The brain researcher: "Young people's living habits may be the cause of increasing mental illness"

- The time we spend on screens begin to push away our protective factors, what we need to feel good. It is about lack of sleep, diet and exercise. Young people sleep less and more have a lack of sleep. And lack of sleep has a strong connection to depression, increased anxiety and anxiety, says Sissela Nutley, who is affiliated with the Karolinska Institutet.

The number of people who sought help at the call reception in Sörmland has increased significantly in recent years. In 2016, 273 people sought help in the county, in 2018 there were a total of 1,242 people. Those who seek help often suffer from, for example, anxiety or anxiety. One of those who sought help is Stella Silverström.

- I was sad all the time and could feel bad and start crying. It was very difficult to do it all the time, she says.

According to an investigation by the National Board of Health, it is unclear why mental ill-health is increasing among children and young people. But Sissela Nutley believes that it may be due to children and young people's living habits with less sleep and more screen time.

In a large study to which she refers, researchers showed that the group that used smart phones for three months had increased social anxiety and decreased concentration. 11-year-old Stella, like many of her friends, feels a pressure from social media, even though it was not what she sought help for. She says that they talk a lot about screen time at school.

- When you have done something good you want many likes. If you do nothing, you do not exist, she says.

Sissela Nutley says there are studies that show that there is a connection between anxiety and social media.

- Young people today spend about a third of their waking time on screens and depending on what they do, that time will explain one's mood. It is important to keep a balance in the things you know you need to feel good, such as sleep and exercise. You have to get to the rest of the brain so that you have time where you are not stimulated, she says.

But there are those who would say it is an exaggerated concern, what do you think about it?

- I'm not saying we should stop using social media because that's where everything happens. We need to think about how we can make sure we get a use that does not go beyond things we need to feel good. This takes more time of our day than we feel good about.

Sissela Nutley wants politicians to look at the question of whether any form of regulation could be introduced around social media.

- If we don't regulate it will only get worse and worse. There are only more extreme methods to compete for our attention. We need to get ethical discussions and regulations on how tech companies can act towards their users, ”she says.