Spending too much time online can create problems in real life relationships of teenagers.
Results of studies conducted by University of California,teenagers from low-income families reported more physical fights, face-to-face arguments and trouble at school that spilled over from social media.
On the other hand, the researchers found that adolescents from economically disadvantaged households are also more likely to be bullied and victimised in cyberspace.
In a research published in the journal Nature researchers observed that while smartphones should not be seen as universally bad, vulnerable teenagers experience greater negative effects of life online.
For the last 10 years, researchers has been tracking adolescents mental health and their use of smartphones.
In her survey of North Carolina schoolchildren, 48 per cent of 11-year-olds said they owned a mobile phone as did eighty-five per cent of 14-year-olds.
The study showed that teenagers from families with a household income of less than $35,000 per year spent three more hours a day on screen media watching TV and online videos than teenagers in families with an annual income of more than $100,000.
The increased screen time could also convert to more problems offline, the findings showed. The evidence so far suggests that smartphones may serve as mirrors reflecting problems teens already have. Those from low-income families , social media experiences more frequently spilled over into real life, causing more offline fights and problems at school.
FROM AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR DR GOVIND SHUKLA, NUTRITION EXPERT
Govind Shukla, Specializes in Pharmacology, Toxicology, Nutraceuticals & Herbal Drugs has published More than 100 research papers in National & International Journals. He is also a reviewer of International Journal of Pharmacology & pharmacotherapeutics, Chief editor of IJPNR Journal & Freelance Medical Writer for Different publication Groups including Lambert Academic Publishing Saarbrucken, Germany.
