Study links children’s social media use with anxiety and depression in teenage years

The link between childhood social media use and later depression is stronger for girls, says a team from Imperial College London. Photograph: posed by model; Elva Etienne/Getty Images

Children who are on social media for more than three hours a day are more likely to develop depression and anxiety as teenagers, according to research.

Experts said the impact was likely to be linked to a lack of sleep caused by using social media late at night, and that the link to depression was more pronounced in girls.