Usage Pattern and Health Impact of Social Media on School-going Adolescents in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Social media has become an essential tool for communication, information and entertainment and the use of the internet is increasing among adolescents. This study aimed to understand the usage pattern of social media among school-going adolescents and explore its health impacts. This cross-sectional study was conducted in secondary and higher secondary schools in old Dhaka city of Bangladesh among 248 adolescent students from February 2022 to July 2022. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and analyzed using the STATA 16 SE version. Most students were 17-19 years old (71.37%) and 66.94% were male. Facebook (90.73%) was the most used social media, followed by Messenger (90.32%), YouTube (85.48%), WhatsApp (55.47%), Instagram (52.42%) and TikTok (12.30%). Students who go to bed after midnight (p=0.02), daily usage of Facebook >2 hours (p=0.02), daily usage of Messenger >2 hours (p<0.01), daily usage of WhatsApp ≥1 hour (p=0.01) and daily usage of Instagram ≥1 hour (p=0.03) were significantly associated with headache. Similarly, for students who go to bed after midnight (p=0.04), daily usage of Facebook >2 hours (p<0.01), daily usage of Messenger >2 hours (p<0.01), daily usage of YouTube ≥1 hour (p<0.01) and daily usage of TikTok ≥1 hour (p=0.04) were significantly associated with Eye Ache. Besides, students who go to bed after midnight (p=0.03) and daily usage of Facebook >2 hours (p=0.04) were significantly associated with interrupted sleep at night. The study found that many students suffer negative health consequences from social media use. Parents should take necessary steps to combat the health hazards of using excessive social media with their children.