A large study focusing on teenagers is diving into the domain of loneliness in the modern digital landscape, providing light on the influence of online socialising on juvenile mental health.
Teenagers aged 12 to 15 have been invited to engage in innovative research that will track their mental health and social contacts. The University of Edinburgh will lead this study as part of the Generation Scotland project, which intends to recruit 200 Scottish teenagers. Participants will use a customised smartphone app to document their emotions and social interactions for two weeks, both online and offline.
The study seeks to understand the nuanced impact of interactions on platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram, which are integral to youth socialisation. Despite previous research, many teens find solace and support in online relationships.
However, the goal of this study is to give real-time evidence of young people’s experiences with loneliness, therefore participants are asked to input information at several intervals throughout the day.
Interested teenagers can sign up to participate in the study through Generation Scotland’s website, reflecting the project’s commitment to engaging and empowering young people in research initiatives that directly impact their well-being.
According to Professor Heather Whalley, Chief Scientist for Generation Scotland, adolescence is a vital period of physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development. Researchers think that by actively incorporating young people in studies like Generation Scotland, they can improve adolescents’ mental health now and into the future.
The study, which was co-created with assistance from a group of ten young advisers, emphasises the necessity of giving young people a say in developing health research goals. Sarah Robertson, Youth Engagement Lead for Generation Scotland, emphasises the need to address society’s mental health problem, stating that young people’s health and well-being come first.
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