Social media fuelling 'devastating' mental health crisis in kids

After Australia, France announces plans to ban social media for children under 15

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The “unchecked expansion” of social media platforms is driving an unprecedented global mental health crisis in kids and teens, a children’s NGO said yesterday, calling for urgent coordinated action worldwide.

The KidsRights report said one in seven children and adolescents aged between 10 and 19 suffered mental health issues, with the global suicide rate at six per 100,000 for those aged 15-19.

Even these high rates represent “the tip of the iceberg” as suicide is widely under-reported due to stigma, according to the Amsterdam-based group.