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York teenagers say social media is causing mental health issues and eating disorders

Tue 22 Apr, 2025 by Sarah Dunphy

Filed Under: Health, News

Youngsters in York say that the rise in mental health issues among their age group is closely linked to the effects of social media. 

YorkMix spoke to a group of girls aged 14 and 15 who attend a local youth group about how various issues impact on their lives.

It follows a survey for the City of York Council youth strategy which found a series of worrying findings about young people’s experiences. 

The girls we spoke to said social media played a dominant role in their lives.

They were concerned about how platforms like TikTok and Instagram aggravates constant comparison and competition. One girl even highlighted how the culture can encourage eating disorders.

When asked whether growing up in a world dominated by social media had more positives or negatives, the group drew upon their own experiences. 

One girl said: “I think half of the time it makes things worse, it sets unrealistic standards.”

All four agreed that social media had negative effected their own mental health, often leading them to compare themselves with strangers online.

One girl noted a worrying trend that they see online, a rising pattern of online negative “competition”.

“People compare how bad stuff is on social media, saying that they’re worse than you, which just makes you want to get worse. It kind of makes it into a competition,” she told YorkMix. 

They agreed that this was especially common on TikTok, where users share the realities of eating disorders and often measured their ‘achievements’, from how little they’ve eaten or how much weight they’ve lost, against others. 

Screen time and staying indoors

The girls also discussed the impact of excessive screen time and how it’s changing young people’s behaviour and wellbeing.

They feel that today’s younger generation spend far less time outdoors, which they believe directly corolates to lower mood and declining mental health.

They told YorkMix that because they rely so heavily on their phones, they don’t feel a particular need to go out. 

“It’s like, I don’t have to leave the house because I’ve got my phone,” one girl mentioned. 

Another added, “When we were younger we used to play out all the time, but now I don’t see anybody out and about.” 

The girls discussed their screen time and admitted to spending the majority of their days on their phone; “My screen time is really bad, it’s like ten hours a day.”

“My screen time from last weekend was seventeen hours and forty five minutes,” one girl stated.

They feel the constant screen exposure is affecting their imaginations and attention spans, and have noticed it amongst generations even younger than themselves. 

“I feel like social media takes your imagination away, I used to have a big imagination when I was younger. A lot of younger people I know don’t have a big imagination at all,” one girl mentioned. 

This led onto the group discussing the influence social media had on even younger teenagers and children, especially girls. 

They said how girls as young as primary school age were using high-end makeup and skincare products designed for older teens and adults, due to the content they consume on social media.

“I know a girl who’s in year six (aged 10-11) and she is so easily influenced by everything online, especially TikTok. She’s got expensive skincare products and does her makeup everyday for primary school,” one girl added.

Are you worried about the impact social media has on the younger generation? Let us know at info@wp.theyorkmix.com.


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