top of page

Current State of our Teens 

Based on the MMWR data, there's a clear and pressing need for comprehensive solutions to address student mental health and safety. The data presents some concerning trends:

  1. Strong correlation between frequent social media use and negative mental health outcomes, particularly among LGBTQ+ youth and female students

  2. High prevalence of electronic bullying (17% overall with higher rates for specific demographics)

  3. Alarming rates of persistent feelings of sadness/hopelessness (42.6% for frequent social media users)

  4. Significant suicide risk indicators, with 20.2% of students having seriously considered suicide

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey data shows how digital interactions and mental health are deeply interconnected in today's educational environment, which directly aligns with the purpose of the My Safe Schools Platform.

Your platform's comprehensive approach through six integrated modules appears strategically designed to address these specific challenges:

Social Media

  • Overall prevalence: 77.0% of high school students report frequent social media use (several times a day)

  • Gender differences: 81.8% of female students vs. 72.9% of male students report frequent use

  • Age trends: Usage increases with age from 74.5% (≤14 years) to 79.1% (17 years)

  • Sexual identity: Highest rates among questioning (82.6%) and bisexual students (82.2%)

  • Platform usage: The survey referenced Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Twitter specifically

  • Time intensity: 29.5% of students report using social media "more than once an hour"

Suicide Risk

  • Suicidal ideation: 20.2% of students seriously considered attempting suicide in the past 12 months

  • Suicide planning: 16.6% of students made a suicide plan

  • Suicide attempts: 9.5% of students attempted suicide at least once

  • Social media correlation: Frequent social media users had a 21% higher adjusted prevalence of suicidal thoughts compared to non-frequent users

  • Demographics: Female students (26.4%) were nearly twice as likely as male students (13.9%) to consider suicide

  • LGBTQ+ impact: 40.4% of LGBTQ+ students with frequent social media use considered suicide vs. 13.9% of heterosexual students with frequent use

  • Cumulative ACEs effect: Students with ≥4 adverse childhood experiences had 9.15 times higher prevalence of suicidal ideation

Bullying

  • School bullying: 19.9% of students reported being bullied on school property

  • Electronic bullying: 17.0% of students reported being electronically bullied

  • Gender disparities: Girls experienced higher rates of both school bullying (23.0% vs 16.6%) and electronic bullying (21.5% vs 12.2%)

  • Social media connection: Frequent social media users had 54% higher adjusted prevalence of electronic bullying

  • LGBTQ+ targeting: 25.5% of LGBTQ+ students with frequent social media use reported electronic bullying vs. 14.4% of heterosexual students

  • Persistent effects: Bullying victims showed significantly higher rates of persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness

  • Cross-platform harassment: Electronic bullying specifically included "texting, Instagram, Facebook, or other social media"

Intersection between categories

​These data points illustrate the interconnected nature of social media use, bullying, and suicide risk, highlighting the need for comprehensive approaches like the My Safe Schools Platform that address these issues holistically rather than as isolated challenges.

  • Students who experienced electronic bullying were 2.3 times more likely to report persistent sadness/hopelessness

  • LGBTQ+ students who frequently use social media reported the highest rates across all three categories

  • Female students with frequent social media use had a 66% higher adjusted prevalence of electronic bullying

  • Students with 4+ adverse childhood experiences who were bullied showed dramatically higher suicide risk indicators

  • The combination of frequent social media use, bullying victimization, and mental health issues created compounding effects on suicide risk

bottom of page