Glasgow: A study has shown that constant use of social media can lead children and young people to engage in harmful behaviors such as alcoholism, drug use, smoking and gambling.
Researchers from the University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde and Public Health Scotland examined the impact of social media on young people aged 10 to 19.
In the study, researchers reviewed 73 studies conducted between 1997 and 2022 involving a total of 1.4 million young adults with an average age of 15 years.
The analysis found that those who use social media daily are more likely to drink alcohol (48 percent), use drugs (28 percent) and smoke cigarettes (85 percent) than those who do not use social media daily. were
In the study, smoking and tobacco use were higher in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries.
In a study published in the British Medical Journal, the researchers acknowledged that these results could be affected by unaccounted for factors such as parenting behavior.
Alcohol advertising across platforms was seen as the strongest evidence of harm, the researchers said.
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