A ten-year study by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute has found a link between high social media use and a decrease in mental health among young teenagers.

Murdoch 兒童研究中心進行的一項十年研究發現，高度使用社群媒體與年輕青少年的心理健康下降之間存在關聯。

The research, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, followed about 1,200 children in Melbourne from 2015 to 2021. The data shows that 12- to 13-year-olds who used social media for two or more hours a day had a higher risk of depression and lower wellbeing one year later. This trend was strongest in girls, while boys in the same group showed a higher increase in self-harming behaviors. Dr. Nandi Vijayakumar emphasized that these results are likely caused by rapid brain development, the start of puberty, and a greater need for social acceptance during these years.

這項發表在《澳洲醫學雜誌》的研究，在 2015 年至 2021 年間追蹤了墨爾本約 1,200 名兒童。數據顯示，每天使用社群媒體兩小時或以上的 12 至 13 歲兒童，一年後患憂鬱症的風險較高且身心健康狀況較差。這一趨勢在女孩中最強烈，而同組的男孩則顯示出自我傷害行為顯著增加。Nandi Vijayakumar 醫生強調，這些結果可能是由大腦快速發育、進入青春期以及在這些年份對社交認同感的需求增加所導致的。

However, some experts have questioned the study's methods. Professor Daniel Angus from the Queensland University of Technology pointed out that the data relied on self-reporting and did not explain exactly what the children were doing online. Consequently, he argued that simply measuring 'time spent' is not enough to prove that social media causes these problems. Furthermore, these findings come as Australia introduces a social media ban for under-16s, although evidence suggests this is not very effective since about 70 percent of users still access the platforms. While Professor Susan Sawyer stressed the importance of these results, others argue that such studies may underestimate the ability of today's youth to think critically.

然而，部分專家對該研究的方法提出質疑。昆士蘭科技大學的 Daniel Angus 教授指出，數據依賴於自我報告，且未解釋兒童在網上的具體行為。因此，他認為僅僅衡量「花費時間」不足以證明社群媒體是導致這些問題的原因。此外，這些發現正值澳洲針對 16 歲以下青少年實施社群媒體禁令之際，儘管證據顯示此舉並不十分有效，因為約 70% 的用戶仍能訪問這些平台。雖然 Susan Sawyer 教授強調了這些結果的重要性，但其他人認為此類研究可能低估了當今青少年的批判性思考能力。

The study shows that early adolescence is a vital time for mental health support, although the fact that risks continue after age 13 suggests that age limits alone may not be enough.

研究顯示，青春期早期是心理健康支援的關鍵時期，但風險在 13 歲後依然持續，這表明單憑年齡限制可能不足夠。