There has been much in the news lately about the detrimental effects of social media on young people. Instagram was recently revealed to be the worst culprit in terms of its impact on mental health, which is easy to understand - that old 'compare and despair' complex brought on by gazing gloomily at pictures of your friends' holidays, fancy-restaurant meals, shopping trips and career updates (rounded off with irritating hashtags like '#Ilovemyjob' and '#blessed').
Previous research has suggested a correlation between an excessive use of social media and reports of bad mental health, and it seems the more image-led the app, the more harmful it actually is - Snapchat also ranks particularly badly for mental health.
**WATCH: How many hours do you spend on social media? **
Latest reports reveal that nearly half of girls aged between 11 and 18 have suffered harrassment or abuse on social media. In a poll of 1,000 girls and boys in that age group, 48% of female respondants said they had experienced some sort of online abuse - for example, receiving an upsetting message, having images shared without their consent or being hassled through regular contact. In almost three in four of these cases, the girl in question had to take action by blocking other users or staying off sites altogether. Supposedly today's five to fifteen year olds are spending an average of 15 hours per week on the web, so they're getting a freaky amount of exposure to potential online bullies. On the other hand, a report by the Education Policy Institute has found that social media can help kids to develop social skills and access emotional suport more easily - so it may not all be bad.
We know that social media isn't necessarily great for our mental health, but when it's stopping teenage girls from speaking up or engaging in debate altogether, then something needs to be done.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.