Following reports linking increased smartphone and social media use to depression and anxiety among children and adolescents, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday called on the Department of Education to make responsible social media use a key component in mental health programs for schools.
“Experts have warned that the constant use of social media is one of the reasons for the increasing number of teenagers suffering from anxiety and depression,” the senator said.
“It’s alarming. We have been tagged the social media capital of the world so that it is important to teach the right use of internet and social media,” he added.
According to Dr. Cornelio Banaag Jr. of the Medical City, the blue light of smartphones inhibits melatonin production and keeps young people awake at night.
When young people are sleep-deprived, Banaag said they become more prone to having depression and anxiety.
The Department of Health reported that around 3.3 million Filipinos suffer from depressive disorders.
According to the 2015 World Health Organization’s Global-based student health survey involving more than 8,000 high school students aged 13-17 in the Philippines, nearly 17 percent of its respondents had attempted suicide in the previous year. Almost 12 percent of the study’s participants also seriously considered committing suicide.
DepEd’s flagship health program “Oplan Kalusugan (OK) sa DepEd” started including mental health this year.
According to Gatchalian, this should be leveraged to increase awareness-building and psycho-social intervention programs.
“We need holistic approach. If we are to teach our students to be responsible in social media use and to take care of themselves, we also need to ensure that those who will teach them have the capability to do this job,” he added.