In France, more than 21.4 million people are active on the social network TikTok, where a simple gesture is enough to immerse us in a never-ending stream of videos. Users are mainly young people and minors, who can sometimes become addicted to the app, which can have negative repercussions on their sleep and mental well-being. To counter these abuses, a specialised centre was opened in Switzerland at the beginning of 2024.
The clinic's chief physician explains that this initiative was introduced following an observation made in other departments of the clinic: «When young adults are treated at our clinic for depression or anxiety disorders, social media has a significant influence. And very often, what stresses them the most is these social networks.»
It is difficult to estimate the number of people addicted to social media. According to the Federative Institute of Behavioural Addictions (IFAC), the rate of cyber addiction in Europe varies between 11% and 18.71%, depending on the study.
Do you spend too much time in front of screens? The 3018 helpline is available every day from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. to listen to you and give you advice.
