Microplastics at the Intersection of Toxicology, Child Health, and Human Rights.

In recent years, social media has become one of the most prevalent digital activities during adolescence. Although these platforms offer opportunities for communication, learning, and identity formation, their excessive or problematic use has raised concern because of its potential association with multiple indicators of psychological distress. Evidence from different regions suggests that this is a global phenomenon rather than an isolated concern. In particular, a systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 studies involving 9269 adolescents and young adults from countries in North America, Europe, and Asia found moderate and statistically significant associations between addictive social media use (ASMU) and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Consistent with this broader international evidence, a large nationally representative study conducted in Hungary reported that approximately 4.5% of adolescents were at risk of ASMU. In Latin America and Peru, evidence remains limited; however, a study conducted among university students reported high levels of social media addiction (41.6%) and social media obsession (46.5%), suggesting that this phenomenon may also represent a relevant issue in the local and regional context. Depressive and anxiety symptoms during adolescence constitute a major public health concern due to their high prevalence and adverse effects on emotional, social, and academic functioning. According to the World Health Organization, approximately one in seven adolescents aged 10–19 years experiences a mental health condition globally; among the most common are emotional disorders, with anxiety affecting 4.1% of those aged 10–14 years and 5.3% of those aged 15–19 years, and depression affecting 1.3% and 3.4%, respectively., During this developmental stage, multiple individual, familial, and contextual factors may contribute to the onset and persistence of these emotional problems. Among the most studied contemporary factors is ASMU. In this regard, positive associations between ASMU and depressive symptoms have been reported in Turkish and Malaysian adolescents., Longitudinal evidence further suggests a bidirectional or complex relationship, whereby depressive symptoms may predict later problematic internet-related behaviors, and vice versa. However, the evidence remains mixed, as some studies have not found significant associations between ASMU and symptoms of depression or anxiety. Beyond its direct association with depressive symptoms, ASMU may also be linked to depression through intermediate emotional mechanisms, particularly anxiety., This possibility is especially relevant during adolescence, a developmental period marked by heightened sensitivity to peer evaluation, emotional reactivity, and ongoing maturation of emotion regulation. In this context, excessive and compulsive social media engagement may intensify social comparison, fear of judgment, interpersonal conflict, and withdrawal-like experiences, thereby increasing anxiety levels. Anxiety, in turn, is closely related to depression and may precede its development, making it a plausible mediator in the relationship between ASMU and depressive symptoms. It may also amplify vulnerability to depression through greater self-focused negative thinking and poorer emotion regulation in the context of addictive online behaviors.,, Accordingly, examining anxiety as a mediator may help clarify the psychological processes linking ASMU to depressive symptomatology during adolescence.