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Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Fazida karim.

1 Psychology, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

2 Business & Management, University Sultan Zainal Abidin, Terengganu, MYS

Azeezat A Oyewande

3 Family Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

4 Family Medicine, Lagos State Health Service Commission/Alimosho General Hospital, Lagos, NGA

Lamis F Abdalla

5 Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

Reem Chaudhry Ehsanullah

Safeera khan.

Social media are responsible for aggravating mental health problems. This systematic study summarizes the effects of social network usage on mental health. Fifty papers were shortlisted from google scholar databases, and after the application of various inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 papers were chosen and all papers were evaluated for quality. Eight papers were cross-sectional studies, three were longitudinal studies, two were qualitative studies, and others were systematic reviews. Findings were classified into two outcomes of mental health: anxiety and depression. Social media activity such as time spent to have a positive effect on the mental health domain. However, due to the cross-sectional design and methodological limitations of sampling, there are considerable differences. The structure of social media influences on mental health needs to be further analyzed through qualitative research and vertical cohort studies.

Introduction and background

Human beings are social creatures that require the companionship of others to make progress in life. Thus, being socially connected with other people can relieve stress, anxiety, and sadness, but lack of social connection can pose serious risks to mental health [ 1 ].

Social media

Social media has recently become part of people's daily activities; many of them spend hours each day on Messenger, Instagram, Facebook, and other popular social media. Thus, many researchers and scholars study the impact of social media and applications on various aspects of people’s lives [ 2 ]. Moreover, the number of social media users worldwide in 2019 is 3.484 billion, up 9% year-on-year [ 3 - 5 ]. A statistic in Figure  1  shows the gender distribution of social media audiences worldwide as of January 2020, sorted by platform. It was found that only 38% of Twitter users were male but 61% were using Snapchat. In contrast, females were more likely to use LinkedIn and Facebook. There is no denying that social media has now become an important part of many people's lives. Social media has many positive and enjoyable benefits, but it can also lead to mental health problems. Previous research found that age did not have an effect but gender did; females were much more likely to experience mental health than males [ 6 , 7 ].

Impact on mental health

Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which people understand their abilities, solve everyday life problems, work well, and make a significant contribution to the lives of their communities [ 8 ]. There is debated presently going on regarding the benefits and negative impacts of social media on mental health [ 9 , 10 ]. Social networking is a crucial element in protecting our mental health. Both the quantity and quality of social relationships affect mental health, health behavior, physical health, and mortality risk [ 9 ]. The Displaced Behavior Theory may help explain why social media shows a connection with mental health. According to the theory, people who spend more time in sedentary behaviors such as social media use have less time for face-to-face social interaction, both of which have been proven to be protective against mental disorders [ 11 , 12 ]. On the other hand, social theories found how social media use affects mental health by influencing how people view, maintain, and interact with their social network [ 13 ]. A number of studies have been conducted on the impacts of social media, and it has been indicated that the prolonged use of social media platforms such as Facebook may be related to negative signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress [ 10 - 15 ]. Furthermore, social media can create a lot of pressure to create the stereotype that others want to see and also being as popular as others.

The need for a systematic review

Systematic studies can quantitatively and qualitatively identify, aggregate, and evaluate all accessible data to generate a warm and accurate response to the research questions involved [ 4 ]. In addition, many existing systematic studies related to mental health studies have been conducted worldwide. However, only a limited number of studies are integrated with social media and conducted in the context of social science because the available literature heavily focused on medical science [ 6 ]. Because social media is a relatively new phenomenon, the potential links between their use and mental health have not been widely investigated.

This paper attempt to systematically review all the relevant literature with the aim of filling the gap by examining social media impact on mental health, which is sedentary behavior, which, if in excess, raises the risk of health problems [ 7 , 9 , 12 ]. This study is important because it provides information on the extent of the focus of peer review literature, which can assist the researchers in delivering a prospect with the aim of understanding the future attention related to climate change strategies that require scholarly attention. This study is very useful because it provides information on the extent to which peer review literature can assist researchers in presenting prospects with a view to understanding future concerns related to mental health strategies that require scientific attention. The development of the current systematic review is based on the main research question: how does social media affect mental health?

Research strategy

The research was conducted to identify studies analyzing the role of social media on mental health. Google Scholar was used as our main database to find the relevant articles. Keywords that were used for the search were: (1) “social media”, (2) “mental health”, (3) “social media” AND “mental health”, (4) “social networking” AND “mental health”, and (5) “social networking” OR “social media” AND “mental health” (Table  1 ).

Out of the results in Table  1 , a total of 50 articles relevant to the research question were selected. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, duplicate papers were removed, and, finally, a total of 28 articles were selected for review (Figure  2 ).

PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Peer-reviewed, full-text research papers from the past five years were included in the review. All selected articles were in English language and any non-peer-reviewed and duplicate papers were excluded from finally selected articles.

Of the 16 selected research papers, there were a research focus on adults, gender, and preadolescents [ 10 - 19 ]. In the design, there were qualitative and quantitative studies [ 15 , 16 ]. There were three systematic reviews and one thematic analysis that explored the better or worse of using social media among adolescents [ 20 - 23 ]. In addition, eight were cross-sectional studies and only three were longitudinal studies [ 24 - 29 ].The meta-analyses included studies published beyond the last five years in this population. Table  2  presents a selection of studies from the review.

IGU, internet gaming disorder; PSMU, problematic social media use

This study has attempted to systematically analyze the existing literature on the effect of social media use on mental health. Although the results of the study were not completely consistent, this review found a general association between social media use and mental health issues. Although there is positive evidence for a link between social media and mental health, the opposite has been reported.

For example, a previous study found no relationship between the amount of time spent on social media and depression or between social media-related activities, such as the number of online friends and the number of “selfies”, and depression [ 29 ]. Similarly, Neira and Barber found that while higher investment in social media (e.g. active social media use) predicted adolescents’ depressive symptoms, no relationship was found between the frequency of social media use and depressed mood [ 28 ].

In the 16 studies, anxiety and depression were the most commonly measured outcome. The prominent risk factors for anxiety and depression emerging from this study comprised time spent, activity, and addiction to social media. In today's world, anxiety is one of the basic mental health problems. People liked and commented on their uploaded photos and videos. In today's age, everyone is immune to the social media context. Some teens experience anxiety from social media related to fear of loss, which causes teens to try to respond and check all their friends' messages and messages on a regular basis.

On the contrary, depression is one of the unintended significances of unnecessary use of social media. In detail, depression is limited not only to Facebooks but also to other social networking sites, which causes psychological problems. A new study found that individuals who are involved in social media, games, texts, mobile phones, etc. are more likely to experience depression.

The previous study found a 70% increase in self-reported depressive symptoms among the group using social media. The other social media influence that causes depression is sexual fun [ 12 ]. The intimacy fun happens when social media promotes putting on a facade that highlights the fun and excitement but does not tell us much about where we are struggling in our daily lives at a deeper level [ 28 ]. Another study revealed that depression and time spent on Facebook by adolescents are positively correlated [ 22 ]. More importantly, symptoms of major depression have been found among the individuals who spent most of their time in online activities and performing image management on social networking sites [ 14 ].

