A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics urges doctors to ask questions about Internet use during check-ups, warning them to look for signs of "Facebook depression" in teenagers consumed by the popular social networking site.

While doctors aren't in agreement on whether the condition is caused by Facebook or just exacerbated by it, they say the glimpse the site gives into others' lives can make teens with self-esteem problems feel worse.

The barrage of happy photos and messages coming from others can make at-risk kids feel like they don't measure up. For some kids, their perceived lack of online popularity can hit harder than real-life loneliness, said lead author Dr. Gwenn O'Keeffe.

He says the site provides a distorted vision of reality that only shows what people choose to display, and doesn't provide the context of facial expressions and body language that come with real-life interaction.

The report, published in the journal Pediatrics on Monday, says doctors should ask parents to keep an eye on what their kids are doing online, looking for signs of cyber-bullying, "sexting" and any other concerning interactions.

O'Keeffe says parents should get used to monitoring who their kids are interacting with online.

An estimated 20 per cent of kids are becoming victims of cyber-bullying, and some of them, like a Sackville, N.S., teen who killed herself earlier this year, feel helpless.

Pam Murchison said her daughter Jenna Bowers-Bryanton became a target for critical comments after posting her own musical performance videos on YouTube.

Though the teen was growing into an accomplished singer and songwriter, she was being treated for depression before she killed herself in January.

Her mother recalled that the girl was gifted and spoke her mind, but inside, she was sensitive and fragile.

"Tough exterior but really squishy on the inside," said Murchison.

And when students began picking on the teen by posting nasty comments, it hit home.

Murchison said that one person posted a comment on a social networking site saying that the teenager had no ability and was worthless. Some of the harassment came on Formspring, a social networking site based on asking your friends questions and answering their queries. She was also getting bullied at school.

One commenter wrote that Jenna "should just kill herself because she wasn't any good anyways … that she had no talent," Murchison said. Other comments had been equally negative and were "things that would chip away at someone's self-esteem."

Though Murchison knew her daughter was having difficulties, she had no idea it was deeply affecting the teen.

Just before Jenna was set to return to school after the holiday break early this year, she hung herself with an extension cord in the family's garage.

"It's just been a nightmare ever since," said Murchison.

Her mother said she's hoping that by speaking out, and through Dr. O'Keeffe's guidelines, that other parents will know what to look for and watch their children's online activities more closely.

The RCMP is currently probing the case.

With files from CTV's medical specialist Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip