Ms Walitza, this is the second time you have led the Pro Juventute Youth Study as principal investigator. What makes you feel optimistic?
Over 80 per cent of young people say they are mentally stable. This highlights particularly clearly the importance of relationships as a protective factor – and that is a welcome and important message for parents: the family, in particular, provides a supportive influence.
That's surprising. You'd think peers would be more important at this age.
The peer group is important. But the family also remains central. The majority of young people turn to their parents first when they have problems.
The constant need to compare oneself with others, fuelled by social media, can be very stressful.
15 per cent of young people say that their media consumption already shows signs of becoming pathological. What does that mean?
Those affected find it difficult to limit their screen time. Other activities are neglected, there are conflicts with parents, sleep problems and other negative consequences for mental health.
Is there such a thing as a «social media factor» when it comes to mental health?
In a way, yes. The constant availability of information causes stress for many young people. The greatest risk, however, is the constant need to compare oneself with others. This constant need to measure up to others can be very stressful. Nevertheless, the causes of media addiction remain multifactorial.
Which young people are particularly at risk?
Young people with low self-esteem or high expectations of themselves. Constantly comparing themselves to others and striving to improve themselves can lead to eating disorders or body image issues.
Young people with neurodivergent conditions, such as ADHD or autism spectrum disorder, are also at risk. They may be more sensitive to reward systems and often use digital spaces to better control their social interactions – which can also be an advantage.
In addition, young people from migrant backgrounds. They use social media more frequently as a coping strategy in difficult situations and, in our study, report more often that they find it difficult to limit their media consumption.
Age also plays a part.
Yes, from the age of 18, young people develop more coping strategies than, say, 12- to 16-year-olds. This is linked to the maturing of the brain, particularly the development of the frontal lobes. Whilst girls are more vulnerable, they are also more likely to talk to others about their problems. In the case of boys, we may be less able to identify certain sources of stress because they are less likely to open up. We therefore recommend supervised use of social media only from the age of 14.
Political measures are needed to hold platform operators more accountable.
What, specifically, helps young people in their everyday lives?
Much more physical activity, for example. In our study, a large number of girls stated that they do little or no physical activity. This isn't about competitive sport, but about regular physical activity. But it's also about spending much more time in nature, social interaction and unstructured leisure time. The latter is often neglected. It's about genuine relaxation and hobbies without the pressure to perform.
The figures on young people's media use vary widely. So how much is actually a problem?
Three to four hours a day is now the average – even for many adults. However, it is not so much the duration as the nature of media use that matters . Passive scrolling has a different effect to active reading or communication.
It also seems that media use during the week is more stressful than at the weekend. When smartphone use follows on seamlessly from school, there is no real opportunity to recharge.
We also need to discuss how adults use the media and, more generally, talk more openly as a society about protection.
Absolutely! The word «protection» is important to me. Parents have very limited scope for action when it comes to social media platforms. The real problems lie not only in screen time, but in the algorithms. And these are created by the platform operators.
Constant stimuli, «likes», reward systems or prompts can have an addictive effect on a teenager's brain.
So it's not the young people who are the real problem.
The platforms are responsible for the key mechanisms at play. Algorithms are designed to capture users’ attention – using reward systems such as «likes» and endless feeds to make users dependent. That is why political measures are needed to hold these companies more accountable.
It's similar to what happened with the tobacco companies in the past. Protection only became effective once the harmful effects and the issue of addiction had been proven. So, is social media addictive?
There are factors that contribute to addiction: constant stimuli, reward systems, «likes» and prompts. These mechanisms are particularly significant in a brain that is still developing.
Guiding their children through the digital world is too much for many parents to cope with. They lack the time, energy and, often, the necessary know-how.
It is challenging, yes. Protection should not descend into social restriction or invasive surveillance. The latter is often counterproductive. Good solutions involve children and young people and allow them a say.
Isn't it precisely this right to have a say that is lacking in the current debate? The generation of parents and grandparents is increasingly calling for bans.
That's a shame, because young people can tell us very precisely, from their own experience, what they need and what helps them. That's why, as part of the European BootStRaP project, for example, we've worked with young people to develop a prevention app that flags up when media use is becoming risky and also provides strategies to deal with it.
What trends are you noticing amongst young people here?
Broadly speaking, we see two main areas of risk: one concerns young people who react impulsively and find it difficult to switch off. The other concerns those who rely heavily on media for emotional regulation. This, too, can become problematic. It is important that we then provide young people with alternatives.
If, as a mother or father, you constantly feel as though you have to run after everything and keep it all under control, then that is a warning sign.
They want to put an end to digital problems using digital means.
Exactly. The prevention app is a digital gateway to offline services. The aim is to use digital strategies to establish protective measures whilst, at the same time, limiting the influence that platforms can exert.
It is difficult for parents to keep up with technological developments at all.
I understand that perfectly. At the moment, we're wavering between two extremes: on the one hand, a total ban; on the other, the idea that parents and teachers alone should be responsible for teaching all aspects of media literacy.
The internal pressure that plagues many parents seems to be growing ever greater. Why is that?
Today's generation of parents has sought to become even more independent and wants to excel in many areas: work, family, relationships and bringing up children. Many parents set high standards for themselves – they want to support, encourage and give their children space all at the same time. This can also lead to a kind of perfectionism. Young people see and sense very clearly just how much their parents are putting themselves through.
How might parents counteract these high expectations?
One important point is to help parents regain confidence in themselves. The destigmatisation of mental health issues and psychotherapeutic support is, in principle, a very positive development.
Parents are key figures of trust for their children. Parents can rely on this.
At the same time, we are seeing a certain shift towards a professional system: parents are aware of the importance of early detection, are less reluctant to seek external help, and are in some cases also urged by the school to seek a professional assessment at an early stage.
We need to strike a new balance here. What can we manage ourselves? What do we expect families to be capable of? That is precisely why the message of this study is so important: parents are their children's primary source of trust. Parents can rely on that.
When does the desire to protect cross the line into unhealthy overprotection?
That's a big issue. We live in an age of recurring crises, and social media constantly reminds us of everything that lies beyond our control. This can intensify the desire to exercise control at least where it seems possible. If, as a mother or father, you constantly feel as though you're constantly playing catch-up and have to be in control of everything, that's a warning sign. Often, a more relaxed approach helps. Making mistakes is all part of it.
So parents need just as much support as young people.
Absolutely. Everything we say about protection, sharing and support applies to parents too. Nobody should feel as though they are alone in dealing with these issues.
Perhaps we find it particularly difficult here in Switzerland – to ask for help.
Social connectedness is one of the key drivers of mental health. We talk a lot about mental health, but social health is at least as important. Parents shouldn't feel ashamed to seek help or ask questions. Statistically speaking, all families face challenges of some kind. And all have something to contribute. Single-parent families, in particular, often take on far too much. As the well-known saying goes: it takes a whole village to bring up a child.
Grandparents can be a great help if the relationship is a good one.
Interacting with older people is good for young people – and vice versa. There are some wonderful intergenerational projects, and I hope we can develop them much further. Loneliness is a major risk factor for both sides. Connections like these can make a huge difference.
Anything that fosters genuine connection – with others and with oneself – strengthens mental health in the long term.
What do you think of a ban on mobile phones at school?
I think that makes perfect sense. Many young people say themselves that they thought it was a bit daft at first, but then realised that their breaks became more enjoyable because they started talking to each other more again. You just shouldn't think that a ban on mobile phones at school solves the whole problem.
In their clinics, they deliberately focus on analogue spaces and experiences.
A path we should all take: stepping away from constant online connectivity, not isolating ourselves, nurturing community, spending more time in nature, and seeking out more authentic experiences. This can also be backed up by empirical evidence: anything that fosters genuine connection – with others and with oneself – strengthens mental health in the long term.