Another study assessed gender differences in associations between social media use and mental health. Females were found to be more addicted to social media as compared with males [ 26 ]. Passive activity in social media use such as reading posts is more strongly associated with depression than doing active use like making posts [ 23 ]. Other important findings of this review suggest that other factors such as interpersonal trust and family functioning may have a greater influence on the symptoms of depression than the frequency of social media use [ 28 , 29 ].

Limitation and suggestion

The limitations and suggestions were identified by the evidence involved in the study and review process. Previously, 7 of the 16 studies were cross-sectional and slightly failed to determine the causal relationship between the variables of interest. Given the evidence from cross-sectional studies, it is not possible to conclude that the use of social networks causes mental health problems. Only three longitudinal studies examined the causal relationship between social media and mental health, which is hard to examine if the mental health problem appeared more pronounced in those who use social media more compared with those who use it less or do not use at all [ 19 , 20 , 24 ]. Next, despite the fact that the proposed relationship between social media and mental health is complex, a few studies investigated mediating factors that may contribute or exacerbate this relationship. Further investigations are required to clarify the underlying factors that help examine why social media has a negative impact on some peoples’ mental health, whereas it has no or positive effect on others’ mental health.

Conclusions

Social media is a new study that is rapidly growing and gaining popularity. Thus, there are many unexplored and unexpected constructive answers associated with it. Lately, studies have found that using social media platforms can have a detrimental effect on the psychological health of its users. However, the extent to which the use of social media impacts the public is yet to be determined. This systematic review has found that social media envy can affect the level of anxiety and depression in individuals. In addition, other potential causes of anxiety and depression have been identified, which require further exploration.

The importance of such findings is to facilitate further research on social media and mental health. In addition, the information obtained from this study can be helpful not only to medical professionals but also to social science research. The findings of this study suggest that potential causal factors from social media can be considered when cooperating with patients who have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression. Also, if the results from this study were used to explore more relationships with another construct, this could potentially enhance the findings to reduce anxiety and depression rates and prevent suicide rates from occurring.

The content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein. All content published within Cureus is intended only for educational, research and reference purposes. Additionally, articles published within Cureus should not be deemed a suitable substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional. Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

• Open access
• Published: 06 July 2023

Pros & cons: impacts of social media on mental health

• Ágnes Zsila 1 , 2 &
• Marc Eric S. Reyes   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5280-1315 3  

BMC Psychology volume  11 , Article number:  201 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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The use of social media significantly impacts mental health. It can enhance connection, increase self-esteem, and improve a sense of belonging. But it can also lead to tremendous stress, pressure to compare oneself to others, and increased sadness and isolation. Mindful use is essential to social media consumption.

Social media has become integral to our daily routines: we interact with family members and friends, accept invitations to public events, and join online communities to meet people who share similar preferences using these platforms. Social media has opened a new avenue for social experiences since the early 2000s, extending the possibilities for communication. According to recent research [ 1 ], people spend 2.3 h daily on social media. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat have become increasingly popular among youth in 2022, and one-third think they spend too much time on these platforms [ 2 ]. The considerable time people spend on social media worldwide has directed researchers’ attention toward the potential benefits and risks. Research shows excessive use is mainly associated with lower psychological well-being [ 3 ]. However, findings also suggest that the quality rather than the quantity of social media use can determine whether the experience will enhance or deteriorate the user’s mental health [ 4 ]. In this collection, we will explore the impact of social media use on mental health by providing comprehensive research perspectives on positive and negative effects.

Social media can provide opportunities to enhance the mental health of users by facilitating social connections and peer support [ 5 ]. Indeed, online communities can provide a space for discussions regarding health conditions, adverse life events, or everyday challenges, which may decrease the sense of stigmatization and increase belongingness and perceived emotional support. Mutual friendships, rewarding social interactions, and humor on social media also reduced stress during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 4 ].

On the other hand, several studies have pointed out the potentially detrimental effects of social media use on mental health. Concerns have been raised that social media may lead to body image dissatisfaction [ 6 ], increase the risk of addiction and cyberbullying involvement [ 5 ], contribute to phubbing behaviors [ 7 ], and negatively affects mood [ 8 ]. Excessive use has increased loneliness, fear of missing out, and decreased subjective well-being and life satisfaction [ 8 ]. Users at risk of social media addiction often report depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem [ 9 ].

Overall, findings regarding the impact of social media on mental health pointed out some essential resources for psychological well-being through rewarding online social interactions. However, there is a need to raise awareness about the possible risks associated with excessive use, which can negatively affect mental health and everyday functioning [ 9 ]. There is neither a negative nor positive consensus regarding the effects of social media on people. However, by teaching people social media literacy, we can maximize their chances of having balanced, safe, and meaningful experiences on these platforms [ 10 ].

We encourage researchers to submit their research articles and contribute to a more differentiated overview of the impact of social media on mental health. BMC Psychology welcomes submissions to its new collection, which promises to present the latest findings in the emerging field of social media research. We seek research papers using qualitative and quantitative methods, focusing on social media users’ positive and negative aspects. We believe this collection will provide a more comprehensive picture of social media’s positive and negative effects on users’ mental health.

Data Availability

Not applicable.

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Acknowledgements

Ágnes Zsila was supported by the ÚNKP-22-4 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the source of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund.

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Ágnes Zsila

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Zsila, Á., Reyes, M.E.S. Pros & cons: impacts of social media on mental health. BMC Psychol 11 , 201 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01243-x

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• BOOK REVIEW
• 29 March 2024

The great rewiring: is social media really behind an epidemic of teenage mental illness?

• Candice L. Odgers 0

Candice L. Odgers is the associate dean for research and a professor of psychological science and informatics at the University of California, Irvine. She also co-leads international networks on child development for both the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research in Toronto and the Jacobs Foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland.

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Social-media platforms aren’t always social. Credit: Getty

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness Jonathan Haidt Allen Lane (2024)

Two things need to be said after reading The Anxious Generation . First, this book is going to sell a lot of copies, because Jonathan Haidt is telling a scary story about children’s development that many parents are primed to believe. Second, the book’s repeated suggestion that digital technologies are rewiring our children’s brains and causing an epidemic of mental illness is not supported by science. Worse, the bold proposal that social media is to blame might distract us from effectively responding to the real causes of the current mental-health crisis in young people.

Haidt asserts that the great rewiring of children’s brains has taken place by “designing a firehose of addictive content that entered through kids’ eyes and ears”. And that “by displacing physical play and in-person socializing, these companies have rewired childhood and changed human development on an almost unimaginable scale”. Such serious claims require serious evidence.

