At the workshop “Social networks and mental health of Vietnamese adolescents” organized by the Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health (Hanoi Medical University) in collaboration with the ZA Initiative on October 4, Dr. Nguyen Thi Mai Huong - Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health - shared about the specific impacts of social networks on the mental health of adolescents.
According to Dr. Huong, the benefits of social networks are increased social connections, opportunities for self-expression, and access to information and resources for young people in their studies and lives.
Studies have also shown that about 81% of students report that social media helps them feel more connected to their friends and the world around them. However, when social media is overused, teens can experience negative effects such as sleep disturbances, depression, social isolation and internet addiction, cyberbullying, increased cybercrime, peer pressure and exposure to harmful content are some of the risks associated with social media use, leading to self-harm, suicidal thoughts and other mental health issues. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring and educating children about the responsible and healthy use of social media.
According to statistics, Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest percentage of Internet and social network users in the world. There are currently 72.70 million social network users, accounting for 73.3% of the population. Of these, 7.1% are between the ages of 13 and 17 and 9.7% are between the ages of 18 and 24.
A 2022 UNICEF survey showed that 82% of Vietnamese children aged 12-13 use the Internet daily, while the figure for 14-15 year olds is 93%.
Mr. Cao Hoang Nam - representative of the ZA Initiative - emphasized: "Social networks have used different algorithms based on in-depth research on the brain's operating mechanism to maximize usage time, continuously attract social network users, creating addictive interaction cycles. It is especially important to note that these features are designed for teenage users and are not publicly announced to users."
Currently, Vietnam has not had any specific research on the impact of social networks on adolescents. However, many studies around the world show that excessive use of social networks has a negative impact on mental health. The positive aspects that social networks bring are enormous. However, children who use social networks too much can lead to distraction from studying, depression, loneliness, and these effects can lead to long-term depression.
Mr. Nam especially emphasized the use of social networks by children under 13 years old because this age group is in the stage of brain development, so using too much social networks has a big impact on children's brains. Therefore, more studies are needed in Vietnam to assess the impact of social networks on adolescents.
