A new study led by researchers at the University of Edinburgh is set to track the impact of online socialisation on young people’s experience of loneliness across Scotland.

Young people aged 12 to 15 years old are now being invited to participate in the research and sign up via Generation Scotland.

The Edinburgh team says its findings will help to uncover how online communication and the digital world affects children and young people’s mental health.

The team is recruiting 200 teenagers across Scotland to take part in the Generation Scotland project, by recording their emotions and any associated social interactions – both online and offline.

Earlier this month, researchers at the University of Glasgow revealed that rural communities experience less loneliness, noting social networks and interactions with people of different ages as a key finding for rural areas.

Now, this study aims to capture the impact of interactions across social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat which play an increasingly significant role in young people’s social lives.

Professor Heather Whalley, Chief Scientist for Generation Scotland at the University of Edinburgh, says as this age group goes through a period of significant change, it is important to understand the influences on their wellbeing:

“Adolescence is a period of huge physical, social, cognitive and emotional change. As the brain is changing a lot at this age, it can be viewed as a window of opportunity to potentially avoid the development of mental health conditions.

“We need more young people to join longitudinal studies such as Generation Scotland in order to support the mental health of young people now and into the future.”

This comes just weeks after doctors called for urgent action to support children and young people who face ‘significant’ challenges waiting for NHS care across Scotland – with improved access and funding vital to physical and mental health.

In this study, participants will be invited to record their emotions and experiences by using an app on their phone over a two-week period.

The teenagers will be prompted to input information at various points throughout the day, providing real-time evidence on their experiences of loneliness.

While previous studies have indicated a limited benefit to online social interactions, suggesting that they may not offer the same opportunities for emotion and social growth as in-person interactions, researchers say they recognise that many teenagers report engaging online as beneficial to their mental health.

Sarah Robertson, Youth Engagement Lead for Generation Scotland at the University of Edinburgh, says:

“In order to affect real change, we need to give young people a platform to amplify their voices.

“Young people are not just the future; their health and wellbeing matters now and we need to work with them to find solutions to the mental health crisis our society is facing.”

By co-developing this study with a group of 10 young advisors, the Edinburgh team says it hopes to encourage more young people to take part and help shape health research for current and future generations.

Young people interested in taking part in the study can sign up to take part via Generation Scotland. Details are available here.

Read more: Providers: children's service cuts ‘devastating'; Rural communities experience less loneliness; Psychiatrists in ‘disbelief' over cut funding; Regulation key to reducing obesity; Long COVID: Alone and forgotten

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