Psychiatrists are being urged to ask children with mental health issues how long they spend online and what they use social media for.
Questions about technology should be a routine part of assessments, the Royal College of Psychiatrists says. It is concerned about how time spent online impacts on mood, sleep, diet and behaviour.
The government is expected to announce plans to regulate social media companies soon. The College's advice comes as evidence grows of a possible link between harmful content or time spent online, and poor mental health. It is planning to publish a report later this year about its stance on technology use and children's mental health, which will include recommendations for parents, children and doctors.
When assessing children, psychiatrists are being advised to think about:
- harmful content, especially material which could impact on an existing mental illness, such as self-harm photos or images which promote eating disorders
- how problematic technology use could be related to problems with sleep, poor academic performance, low mood and behavioural or eating difficulties
- how conditions such as depression or eating disorders may make children more likely to spend too long online or use technology in a way that is harmful
The Royal College of Psychiatrists recommends that children stop using technology at least an hour before going to bed, and avoid using technology at mealtimes. This is a view echoed by the Chief Medical Officer in her recent guidance on social media.
A group of MPs recently called for a tax on social media companies' profits, saying the firms are operating in "an online wild west" and should help fund research into the links between technology use and mental illness.
The government is expected to announce plans for an independent regulator which would enforce a new statutory 'duty of care' on social media companies. This comes after growing concerns about graphic online content, including material featuring suicide and self-harm.
