Research shows that young people are at risk due to the use of social media.

‎ ‎Research conducted by psychologists has shown that many young people in Rwanda, mainly people between the ages of 18 and 30, are suffering from mental disorders, especially severe depression and other illnesses that can cause serious problems.‎

 ‎This is a study, conducted over a period of five months (August 2023 to January 2024), which showed that 43.3% of young people use social media, but it has a significant impact on their mental health.‎

 ‎The study was sponsored by Aegis Trust Rwanda, which aims to analyze and assess the impact of social media on the youth of Rwanda.‎ ‎

Psychologists who followed this research include Kwizera Rulinda, who works for Lifeline Rwanda, and Nshimiyimana Augustin, a professor at the University of Rwanda.‎ ‎This report shows that there is a lot that is wrong with young people, both psychologically and in their daily activities.‎

 ‎Research has shown that 37.7% of young people who use social media have anxiety, while 33.8% have stress.‎ 

‎However, depression is at a high rate, with 43.3% of those examined.‎ ‎Here, research has shown that all these diseases are caused by improper use of social networks, where young people can be worried about seeing hurtful comments on photos of different people or information written on social networks.‎ ‎The report shows that 26.4% of young people surveyed have a problem of loneliness, where they spend a lot of time on social media, which makes them unable to talk or connect with others in real life.‎

 ‎This use of social media affects the way young people think, and they may face psychological problems as they continue to engage in the time of sharing information on social media.‎ ‎

What Research Shows About Maternal and Child Health‎ ‎Research has shown that the use of social media continues to affect the upbringing of children, where parents are left busy on social media, losing time to take care of their family life or give their children time to talk.‎ 

‎This affects the development of children, causing them to not grow up physically and mentally.‎ ‎

Conferences for Policymakers and Psychologists‎ ‎In conclusion, the authors of this study asked the decision-making bodies of the country to work with psychologists to implement activities to help young people use social media in a way that does not harm their mental health.‎ ‎

They also ask doctors and psychologists in general to increase their efforts in helping young people, because psychological effects slow down development and can even reach the level of suicide, as shown in research.‎ ‎

This study shows a strong interest in finding answers to the psychological problems that continue to affect young people and should be given insight into helping our young people to continue to develop positively and achieve sustainable development.