Iowa City, Iowa — A University of Iowa professor says some forms of social media may have such a powerful influence on the minds of teenagers that it’s driving them to consider suicide.
Gerta Bardhoshi, director of research and training at the University of Iowa’s Scanlan Center for School Mental Health, says some social media apps are helpful in allowing teens to connect, but other apps are clearly a threat.
The TikTok app may have as many as 150 million American users. It’s owned by a Chinese company and some state and federal lawmakers have threatened to ban the app. Bardhoshi says she understands why some see it as dangerous.
Governor Kim Reynolds has called TikTok a “national security risk.” Late last year, Reynolds banned state employees from using the app on state-owned devices, and state agencies are prohibited from subscribing or owning a TikTok account.
Despite the benefits, she says social media can be a tremendous distraction, especially in schools.
A recent survey by the Iowa Department of Public Health found an increasing number of Iowa youth have had suicidal thoughts, roughly one in five, along with an increase in the percentage of young people who made a plan to die by suicide.
Click here to go to the Scanlan Center.
Click here for the Iowa Youth Health Assessment Program.
