A recent study published in the medical journal JAMA found a link between social media addiction, phone and video game addiction, and a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children.

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The study looked at data on over 4,000 children nationwide starting at ages 9 and 10, with around one-third becoming increasingly addicted to social media by age 14.

READ: ‘Alarming’ national data: Teens use cellphones for quarter of school day

By the age of 14, a quarter of the children had become increasingly addicted to their mobile phones, and over 40% showed signs of video game addiction.

READ: Teen tech trends and school cellphone bans

The study revealed that higher suicide risk was associated with signs of screen addiction over the following four years, with nearly half of those with high phone addiction reporting suicidal thoughts or self-harm by age 14.

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