A new analysis indicates that suicide has become the second-leading cause of death among 10- to 14-year-olds in the US, with social media and peer pressure identified as key factors in the increasing rates among girls.
A new analysis in JAMA Pediatrics has renewed concern over suicide among American children and teenagers, finding that it is now the second-leading cause of death for 10- to 14-year-olds. The study says rates climbed sharply between 2007 and 2021, and that the long-standing gap between boys and girls has narrowed as deaths among girls rose faster than those among boys.
Researchers and child mental health experts have pointed to several overlapping pressures, including earlier and wider access to social media, disrupted routines during the Covid lockdowns, and less time spent sleeping or socialising in person. Jean Twenge, a psychologist at San Diego State University, said the rise in online life appears to have affected girls particularly strongly, with appearance-based comparison and social approval now tied to likes, followers and curated images.
That shift, Twenge and other experts argue, has made adolescent girls more vulnerable to the kind of peer pressure that once played out mainly offline. Instead of vague social status, many girls now face a constant stream of quantifiable feedback and highly polished images, much of it focused on looks. The result, she said, is a more intense and more public form of comparison at an age when self-image is still developing.
The broader trend is alarming. Reporting on the same study noted that boys still had higher suicide rates in 2024, but the margin had become far smaller than it was just a few years earlier. Other recent research has also pointed to a rise in suicide-related emergency visits among children, reinforcing warnings that young people’s mental health has worsened since the pandemic. Experts are calling for stronger age limits, stricter enforcement of existing rules and more effective safeguards around late-night phone use and social media access.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