Collection: Promoting youth mental health

Haidt supplies graphs throughout the book showing that digital-technology use and adolescent mental-health problems are rising together. On the first day of the graduate statistics class I teach, I draw similar lines on a board that seem to connect two disparate phenomena, and ask the students what they think is happening. Within minutes, the students usually begin telling elaborate stories about how the two phenomena are related, even describing how one could cause the other. The plots presented throughout this book will be useful in teaching my students the fundamentals of causal inference, and how to avoid making up stories by simply looking at trend lines.

Hundreds of researchers, myself included, have searched for the kind of large effects suggested by Haidt. Our efforts have produced a mix of no, small and mixed associations. Most data are correlative. When associations over time are found, they suggest not that social-media use predicts or causes depression, but that young people who already have mental-health problems use such platforms more often or in different ways from their healthy peers 1 .

These are not just our data or my opinion. Several meta-analyses and systematic reviews converge on the same message 2 – 5 . An analysis done in 72 countries shows no consistent or measurable associations between well-being and the roll-out of social media globally 6 . Moreover, findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, the largest long-term study of adolescent brain development in the United States, has found no evidence of drastic changes associated with digital-technology use 7 . Haidt, a social psychologist at New York University, is a gifted storyteller, but his tale is currently one searching for evidence.

Of course, our current understanding is incomplete, and more research is always needed. As a psychologist who has studied children’s and adolescents’ mental health for the past 20 years and tracked their well-being and digital-technology use, I appreciate the frustration and desire for simple answers. As a parent of adolescents, I would also like to identify a simple source for the sadness and pain that this generation is reporting.

A complex problem

There are, unfortunately, no simple answers. The onset and development of mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression, are driven by a complex set of genetic and environmental factors. Suicide rates among people in most age groups have been increasing steadily for the past 20 years in the United States. Researchers cite access to guns, exposure to violence, structural discrimination and racism, sexism and sexual abuse, the opioid epidemic, economic hardship and social isolation as leading contributors 8 .

How social media affects teen mental health: a missing link

The current generation of adolescents was raised in the aftermath of the great recession of 2008. Haidt suggests that the resulting deprivation cannot be a factor, because unemployment has gone down. But analyses of the differential impacts of economic shocks have shown that families in the bottom 20% of the income distribution continue to experience harm 9 . In the United States, close to one in six children live below the poverty line while also growing up at the time of an opioid crisis, school shootings and increasing unrest because of racial and sexual discrimination and violence.

The good news is that more young people are talking openly about their symptoms and mental-health struggles than ever before. The bad news is that insufficient services are available to address their needs. In the United States, there is, on average, one school psychologist for every 1,119 students 10 .

Haidt’s work on emotion, culture and morality has been influential; and, in fairness, he admits that he is no specialist in clinical psychology, child development or media studies. In previous books, he has used the analogy of an elephant and its rider to argue how our gut reactions (the elephant) can drag along our rational minds (the rider). Subsequent research has shown how easy it is to pick out evidence to support our initial gut reactions to an issue. That we should question assumptions that we think are true carefully is a lesson from Haidt’s own work. Everyone used to ‘know’ that the world was flat. The falsification of previous assumptions by testing them against data can prevent us from being the rider dragged along by the elephant.

A generation in crisis

Two things can be independently true about social media. First, that there is no evidence that using these platforms is rewiring children’s brains or driving an epidemic of mental illness. Second, that considerable reforms to these platforms are required, given how much time young people spend on them. Many of Haidt’s solutions for parents, adolescents, educators and big technology firms are reasonable, including stricter content-moderation policies and requiring companies to take user age into account when designing platforms and algorithms. Others, such as age-based restrictions and bans on mobile devices, are unlikely to be effective in practice — or worse, could backfire given what we know about adolescent behaviour.

A third truth is that we have a generation in crisis and in desperate need of the best of what science and evidence-based solutions can offer. Unfortunately, our time is being spent telling stories that are unsupported by research and that do little to support young people who need, and deserve, more.

Nature 628 , 29-30 (2024)

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The use of social media and its impact for research

Social media is an omnipresent part of everyday life. It provides users with an easy way to engage and connect with others without meeting face-to-face. This form of communication provides a lot of opportunity for companies and individuals to reach a massive audience. What is the purpose of social media, and how does it tie into science? Well, you see, it all depends on who you know and how active your social media presence is. Is there a benefit for sharing research across social media? The benefits of social media stem from active participation and the generation of new attractive content from an individual. Research is about producing new information, and social media offers unique opportunities to present new content.

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The Use of Social Media and its Impact for Research

Jessica Rogers

Keywords: Social media; Research; Engagement

Contact information: BioResources Process Editor, Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8005, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA; e-mail: [email protected]

What is Social Media?

In today’s world social media is an ever-present facet of life that surrounds us. Almost every advertisement, whether television, radio, magazine, movie preview, podcast, newspaper, or elsewhere, will mention its social media presence in some way. ‘You can like us on Facebook, Check us out on Instagram,’ or perhaps ‘Watch our channel on YouTube’, are just some of the hooks that companies will provide to further build their brand and increase their visibility. As of January 2019, there were around 7.7 billion people in the world, of which 3.397 billion were active social media users (Smith 2019). Moreover, there are almost one million new users to some form of social media each day, or a new user every 10 seconds; 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube alone every minute (Smith 2019). To summarize, if you have found yourself boycotting the idea of social media, I hate to break it to you but it is here to stay.

The Underlying Purpose of Social Media

For those who do not know, a key theme of social media is ‘engagement’. Have you ever reached out to a company on their social media for any reason? The different social media outlets are simply interactive pathways on the internet that companies and businesses use to form relationships and network with others without leaving one’s desk. As a scientist, it is essential to attend conferences, give lectures, and lead panel discussions to network with others about common science interests. Today, there are an endless amount of resources accessible on the internet at your fingertips that allow you to do the same thing. Twitter first surfaced as a news and social networking site in which users post content and interact with each other through messages called ‘tweets’. The use of hashtags (a type of metadata tag) across all social media platforms allows people to search for certain interests and see all content related to that particular hashtag. This is a quick way to find and engage with people through common interests. Of course, you should still actively participate in your community by attending conventions and conferences, but if you truly seek to engage with more people, then you should not simply ignore the outlet of social media until you try it, as it can connect you with an even larger audience. Think of it this way, your lecture or discussion is most likely already being recorded, so what will you do with that recording?

Social media has a clear and direct purpose for businesses that sell a product or service and are searching for ways to advertise their brand. Of course, there other ways to use social media. Most people use social media to be, well, social, and communicate with family, former colleagues, or keep in touch with old classmates. The idea of a technological way of staying in touch with people is how Facebook was created. Facebook adds 500,000 new accounts each day, which equates to 6 new profiles every second (Smith 2019). So who exactly is in your friends list on Facebook? Who is subscribing to your channel on YouTube? Who is retweeting your tweets? If you want to broaden your impact beyond your discipline, you need to have a strong base of connections in your network.

The average person has 5.54 social media accounts (Smith 2019). Of those accounts, whatever one’s goal is, is it being projected across multiple platforms? Exactly who is engaged? These are all important questions that deal with your potential reach as an individual. The bottom line is if you seek community engagement in what you are doing, you must first be active in that particular community.

