Children who are heavy users of social media are unhappier with their appearance than those who never use such sites, according to a Government study. A survey of ten to 15-year-olds found that of those who used sites such as Facebook and Twitter for more than three hours a night, only 53 per cent were happy with their looks – compared to 82 per cent among non-users.
Heavy users of social media are also more likely to argue with their parents. Some 44 per cent who are online for more than three hours said that they quarrelled with their mother more than once a week. The figure was nearly half that for light and non-users of social networks.
Heavy users were also twice as likely to say that they misbehaved in class.
Girls were twice as likely as boys to say they used social networks for such long periods, said the Office for National Statistics.
The survey of 3,500 children, carried out by Essex University over several years, also found that heavy social media users were less happy with their friends and families, with 17 per cent saying they are bullied ‘a lot’ or ‘quite a lot’ – compared with just 11 per cent of light users. Five per cent said they did not feel supported by their family, compared to just 1 per cent of youngsters who said that they were seldom on social sites.
Truancy rates are higher for heavy users (14 per cent) than light users (6 per cent).
The survey, entitled Understanding Society, involves 40,000 households across the UK and covers all ethnic groups. Respondents are asked to complete repeated questionnaires to track changing circumstances and attitudes.
Alongside the adult surveys are questionnaires for children, aged 10 to 15, looking specifically at their well-being.
The one positive finding to emerge from the survey concerned children’s educational aspirations after they reach 16.
Some 90 per cent of heavy social media users said they wanted to go to university compared to 87 per cent of the most modest users and 82 per cent of those who avoided social networks altogether.
The Daily Mail
