Is social media hurting teens’ mental health? It’s complicated

Social media is terrible for teens’ mental health—or is it?

At the same time that rising rates of poor mental health among youth have been called a national crisis, and as parents and regulators call on social media companies to do more to keep young people safe online, a recent study by the Pew Research Center found that social media—while flawed—can sometimes be a positive influence on teenagers.

In a survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17, 74% said social media makes them feel more connected to their friends, and 63% said online platforms give them a place to show off their creativity.

There’s more good news: About half—52%—said social media makes them feel more accepted and supported through tough times. The bad news? That number is down from 67% in 2022.

The survey found that parents, more than teens themselves, are likely to see social media as a threat to the mental health of teen users. Nearly half (44%) of parents blamed social media as the single greatest negative influence on teens’ mental health, followed by technology and bullying.

Only 22% of teens agreed, citing a broader range of negative influences, including bullying and pressure to meet expectations. “Everyone expects teens to have it all figured out by the time we get out of high school,” one teenage girl said. “Sometimes we don’t know what we want to do. We are figuring life out too.”

Still, social media ranked as the most negative influence according to both teens and parents. “The overuse of social media in our society seems to be the main cause of depression among those in my age group,” a teenage boy said. “People seem to let themselves be affected by the opinions of people they don’t know, and it wreaks havoc upon people’s states of mind.”

Interestingly, teens seem more concerned about the effect of social media on their peers than on themselves. Roughly half (48%) said these sites have a mostly negative effect on teens their age—up from 32% in 2022—while just 14% said they believe social media negatively affects them personally. At the same time, the number of teens who said they think social media has a positive effect on their peers dropped from 24% in 2022 to just 11% in the current survey.

As a result, many teens are trying to cut back: 44% said they have reduced the time they spend on social media and smartphones. That means more than half are still scrolling.

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