Maymunah Kadiri, a consultant neuropsychiatrist, on Sunday blamed the rising incidents of depression, suicide and some other mental health conditions on social media innovation.

Mr Kadiri said in an interview with journalists in Lagos that social media played a huge role in the incidents of suicide and depression, especially among youths.

According to her, other factors contributing to the incidents include environmental factors, relationship problems, life challenges and poor parenting.

“Social media gives us that picture of a perfect life, so people will want to be like those they see on the internet and also want to live perfect lives.

“It is so unfortunate because social media has no rules or regulations, so you cannot really curtail how people use social media and what direction they follow.

“Many youths, especially the idle ones, get carried away and what is being put up as a perfect picture or image out there puts them under a state of depression; there is that restlessness,” she said.

Ms Kadiri, therefore, called for massive education campaigns about social media and its possible effects.

She noted that such awareness/education programmes have become imperative to reduce the incidents of depression and suicide in the country.

Ms Kadiri said, “When you know better, you have to do better for yourself and society. We need to keep teaching society that not everything seen out there is real.”

She explained that through social media, people have known the easiest and fastest ways to commit suicide, so people are now more aware of social vices because of social media.

Ms Kadiri decried that many people had become addicted to phones and social media and could not spend a minute without picking up their phones to navigate the social media handles.

“To this set of people, everything they see on the internet is expected to be real, reliable and practicable.

“Unfortunately, not everything posted on social media is realistic; people exaggerate issues to suit their desire,” she said.

The neuropsychiatrist lamented that people spend too much time on social media, which, to a great extent, affects their mental health.

However, she said, “Social media is a good technological innovation, but it has been used by many people to exaggerate their strengths and achievements rather than a combination of strengths and weaknesses.”

(NAN)