Teen survey finds link between time online and emotional well-being [Video]

ATLANTA (WBAY) – The Centers for Disease Control is seeing teenagers spending a lot of time online and it appears to be a factor with their overall emotions.

The CDC just released its Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The results are based on responses from high school students in different areas across the country.

For the first time, the survey asks about teens’ social media use. It found more than 75% of high schoolers use social media several times a day.

It also found the more frequently students were online, the more likely they were to feel depressed or hopeless.

Those in that group were also more likely to say they’d been bullied and had seriously considered suicide.

The survey also says social media can especially impact the mental health of particular groups like girls, LGBTQ+ students, and students from marginalized racial and ethnic groups.

It also offers some possible solutions. Young people can feel better by: