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Teenagers in America are suffering higher rates of depression than they were nearly a decade ago.
A study in Pediatrics surveyed teenagers and young adults suffering major bouts of depression in 2005 and in 2014. While the rate for adults in their early 20s didn’t increase by a significant amount, the rate for teenagers did jump from 8.7 percent to 11.3 percent.
One possible explanation: increased exposure to social media. One of the researchers noted that young people today, especially girls, are using social media at a higher rate than ever before. This can open them up to instances of cyberbullying, or it could be damaging to their self-esteem if they’re using it to compare themselves to others.
Anyone, not just teenagers, can benefit from taking a social media hiatus if they're finding that it’s only adding to their stress level.
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