Objective

To identify the adolescents' perception about the use of social networks and the influence on mental health.

Method

This is a descriptive-exploratory research study with a quantitative and qualitative approach, carried out with adolescents aged between ten and nineteen years old who are users of social networks. The sample consisted of 71 participants recruited using the snowball technique. The instrument used to carry out data collection was the online questionnaire, elaborated by the researchers and developed through the Google Forms tool, and disseminated through social networks, being subsequently tabulated and presented in graphs and Tables, through simple statistics and discussion based on the scientific literature.

Results

Regarding the use of social networks, 100% of those surveyed stated using them frequently, 27% said that they participated in 3 social networks, with WhatsApp and Instagram being the most used, with a total of 27% each. Regarding the risks of their use, 34% of the participants stated that it was disclosure of personal data. The main feeling they felt in the networks was that of embarrassment (27%); the contributions of the social networks are related to studies/updates (29.5%); and the consequences for mental health resulting from use were invasion of privacy/disclosure of data (20.5%) and addiction (19.3%).

Conclusion:

The use of networks is growing and causes new forms of illness to arise, mainly of a mental nature, requiring the health professional to approach this problem in order to intervene effectively.

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