Social Media and Research

Now let us change course and focus on a different path of social media, that is where scientists use it to promote their research. The same rule applies. While all social media outlets have the potential for massive reach, it all comes back to a matter of whom you connect with or engage. However, the fast-paced and live aspect of social media can drive skeptical researchers not to publish, but successful reactions and quick responses can increase a researcher’s credibility. Research is about producing new information, and social media offers unique opportunities to present new content.

As a scientist, once you publish your research, you want to share it with as many colleagues and people so that they may read your novel findings. You want to share your hard work with many individuals. Almost all researchers send an email to their colleagues and individuals within their institution, which essentially is the first step in promoting their work. What if you took that one-step further and reached out to the scientific community on social media? You probably already have some form of a social media account and possibly one that relates to the scientific community; ResearchGate is a popular academic social media outlet. ResearchGate is a website that provides scientists with a forum to share and discuss their research as well as find collaborators. If you share your research on your personal account, then the only people that will see it are those whom you connect with. However, if you were active on different community or special interest pages that relate to your area of study and participate in regular discussions with other researchers on these sites, then you may find yourself having a much wider reach. Again, it all stems back to what you wish to accomplish with your research.

What Does that Mean for you?

Before getting started, you must ask yourself what exactly you want to gain from social media. If an increased reach is primarily what you seek, then you must be active in multiple communities related to your specialty. You already stay current on industry news and new research on your own, which is what others may be doing when they discover your research. However, if engagement and stimulated discussions are what you seek, then your active presence is required. Participating and driving discussions and posting content is what ultimately increases your visibility. Sharing and reposting others’ work, and being an active member on social media brings more attention to your profile and can enhance your reputation. A good place to start is with the professional social networking site LinkedIn that allows you to make connections with people based on job interests.

You can always go the old fashioned, tried and true route and send an email about your research, but how many new people reach out to you regarding your work? Maybe next time, try posting your research on a couple of industry pages, tag a few people in the community, and see if you make any new connections or spark any intriguing conversations. Because social media allows you to interact instantly with people across the globe, you may be surprised at who or how many people engage with you.

References Cited

Jaring, P., and Bäck, A. (2017). “How researchers use social media to promote their research and network with industry,”  Technology Information Management Review  7(8), 32-39. DOI: 10.22215/timreview/1098

Smith, K. (2019). “123 Amazing social media statistics and facts,”  brandwatch , (https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/amazing-social-media-statistics-and-facts/), Accessed 26 March 2019.

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Social media harms teens’ mental health, mounting evidence shows. what now.

Understanding what is going on in teens’ minds is necessary for targeted policy suggestions

Most teens use social media, often for hours on end. Some social scientists are confident that such use is harming their mental health. Now they want to pinpoint what explains the link.

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By Sujata Gupta

February 20, 2024 at 7:30 am

In January, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta, appeared at a congressional hearing to answer questions about how social media potentially harms children. Zuckerberg opened by saying: “The existing body of scientific work has not shown a causal link between using social media and young people having worse mental health.”

But many social scientists would disagree with that statement. In recent years, studies have started to show a causal link between teen social media use and reduced well-being or mood disorders, chiefly depression and anxiety.

Ironically, one of the most cited studies into this link focused on Facebook.

Researchers delved into whether the platform’s introduction across college campuses in the mid 2000s increased symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. The answer was a clear yes , says MIT economist Alexey Makarin, a coauthor of the study, which appeared in the November 2022 American Economic Review . “There is still a lot to be explored,” Makarin says, but “[to say] there is no causal evidence that social media causes mental health issues, to that I definitely object.”

The concern, and the studies, come from statistics showing that social media use in teens ages 13 to 17 is now almost ubiquitous. Two-thirds of teens report using TikTok, and some 60 percent of teens report using Instagram or Snapchat, a 2022 survey found. (Only 30 percent said they used Facebook.) Another survey showed that girls, on average, allot roughly 3.4 hours per day to TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, compared with roughly 2.1 hours among boys. At the same time, more teens are showing signs of depression than ever, especially girls ( SN: 6/30/23 ).

As more studies show a strong link between these phenomena, some researchers are starting to shift their attention to possible mechanisms. Why does social media use seem to trigger mental health problems? Why are those effects unevenly distributed among different groups, such as girls or young adults? And can the positives of social media be teased out from the negatives to provide more targeted guidance to teens, their caregivers and policymakers?

“You can’t design good public policy if you don’t know why things are happening,” says Scott Cunningham, an economist at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Increasing rigor

Concerns over the effects of social media use in children have been circulating for years, resulting in a massive body of scientific literature. But those mostly correlational studies could not show if teen social media use was harming mental health or if teens with mental health problems were using more social media.

Moreover, the findings from such studies were often inconclusive, or the effects on mental health so small as to be inconsequential. In one study that received considerable media attention, psychologists Amy Orben and Andrew Przybylski combined data from three surveys to see if they could find a link between technology use, including social media, and reduced well-being. The duo gauged the well-being of over 355,000 teenagers by focusing on questions around depression, suicidal thinking and self-esteem.

Digital technology use was associated with a slight decrease in adolescent well-being , Orben, now of the University of Cambridge, and Przybylski, of the University of Oxford, reported in 2019 in Nature Human Behaviour . But the duo downplayed that finding, noting that researchers have observed similar drops in adolescent well-being associated with drinking milk, going to the movies or eating potatoes.

Holes have begun to appear in that narrative thanks to newer, more rigorous studies.

In one longitudinal study, researchers — including Orben and Przybylski — used survey data on social media use and well-being from over 17,400 teens and young adults to look at how individuals’ responses to a question gauging life satisfaction changed between 2011 and 2018. And they dug into how the responses varied by gender, age and time spent on social media.

Social media use was associated with a drop in well-being among teens during certain developmental periods, chiefly puberty and young adulthood, the team reported in 2022 in Nature Communications . That translated to lower well-being scores around ages 11 to 13 for girls and ages 14 to 15 for boys. Both groups also reported a drop in well-being around age 19. Moreover, among the older teens, the team found evidence for the Goldilocks Hypothesis: the idea that both too much and too little time spent on social media can harm mental health.

“There’s hardly any effect if you look over everybody. But if you look at specific age groups, at particularly what [Orben] calls ‘windows of sensitivity’ … you see these clear effects,” says L.J. Shrum, a consumer psychologist at HEC Paris who was not involved with this research. His review of studies related to teen social media use and mental health is forthcoming in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.

Cause and effect

That longitudinal study hints at causation, researchers say. But one of the clearest ways to pin down cause and effect is through natural or quasi-experiments. For these in-the-wild experiments, researchers must identify situations where the rollout of a societal “treatment” is staggered across space and time. They can then compare outcomes among members of the group who received the treatment to those still in the queue — the control group.

