Teenagers who report addictive use of screens at greater risk of suicidal behaviour, study shows

Of more than 4,000 adolescents studied, nearly one in three reported increasingly addictive use of social media or mobile phones. Photograph: Daniel de la Hoz/Getty

Teenagers who show signs of being addicted to social media, mobile phones or video games are at greater risk of suicidal behaviour and emotional problems, according to research.

A study, which tracked more than 4,000 adolescents for four years, found that nearly one in three reported increasingly addictive use of social media or mobile phones. Those whose use followed an increasingly addictive trajectory had roughly double the risk of suicidal behaviour at the end of the study.