined as frequent and long-term use with an increased risk of harmful consequences for physical or mental health. 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. The consequences are then significant disruptions in family and social areas, including training and work.