That was the approach Makarin and his team used in their study of Facebook. The researchers homed in on the staggered rollout of Facebook across 775 college campuses from 2004 to 2006. They combined that rollout data with student responses to the National College Health Assessment, a widely used survey of college students’ mental and physical health.

The team then sought to understand if those survey questions captured diagnosable mental health problems. Specifically, they had roughly 500 undergraduate students respond to questions both in the National College Health Assessment and in validated screening tools for depression and anxiety. They found that mental health scores on the assessment predicted scores on the screenings. That suggested that a drop in well-being on the college survey was a good proxy for a corresponding increase in diagnosable mental health disorders. 

Compared with campuses that had not yet gained access to Facebook, college campuses with Facebook experienced a 2 percentage point increase in the number of students who met the diagnostic criteria for anxiety or depression, the team found.

When it comes to showing a causal link between social media use in teens and worse mental health, “that study really is the crown jewel right now,” says Cunningham, who was not involved in that research.

A need for nuance

The social media landscape today is vastly different than the landscape of 20 years ago. Facebook is now optimized for maximum addiction, Shrum says, and other newer platforms, such as Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, have since copied and built on those features. Paired with the ubiquity of social media in general, the negative effects on mental health may well be larger now.

Moreover, social media research tends to focus on young adults — an easier cohort to study than minors. That needs to change, Cunningham says. “Most of us are worried about our high school kids and younger.” 

And so, researchers must pivot accordingly. Crucially, simple comparisons of social media users and nonusers no longer make sense. As Orben and Przybylski’s 2022 work suggested, a teen not on social media might well feel worse than one who briefly logs on. 

Researchers must also dig into why, and under what circumstances, social media use can harm mental health, Cunningham says. Explanations for this link abound. For instance, social media is thought to crowd out other activities or increase people’s likelihood of comparing themselves unfavorably with others. But big data studies, with their reliance on existing surveys and statistical analyses, cannot address those deeper questions. “These kinds of papers, there’s nothing you can really ask … to find these plausible mechanisms,” Cunningham says.

One ongoing effort to understand social media use from this more nuanced vantage point is the SMART Schools project out of the University of Birmingham in England. Pedagogical expert Victoria Goodyear and her team are comparing mental and physical health outcomes among children who attend schools that have restricted cell phone use to those attending schools without such a policy. The researchers described the protocol of that study of 30 schools and over 1,000 students in the July BMJ Open.

Goodyear and colleagues are also combining that natural experiment with qualitative research. They met with 36 five-person focus groups each consisting of all students, all parents or all educators at six of those schools. The team hopes to learn how students use their phones during the day, how usage practices make students feel, and what the various parties think of restrictions on cell phone use during the school day.

Talking to teens and those in their orbit is the best way to get at the mechanisms by which social media influences well-being — for better or worse, Goodyear says. Moving beyond big data to this more personal approach, however, takes considerable time and effort. “Social media has increased in pace and momentum very, very quickly,” she says. “And research takes a long time to catch up with that process.”

Until that catch-up occurs, though, researchers cannot dole out much advice. “What guidance could we provide to young people, parents and schools to help maintain the positives of social media use?” Goodyear asks. “There’s not concrete evidence yet.”

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The impact of social media on mental health

Online mental wellbeing.

S ocial media has become an integral part of our lives, allowing us to connect with friends, share experiences, and access information in ways that were unimaginable just a few decades ago. However, as social media usage has soared, concerns about its impact on mental health have also emerged. The constant exposure to curated and often idealized versions of other people’s lives, the fear of missing out (FOMO), and the addictive nature of scrolling through endless feeds have all been linked to negative effects on mental wellbeing.

Research has shown that excessive social media use can contribute to feelings of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and decreased self-esteem. The constant comparisons to others, the pressure to present a perfect life online, and the never-ending stream of news and updates can easily overwhelm individuals and affect their mental health.

However, despite the potential for harm, social media can also provide a platform for support and connection. When used mindfully and in moderation, it can serve as a tool for seeking help, sharing experiences, and building communities. In this article, we will explore the impact of social media on mental health and provide some digital wellness tips to help you navigate the online world in a way that promotes mental wellbeing.

Digital wellness tips

1. Set boundaries: Establish designated times for social media use and avoid checking your accounts during work or personal time. Being intentional about your online activities can help prevent excessive use and create a healthier balance between the virtual and physical world.

2. Practice mindfulness: When using social media, be aware of your emotions and reactions. Notice how certain posts or interactions make you feel and take breaks if you find yourself becoming overwhelmed or anxious. Engaging in mindfulness exercises, such as deep breathing or meditation, can also help you stay present and grounded while navigating the online space.

3. Curate your feed: Take control of your social media experience by unfollowing accounts that make you feel inadequate or trigger negative emotions. Instead, follow accounts that promote positivity, creativity, and mental health awareness. Surrounding yourself with uplifting content can have a significant impact on your overall mood and mental wellbeing.

4. Connect with others: Use social media as a tool for building genuine connections rather than just passively consuming content. Engage in meaningful conversations, participate in online support groups, and reach out to friends and family. Actively seeking connection and support can help counteract the potential loneliness and isolation that excessive social media use may bring.

5. Take breaks: Regularly disconnecting from social media can be beneficial for your mental health. Plan digital detoxes and allocate dedicated time for hobbies, outdoor activities, or quality time with loved ones. Creating space for offline experiences can help maintain perspective and reduce the risks of falling into a social media spiral.

Social media addiction

One of the most concerning aspects of social media’s impact on mental health is the potential for addiction. The constant availability and the dopamine-inducing nature of social media platforms can lead to compulsive use and a diminished sense of control over one’s online behavior.

Social media addiction, also known as problematic internet use, has been linked to various negative consequences, including poor sleep quality, low self-esteem, heightened anxiety, and decreased productivity. Additionally, excessive social media use has been associated with the development or exacerbation of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders.

Recognizing the signs of social media addiction is a crucial step towards addressing and managing the issue. Some common indicators include:

• Feeling a constant need to check social media accounts
• Difficulty in cutting back on social media use despite wanting to do so
• Neglecting personal responsibilities or relationships due to excessive social media use
• Feeling anxious or irritable when unable to access social media
• Using social media as a coping mechanism for stress or negative emotions

If you suspect that you or someone you know may be struggling with social media addiction, it is essential to seek support. Professional help from therapists specializing in digital addiction can provide valuable guidance and strategies to regain control over online habits and promote mental wellbeing.

Mindfulness in social media

Mindfulness, the practice of intentionally focusing one’s attention on the present moment, can be a powerful tool for managing the impact of social media on mental health. By cultivating mindfulness in our online interactions, we can develop a healthier relationship with social media and mitigate its potential negative effects.

Here are some strategies to incorporate mindfulness into your social media usage:

1. Set intentions: Before opening a social media app, take a moment to reflect on your intentions. Are you looking to connect with friends, gain information, or simply pass the time? Setting clear intentions can help you use social media more consciously and avoid mindless scrolling.

2. Practice self-compassion: Remember that social media is often a highlight reel of people’s lives and is not an accurate representation of reality. Be kind to yourself and practice self-compassion when comparing yourself to others. Remind yourself that everyone has ups and downs, and no one’s life is perfect.

3. Engage mindfully: Rather than mindlessly scrolling through an endless feed, engage mindfully with the content you encounter. Reflect on how certain posts or articles make you feel and question whether they align with your values or contribute to your wellbeing. This awareness can help you curate a more supportive online environment.

4. Take media breaks: Set regular intervals during the day where you disconnect from social media and engage in activities that promote relaxation and self-care. Whether it’s taking a walk in nature, practicing a hobby, or spending time with loved ones, intentional breaks can rejuvenate your mind and prevent social media from consuming your thoughts.

5. Seek offline connections: While social media can facilitate connections, it should not be a substitute for real-life interactions. Make an effort to foster meaningful relationships offline and engage in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. Remember to strike a balance between the digital and physical realms of your life.

By practicing mindfulness in our social media usage, we can reclaim control over our online experiences and prioritize mental wellbeing. Remember, social media is a tool that can be used for both positive and negative purposes. It is up to us to cultivate a healthy relationship with it and ensure that it enhances rather than hinders our mental health.

The post The impact of social media on mental health appeared first on Things That Make People Go Aww .

Volusia parents, counselor share tips for navigating negative effects of social media

Andrea Grabowski does not let her children use social media, and she put up a strong front against their backlash. 

​​Grabowski has seen her daughter, a student at Champion Elementary School, try to master TikTok dance challenges, which she said were not age-appropriate for her fourth-grader. 

Her son, a 13-year-old eighth-grader at Hinson Middle School, has a cellphone. She noted that he has received inappropriate content via TikTok and Snapchat. 

“I just found out about it and deleted it, and I blocked it on the parental applications,” she said. “My son was really mad.” 

Grabowski’s kids argued that their friends have social media, so they should too. 

“That’s the hardest part,” she said. “I just tell them both that those are not my kids. ... They don’t like it, but it is what it is. There’s a lot of bad stuff out there that you could see to make you feel bad.” 

When Grabowski banned TikTok, her daughter “had a fit.” But she feels social media can have too much of an influence on how a person thinks they should look or dress.

“It was just too much for a 9-year-old to see,” she said. 

Grabowski noticed her daughter became increasingly self-conscious last year and started making comments about not being skinny enough and having a “fat face” and a “big belly.” 

“I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’” Grabowski asked. “I’m just trying to teach her ways to be confident and exercise and (tell her) you don’t have to wear crop tops all the time like the people in Instagram Reels.” 

Volusia County Schools takes steps to limit social media

Volusia County Schools is one of at least 12 Florida school districts and 650 nationwide suing Meta for negatively impacting children’s mental health and “burdening” teachers.

The suit alleges that Meta social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have addictive algorithms which keep young users engaged longer and frequently coming back for more. Schools have needed to hire more employees and create new policies to keep up with the demands. The suit argues that schools must be compensated accordingly. 

The district also adopted a new cellphone and electronic device policy for the 2023-24 school year which states that students cannot use cellphones or devices in the classroom setting unless teachers grant them permission. 

“Social media has been so horrific,” said Jessica McIntyre, Volusia County Schools’ coordinator of Mental Health Services. “It’s really taken a toll on the mental health of our kids and our staff that it’s just exploded, so even though we can’t stop it, we’re able to limit it a little bit, and we’re definitely seeing a positive impact on it.”

How does social media affect children?

In May, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a general advisory addressing the growing concerns around the effects social media has on youth mental health . 

“More research is needed to fully understand the impact of social media,” according to the advisory. “However, the current body of evidence indicates that while social media may have benefits for some children and adolescents, there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” 

The advisory further explained that young people are more susceptible and vulnerable to embracing social media’s negative effects because their brains are not yet fully developed.

Sixty-one percent of high school students were electronically bullied, according to the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary and Trends Report which uses data from 2021. 

“Female students, LGBTQ+ students, and students who had any same-sex partners were more likely than their peers to experience poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors,” according to the CDC report.

Specifically, girls ages 11-15 spend more than two hours daily on TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat, and over 90 minutes on Instagram and messaging apps, according to Common Sense’s Teens and Mental Health: How Girls Really Feel About Social Media . Girls who were surveyed noted that YouTube and messaging apps had positive effects, while TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram were more negative. 

Young girls feel pulled by social media, according to the report. 

“Nearly half of girls who use TikTok say they feel ‘addicted’ to the platform or use it more than intended at least weekly,” according to Common Sense. “And almost one in three girls who use Snapchat say they feel daily pressure to be available or responsive to peers.”

Of the 1,300 girls surveyed by Common Sense, 38% noted symptoms of depression. Twenty-one percent indicated that those symptoms were mild, but the remaining 17% reported that they were severe to moderate, and that their lives would be better without the platforms. 

Staying safe while using social media

Tanya Gintoli, a counselor at Mindful Mental Health Counseling in Ormond Beach, advises young students who use social media to do so mindfully. 

“If their use of social media is not done in a healthy way, it can create lots of insecurity, feelings of inadequacy, lots of anxiety, lots of worry, lots of self doubt and self-loathing, because they’re comparing themselves to their friends,” she said.

“They don’t really know what to believe and what not to believe,” Gintoli continued. “They don’t know how to filter out the factual information versus the un-factual information, so they’re left with all of this input that creates so much confusion for them and anxiety and depression, and they feel like they’re not good enough, and it impacts every part of their life.” 

Kim Short, a Volusia County mom of three boys, likened social media to magazines.

“I think that social media can impact mental health in the same way that all of us looking at magazines growing up our whole life can,” she said. “Nobody puts their ‘real’ out on social media, and families should be talking about that with their kids. I do think that can cause damage the same way we grew up looking at models looking perfectly all the time.” 

Two of Short’s boys graduated from Volusia County Schools, and her youngest is currently a sophomore at Mainland High School. She normalized conversations surrounding social media etiquette in her home. 

Short said parents can help protect their children from the negative implications of social media by implementing “controls on how much they’re doing with it.” 

“If you’re a kid, and you see that somebody that you thought you were friends with posted a bunch of pictures at a party at their house and you weren’t invited, yeah, that’s going to make you feel bad because when you’re a teenager, your whole life is about your friends,” she said.

Experts recommend that parents and caregivers can also take action to help their children by implementing phone-free family time; modeling the behavior they want to see in kids; discussing social media openly; and showing concern.

"It’s imperative that we let the children know that we love them and support them no matter what, and that we are here for them and we will be here for them to love them and support them and accept them for who they are and what their experience is, whether we agree with it or not or whether we fully understand it or not,” Gintoli said.

Comparative analysis of social media-based interventions for adolescent reproductive health education

Affiliation.

