More than one in 10 adolescents worldwide showed signs of a problematic relationship with social media, according to a report published Thursday by the World Health Organization.

The study was conducted between 2021 and 2022 and examined the technology use of nearly 300,000 children ages 11, 13, and 15 from 44 different countries in Europe, Central Asia, and Canada.

Problematic social media use is characterized by addiction-like symptoms. Those struggling with problematic SMU often have difficulty controlling social media consumption and experience distress when use is restricted. The behavior is also linked to lower mental, social, and academic well-being.

Overall, problematic SMU increased from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022.

The increase was higher globally among girls compared to boys, with problematic SMU increasing by 6 percentage points among 13-year-old girls specifically.

“Evidence of increasing problematic SMU signals an urgent requirement for countries and regions to consider strengthening measures on access and regulation for young people,” the report reads.

On average, 36% of adolescents in each age bracket reported being in continuous contact with friends and strangers online, at almost all times throughout the day.

About 44% of all 15-year-old girls surveyed reported being in constant communication online.

Adolescent boys struggle more with online gaming than girls, with 48% of 13-year-old boys playing online video games daily. One-fifth of all adolescents reported playing online video games for at least four hours per gaming session.

American public health advocates have increasingly spoken about the dangers of social media, including online gaming, and there have been measures in recent weeks.

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The Senate in July nearly unanimously passed two measures aimed at protecting minors from dangerous content online, both of which would prevent certain harmful content from reaching children and teenagers.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthty has also advocated mandatory warning labels for social media sites, similar to those attached to tobacco products, cautioning users about the potential ill effects of prolonged use.