When the screen harms the teen

. Adolescents face problems of lowered self-esteem and higher risk of symptoms associated with eating disorders by spending so much time on social media, a new study finds. CONTENU - Patricia Conrod Increased social media use by teenagers is associated with a decrease in their self-esteem and a growth of symptoms associated with eating disorders, according to a new Canadian study. This worrisome situation occurs during a crucial period of adolescent development and continues over time, says the study by Université de Montréal professor Patricia J. Conrod, a researcher at the UdeM-affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre. The study was published in November in Psychology & Health. Screen time and self-esteem have been known to influence the development of symptoms associated with eating disorders among children. But until now, no study took into account the use of different screen types (television, social media, video games) and the persistence of the impacts over time.