• 1 Department of Media Sciences, Tamil Nadu, India.
• PMID: 38583070
• DOI: 10.29063/ajrh2024/v28i3.9

This research paper explores the impact of social media-based interventions on adolescent reproductive health education, acknowledging the digital residency of today's youth. Utilizing a Solomon Four Group Design, the study assesses the efficacy of tailored interventions on various digital platforms, emphasizing the value, impact, and relevance of innovative educational approaches, particularly those employed by social media. The paper highlights adolescents' pervasive presence on social media, including platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as integral components of their online experiences. Leveraging these platforms for health education is considered crucial, aligning with adolescents' digital behaviors and preferences. Ethical challenges in the digital health domain are discussed, underscoring the importance of privacy, consent, and responsible content creation. To tailor interventions effectively, the research explores platform-specific preferences, recognizing the diverse usage patterns among adolescents. The paper concludes with a comprehensive analysis of the intervention's impact, revealing significant improvements in reproductive health knowledge among participants exposed to social media-based education. In essence, the paper advocates for the integration of health education into the digital spaces where adolescents naturally reside, recognizing the transformative potential of social media in enhancing reproductive health knowledge.

Cette étude examine l'impact des interventions en santé reproductive pour les adolescents basées sur les médias sociaux, tenant compte de la résidence numérique de la jeunesse d'aujourd'hui. En utilisant un modèle de conception à quatre groupes de Solomon, l'étude évalue l'efficacité des interventions personnalisées sur différentes plateformes numériques, mettant l'accent sur la valeur, l'impact et la pertinence des approches pédagogiques innovantes, en particulier celles utilisées par les médias sociaux. Le document met en évidence la présence omniprésente des adolescents sur les médias sociaux, y compris des plateformes telles qu'Instagram, Twitter et Facebook, en tant que composants intégraux de leurs expériences en ligne. L'utilisation de ces plates-formes pour l'éducation à la santé est considérée comme cruciale, s'alignant sur les comportements numériques et les préférences des adolescents. Les défis éthiques dans le domaine de la santé numérique sont discutés, soulignant l'importance de la confidentialité, du consentement et de la création responsable de contenu. Pour adapter efficacement les interventions, la recherche explore les préférences spécifiques à chaque plateforme, reconnaissant les différents schémas d'utilisation chez les adolescents. Le document se termine par une analyse complète de l'impact de l'intervention, révélant des améliorations significatives des connaissances en santé reproductive parmi les participants exposés à l'éducation basée sur les médias sociaux. En essence, le document plaide en faveur de l'intégration de l'éducation à la santé dans les espaces numériques où les adolescents résident naturellement, reconnaissant le potentiel transformateur des médias sociaux dans l'amélioration des connaissances en santé reproductive.

Keywords: Adolescent health education; Digital platforms; Ethical challenges; Reproductive health knowledge; Social media interventions.

African Journal of Reproductive Health © 2024.

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The impact of RIDT on research at the University of Malta

Founded on the principles of promoting research excellence, fostering collaboration, and securing funding for innovative projects, the Research Innovation Development Trust (RIDT) has played an important role in supporting the research ecosystem at the University of Malta.

Throughout the years RIDT has raised funds , and continues to raise funds , towards research in diverse areas. RIDT also continues to create awareness within the Maltese society on the significant role of the University of Malta as the leading institution and key driver for research and innovation.

One of the most notable impacts of RIDT on research at the University of Malta is its role as a facilitator for funding opportunities for researchers. Through various initiatives, RIDT has provided researchers with access to financial resources essential for conducting high-quality research. This financial support has enabled researchers to pursue ambitious projects, explore new avenues of inquiry, and address pressing societal challenges. By alleviating financial constraints, RIDT has empowered researchers to focus on their work with greater dedication and creativity, thereby enhancing the overall quality and impact of research outputs.

Moreover, RIDT promotes interdisciplinary collaborations and knowledge exchange within the university community. Interdisciplinary collaboration not only enriches the research process by integrating different perspectives and expertise but also enhances the potential for innovative breakthroughs and transformative discoveries.

In addition to fostering collaboration within the university, RIDT has also played a crucial role in forging partnerships with external stakeholders, including industry, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.

Medical research, particularly cancer research, remain the projects which attract major donations. Below are some examples of research projects and initiatives which are, or were, financed through RIDT. These projects and intiatives are testimonials to the diversity of the research projects and the outcomes which continue to bear fruit within our society, thanks to the work of the Research, Innovation and Development Trust of the University of Malta.

UM Mobile Dental Clinic : To ensure that the general public realises that good oral health extends beyond a great smile, the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the University set up a mobile dental clinic to provide oral health advice and dental care. By raising €130,000, RIDT was crucial in setting up this project in 2015.

This community project is seeing the mobile dental clinic visit various localities across Malta and Gozo with an aim to reach out to all sectors of society, including the underprivileged, the institutionalised, schools, orphanages, and the homebound elderly.

Another objective of the project is to collect fresh epidemiological data relating to the Maltese population.

Perez D’Aleccio Conservation Project : This major conservation project, under the care of the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage at the University of Malta was completed in 2023.

It developed hand-in-hand with the Department’s Master’s programme in the Conservation of Decorative Architectural Surfaces. In this programme, students were trained, under close supervision, in all areas relating to the documentation, analysis, development of treatments, and hands-on work on real decorated surfaces which form part of our heritage, in this case the iconic wall paintings in the Throne Room of the Grand Master’s Palace.

Today, the work done by the University of Malta is a blue print for future conservation projects and collaborations in the preservation of our heritage. RIDT was crucial in garnering all the funds for this project with the collaboration of the Gasan Foundation, the Melita Foundation and the Planning Authority.

Payroll Giving supports PhD Students: In collaboration with the Doctoral School of the University of Malta, RIDT is offering grants to allow doctoral students to present their research overseas. Presenting research at international conferences increases the visibility of both the student and the university within the academic community. It showcases the institution's commitment to research excellence and contributes to its reputation as a hub for scholarly inquiry.

Conferences provide valuable networking opportunities for PhD students to connect with researchers, academics, and professionals from around the world. These connections can lead to collaborations and possible access to further resources such as funding and data.

Presenting research allows students to receive feedback from experts in their field. This feedback can help refine their work, validate their findings, and identify areas for further investigation, ultimately enhancing the quality and rigor of their research.

Funds for these grants are generated through the voluntary staff payroll scheme at the University of Malta and the Juniour College. This scheme is currently being revamped with the aim of recruiting more staff members willing to support the University of Malta researchers in their target to achieve excellence.

Claudette Buttigieg is Senior Executive Officer, Research, Innovation and Development Trust (RIDT)

Photos: University of Malta 

The RIDT is appealing to the whole community to consider making a donation, big or small, to the University of Malta through the RIDT. This will make a tangible difference in advancing groundbreaking research, nurturing talent, and shaping a brighter future for generations to come.

Whether you choose to give now or include RIDT in your will, your generosity will leave a lasting impact on our university and the world beyond. By joining RIDT in this mission, you become a vital part of our journey towards discovery and progress.

To learn more and support RIDT visit www.ridt.org.mt.

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Regions & Countries

Teens, social media and technology 2023, youtube, tiktok, snapchat and instagram remain the most widely used online platforms among u.s. teens.

