In 2009, young people 8-18 years in the US spent an average of 7
½ hours per day online, up from 6 ½ in 2004, with an estimated
figure of 11 hours of media consumption when accounting for
multitasking.1 Given that that study
started before Twitter really took off, it's likely that the
pervasiveness of online culture into the lives of young people has
only increased. Dr Michael Rich, a paediatrician at Children's
Hospital Boston who directs the Center on Media and Child Health
and spoke at the release of the above study, concluded that it was
time to stop arguing over whether it was good or bad and accept it
as part of a child's environment, "like the air they breathe, the
water they drink and the food they eat."
The 2009 Nielson Report How Teens Use Media2 concluded that teens actually use media less
often than other age groups, continue to spend more time with
traditional media than online "new" media, and spend less time
online than adults. It estimated the monthly time online is nearly
28 hours per month for Australian teens, and nearly 25 hours per
month for teens in the US, much less than the 40 plus hours spent
by 35-55 year olds. The study concluded that this may well be
because of the many other social, curricular and extra-curricular
demands on a teen's time, as well as restricted access by financial
situation, parents or schools. While estimates vary, it is clear
that the Internet is a huge part of young lives.
Australia has the second highest smartphone penetration in the
world at 37%, according to research commissioned by Google in
2009.3 Over 80% of smartphone users
were first time users who had bought their device less than 1 year
before. Australian mental health providers and public health
initiatives have an opportunity to lead the world in
revolutionising service and message delivery through the rapidly
expanding market of smartphones. The Bridging the Digital Divide
Report,4 produced by the Inspire
Foundation in collaboration with ORYGEN Youth Health, concluded
that "the uptake of mobile technology by young people provides
great opportunities for organisations and services looking to use
ICT [Information Communications Technology] to improve the mental
health of young people experiencing social, economic and cultural
marginalisation…". An example of using smartphones to manage mental
health is an app called Moody Me, which is a mood diary application. It
allows users to record their mood at the time, anywhere they are,
input other factors, such as medications, and produces graphs for
time periods hour to hour, day to day, up to 90 days. Another is Sleeptracker, which is used to record daily
sleep patterns.
For examples of CBT programs and
apps that young people can use to enhance their mental health or
wellbeing, visit the Reviews of Therapeutic Tools
section.
Online spaces and "new media" also have a vast potential in
outreach, public health campaigns and advocacy. For example,
ReachOut.com runs campaigns via Facebook to share ideas and raise
awareness around topics such as stress, goal setting and life
changes. The potential for similarly effective and innovative
campaigns or apps tailored to improving mental health outcomes has
been underutilised.
Future use of communications technology and online spaces by
health professionals could provide valuable tools for crisis care,
health management and mental health literacy. More information on
new research and tools for young people, technology and wellbeing
can be found via the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre.
Other Resources
For more in depth information on the way young people use online
spaces visit the Professional Development
section.
For more information about what young people do online and why,
visit the Trends in Online Behaviour
section.
For more information on the benefits of social networking
services and online spaces for mental health and wellbeing, visit
the Benefits of
Social Media and Online Spaces section.
For more information on the key ways in which young people seek
help online, and the appeal and requirements of online resources,
visit the Help Seeking Online section.
For more information on safety risks and how to help young
people stay safe online, visit the Online Safety section.