In today's time, people have become very much dependent on social media to stay connected with each other. If we talk about the youth, then addiction to social media is emerging as a danger for them somewhere. According to psychologists, social media is contributing to the increase in suicidal tendencies among youth.

The use of social media by children under the age of 18 has increased significantly in the last few years. It is also believed that due to social media, depression and suicidal feelings have also increased in them. The way use of social media by children has increased in India in the last decade, and so has the suicide rate among them.

Depression is considered one of the major mental problems in youth and children. If depression is not taken care of or ignored, it can lead to suicidal ideation in the mind of the child and he can also commit this heinous crime. Therefore it can be said that as the use of social media has increased, so has the suicide rate.

In addition, non-suicidal injuries have also increased among youth between 14% and 21%. According to the facts, children who harm themselves are more active on online social networks than youths who do not harm themselves. Role of online social networking A study was done to know the negative effects of self-harm and suicide in adolescents.

Research has found that online social networking can lead users to self-harm and self-harm, and from receiving negative messages that promote self-harm, violent behavior with other people, and sharing videos that contain self-harming content, etc. There has been an increase in suicidal ideation. Spending too much time on social networking websites leads to psychological problems, poor mental health, poor self-care, and an increase in the trend of suicide.

Excessive time spent on social networking online promotes self-harm behavior and suicidal ideation in vulnerable adolescents. In such a situation, know how to keep your children safe using social media from Dr. Jyoti Kapoor, (Founder and Senior Psychiatrist, Manasthali Wellness).

Keep children safe using social media like this-
Parents should first try to find out which program or app their child is using. There are age restrictions on some social media platforms but children reach there too. In such a situation, it is very important to know what your child is searching for on the Internet.
- Show interest and answer questions about your child's online life.
- If possible, keep the tablet and computer in a common area of ​​the house where you can see your child using them.
- Adopt programs that can block websites, impose time limits, etc. Keep track of which websites your child is visiting, and who they are talking to online.
- Follow any social media platform your child is running. Then tell them that you are monitoring their social life so that they can stay safe. Some children may even create fake accounts to mislead their parents.
- Ask them about the people they chat with online. Your showing interest will help them feel comfortable talking about it.
- Explain to them the importance of keeping online friendships within the online world. Whenever your child wants to meet an online friend in person, allow them to meet with an adult in a public place.
- Explain to the children what is right and what is wrong to post on social media. Online posts stay online forever. Your child should not post anything they would not want a parent or teacher to see or read.
- People can't control what others post about them. Explain to them that the photos or information that remains on social media may bother them years later.
- Explain to them that autocorrect can sometimes hurt someone's sentiments and spread rumors.
- Some children may look for a partner to go on a date with on a dating site or to satisfy a sexual need. Teach them how to find a safe and right relationship.

Recognize the symptoms of social media addiction
Addiction is measured from mild to severe using the 11 criteria for addiction described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5. People who meet two or fewer of the criteria will be classified as mild (not addicted) and those who meet six or more of the criteria are considered to be suffering from Substance Use Disorder.