Pew Research Center conducted this study to better understand teens’ use of digital devices, social media and other online platforms.

The Center conducted an online survey of 1,453 U.S. teens from Sept. 26 to Oct. 23, 2023, through Ipsos. Ipsos recruited the teens via their parents, who were part of its KnowledgePanel . The KnowledgePanel is a probability-based web panel recruited primarily through national, random sampling of residential addresses. The survey was weighted to be representative of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who live with their parents by age, gender, race and ethnicity, household income, and other categories.

This research was reviewed and approved by an external institutional review board (IRB), Advarra, an independent committee of experts specializing in helping to protect the rights of research participants.

Here are  the questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and  its methodology ­­­. A note on terminology : Our September-October 2023 survey asked about “Twitter (recently renamed to ‘X’).” The terms Twitter and X are both used in this report to refer to the same platform.

Despite negative headlines and growing concerns about social media’s impact on youth, teens continue to use these platforms at high rates – with some describing their social media use as “almost constant,” according to a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens.

The survey – conducted Sept. 26-Oct. 23, 2023, among 1,453 13- to 17-year-olds – covered social media, internet use and device ownership among teens.

Here’s a look at the key findings related to online platforms:

YouTube continues to dominate. Roughly nine-in-ten teens say they use YouTube, making it the most widely used platform measured in our survey.

TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram remain popular among teens: Majorities of teens ages 13 to 17 say they use TikTok (63%), Snapchat (60%) and Instagram (59%). For older teens ages 15 to 17, these shares are about seven-in-ten.

Teens are less likely to be using Facebook and Twitter (recently renamed X) than they were a decade ago: Facebook once dominated the social media landscape among America’s youth, but the share of teens who use the site has dropped from 71% in 2014-2015 to 33% today. Twitter, which was renamed X in July 2023, has also seen its teen user base shrink during the past decade – albeit at a less steep decline than Facebook.

Teens’ site and app usage has changed little in the past year. The share of teens using these platforms has remained relatively stable since spring 2022, when the Center last surveyed on these topics. For example, the percentage of teens who use TikTok is statistically unchanged since last year.

And for the first time, we asked teens about using BeReal: 13% report using this app.

• Teens and adults weigh in on social media policies aimed at youth
• Where teens and adults stand on banning TikTok

How often do teens visit online platforms?

In addition to asking teens about the types of platforms they use, we also asked them how often they use five specific platforms: YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. 

YouTube, the most widely used platform measured in the survey, is also frequently visited by its users. About seven-in-ten teens say they visit the video-sharing platform daily, including 16% who report being on the site almost constantly.

At the same time, 58% of teens are daily users of TikTok. This includes 17% who describe their TikTok use as almost constant.

About half of teens use Snapchat and Instagram daily. A somewhat larger share reports using Snapchat almost constantly compared with Instagram (14% vs. 8%).

Far fewer teens say they use Facebook on a daily basis (19%), with only 3% saying they are on the site almost constantly.  

Taken together, a third of teens use at least one of these five sites almost constantly – which is similar to what we found last year .   

Teen girls are more likely than boys to say they almost constantly use TikTok (22% vs. 12%) and Snapchat (17% vs. 12%).

But there are little to no differences in the shares of boys and girls who report almost constantly using YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

By race and ethnicity

We also see differences by race and ethnicity in how much time teens report spending on these platforms.

Larger shares of Black and Hispanic teens report being on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok almost constantly, compared with a smaller share of White teens who say the same. 1

Hispanic teens stand out in TikTok and Snapchat use. For instance, 32% of Hispanic teens say they are on TikTok almost constantly, compared with 20% of Black teens and 10% of White teens.

How use of online platforms differs across demographic groups

While some sites are commonly used among all teens, there are some differences by gender, race and ethnicity, age, and household income.

Teen girls are more likely than teen boys to say they use Instagram (66% vs. 53%). BeReal, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook also are more commonly used by teen girls.

On the other hand, teen boys are more likely than teen girls to use Discord (34% vs. 22%) and Twitch (22% vs. 11%). Similarly, a larger share of boys than girls use Reddit and YouTube.

Eight-in-ten Black teens report using TikTok, compared with 70% of Hispanic teens and 57% of White teens. Racial and ethnic gaps are also present in use of Twitter: Black teens are more likely than Hispanic or White teens to be Twitter users.

When it comes to WhatsApp, Hispanic teens are more likely than Black or White teens to say they use the messaging platform.

BeReal is the only platform asked about that White teens are more likely to use than Black or Hispanic teens.

Older teens are more likely than younger teens to use many of the platforms asked about, including Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Reddit. For example, while 68% of teens ages 15 to 17 say they use Instagram, this share drops to 45% among teens ages 13 and 14.

By household income

While fewer teens overall are using Facebook, our surveys consistently show that usage remains higher among teens in lower-income households . For example, 45% of teens in households earning less than $30,000 a year say they use Facebook, compared with 27% of those whose annual household income is $75,000 or more.

Income gaps are also present in TikTok use: Larger shares of teens in lower-income households are users compared with those in the highest-income households (71% vs. 61%).

In comparison, BeReal is more commonly used among teens in households earning $75,000 or more a year. Some 16% of teens in this category say they use this app, compared with about one-in-ten whose annual household income falls below $75,000.

How much time are teens spending online?

In addition to asking teens about their social media use, we also examined the amount of time they report spending online.

Nearly half of teens say they use the internet “almost constantly.” This is on par with what we found last year, but roughly double the 24% who said this in the 2014-2015 survey.

Overall, more than nine-in-ten say they use the internet at least daily.

As was true in previous Center surveys , the amount of time teens report spending online varies by race and ethnicity.

While 55% of Hispanic and 54% of Black teens report being on the internet almost constantly, the share drops to 38% among White teens.

Older teens ages 15 to 17 are somewhat more likely than younger teens to be near-constant internet users (50% vs. 40%).

Device usage: Smartphones, computers, gaming consoles and tablets

Today’s teens have several ways to go online, connect with others and find information.

Our survey finds that most teens have or have access to a smartphone (95%), a desktop or laptop computer (90%), or a gaming console (83%). A smaller share – though still a 65% majority – say the same for tablets. 

Smartphone ownership is nearly universal among teens of different genders, ages, races and ethnicities, and economic backgrounds. But having access to a home computer remains less common for those in lower-income households.

Roughly seven-in-ten teens living in households earning less than $30,000 a year (72%) say they have access to a home computer. That share rises among those whose annual household income is $30,000 to $74,999 (87%) or $75,000 and above (94%).

Tablet ownership is also less common among teens in lower-income households: 57% say they have access to a tablet at home, compared with 67% of those living in the highest-income households.

Most teen boys and girls report having access to a game console at home, but more boys say this than girls (91% vs. 75%).

• There were not enough Asian teens in the sample to be broken out into a separate analysis. As always, their responses are incorporated into the general population figures throughout the report. ↩

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About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .