An increase in teen suicide rates in the United States took place around the same time as social media began to boom.
Although there is no clear evidence pointing to an exact correlation between teens' social media use and mental health, one report says there could be a link.
According to a new study published in Clinical Psychological Science, researchers found teens' use of smartphones doubled to at least 5 hours a day.
The study says these teens were 70% more likely to have suicidal thoughts or actions than those who reported one hour of daily use.
Dr. Elena Malofeeva works with Tucson Counseling. She also says although there is no clear evidence of a link between suicide and mental health, there is a connection.
"We cannot say that because of social media use, emotional outcomes are worse. But there is certainly a correlation and we know that rates of depression and anxiety have increased.
