Australian study finds teen girls face higher depression risk from heavy social‑media use

A ten‑year longitudinal study conducted in Melbourne tracked about 1,200 children from age 8‑9 into late adolescence. Researchers from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the University of Dundee examined yearly questionnaire responses on social‑media use and mental‑health status.

The analysis showed that adolescents who spent more than two hours per day on social‑media platforms were modestly more likely to report depressive symptoms one year later. The effect was small overall—approximately five additional cases of severe distress per 100 high‑use teens—but was markedly stronger for girls, whose risk was roughly double that of boys. Girls aged 12‑13 showed the greatest increase, with about 12 extra cases of low mood per 100 high‑use individuals, while older age groups exhibited about half that risk. No significant association was found for boys.

The authors highlight early adolescence as a critical period for possible interventions, noting that even modest shifts in risk can have substantial public‑health implications when applied to millions of young people.