Social media use has become an inseparable part of many adolescents’ daily lives. Frequent use of these platforms can have notable impacts–both negative and positive–on children’s and adolescents’ mental health, depending on how they’re used.
Children and Screens’ Research-at-a-Glance “Social Media and Youth Mental Health” distills the latest research into a two-page visual guide highlighting the most important findings and key takeaways for parents and educators.
Did You Know?
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- Social media use can contribute to negative mental health outcomes in children and adolescents
- Social media’s effects on youth mental health change based on duration of time spent on social media and type of use
- Moderate and active use of social media may facilitate positive outcomes for youth mental health, including identity affirmation and peer support
- Certain groups are more vulnerable to negative effects of social media use on mental health, including girls, racial minority youth, and transgender and sexual/gender minority youth
How You Can Use This:
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- Identify the warning signs of harmful effects of social media use on children’s mental health
- Raise awareness with youth about how higher levels of social media use can contribute to mental health symptoms
- Maintain open dialogue with youth about how their social media use makes them feel
- Understand factors that increase youth vulnerability to negative mental health impacts from social media use
What’s Inside the PDF:
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- A concise, visual summary of current research
- Key research findings at a glance
- Insights for families and educators
Ahmed, O., Walsh, E. I., Dawel, A., Alateeq, K., Espinoza Oyarce, D. A., & Cherbuin, N. (2024). Social media use, mental health and sleep: A systematic review with meta-analyses. Journal of Affective Disorders, 367, 701–712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.193
Avci, H., Baams, L., & Kretschmer, T. (2024). A systematic review of social media use and adolescent identity development. Adolescent Research Review. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-024-00251-1
Baba, A., Suzuki, M., Yoshitake, R., Inose, Y., & Omi, N. (2025). Association between social networking service use and body image among elementary school children in Japan. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 15(7), 125. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe15070125
Cunningham, S., Hudson, C. C., & Harkness, K. (2021). Social media and depression symptoms: A meta-analysis. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 49, 241–253. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-020-00715-7
Curle, M., Hunter, S., Leatherdale, S. T., Patte, K. A., Faulkner, G., Goldfield, G., Ferro, M. A., Turcotte-Tremblay, A.-M., & Carson, V. (2026). The cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between social media and mental health among a large sample of adolescents, inclusive of transgender/gender-diverse adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 98(4), 1396–1411. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.70151
Dane, A., & Bhatia, K. (2023). The social media diet: A scoping review to investigate the association between social media, body image and eating disorders amongst young people. PLOS Global Public Health, 3(3), e0001091. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001091
Fassi, L., Ferguson, A. M., Przybylski, A. K., Ford, T. J., & Orben, A. (2025). Social media use in adolescents with and without mental health conditions. Nature Human Behaviour. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02134-4
Faverio, M., Anderson, M., & Park, E. (2025, April 22). Teens, social media and mental health. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/04/22/teens-social-media-and-mental-health/
Hopelab & Common Sense Media. (2024). A double-edged sword: How diverse communities of young people think about the multifaceted relationship between social media and mental health. Common Sense Media. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/double-edged-sword-how-diverse-communities-of-young-people-think-about-social-media-and-mental-health
Huang, C. (2022). A meta-analysis of problematic social media use and mental health. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 68(1), 12–33. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764020978434
Kingsbury, M., & Arim, R. (2023). Cybervictimization and mental health among Canadian youth. Health Reports, 34(9), 3–13.
Lafontaine-Poissant, F., Lang, J. J., McKinnon, B., Simard, I., Roberts, K. C., Wong, S. L., Chaput, J.-P., Janssen, I., Boniel-Nissim, M., & Gariépy, G. (2024). Social media use and sleep health among adolescents in Canada. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada: Research, Policy and Practice, 44(7–8), 338–346. https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.44.7/8.05
Nagata, J. M., Huang, O., Hur, J. O., Li, E. J., Helmer, C. K., Weinstein, E., & Moreno, M. A. (2025a). Health benefits of social media use in adolescents and young adults. Current Pediatrics Reports, 13, Article 22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-025-00357-7
Nagata, J. M., Lee, C. M., Hur, J. O., & Baker, F. C. (2025b). What we know about screen time and social media in early adolescence: A review of findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 37(4), 357–364. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOP.0000000000001462
Piteo, E. M., & Ward, K. (2020). Review: Social networking sites and associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents—A systematic review. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 25(4), 201–216. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12373
Polanco-Roman, L., Maxie-Moreman, A. D., Willis, H. A., Ha Hoang, T.-M., & Tynes, B. M. (2024). Online racial discrimination and suicidal ideation among Latine adolescents. JAACAP Open, 3(4), 890–898. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaacop.2024.07.001
Revranche, M., Biscond, M., & Husky, M. M. (2021). Investigating the relationship between social media use and body image among adolescents: A systematic review. L’Encéphale, 48, 206–218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.encep.2021.08.006
Roberts, S. R., Maheux, A. J., Ladd, B. A., & Choukas-Bradley, S. (2022). The role of social media in adolescents’ body image and disordered eating. In J. Nesi, E. H. Telzer, & M. J. Prinstein (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent digital media use and mental health. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108976237.014
Shannon, H., Bush, K., Villeneuve, P. J., Hellemans, K. G. C., & Guimond, S. (2022). Problematic social media use in adolescents and young adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis. JMIR Mental Health, 9(4), e33450. https://doi.org/10.2196/33450
Shen, C., Girela-Serrano, B. M., Di Simplicio, M., Spiers, A., Dumontheil, I., Thomas, M. S. C., Röösli, M., Elliott, P., Smith, R. B., & Toledano, M. B. (2026). Social networking site use, depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescents: Evidence from a longitudinal cohort study (SCAMP). BMC Medicine, 24, Article 139. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-026-04667-5
Tsomokos, D. I. (2025). Adolescent social media use and psychiatric outcomes: A longitudinal mediation analysis via interpersonal distrust, sleep, and self-image. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-025-02999-w
Tynes, B. M., Maxie-Moreman, A., Hoang, T. H., Willis, H. A., & English, D. (2024). Online racial discrimination, suicidal ideation, and traumatic stress in a national sample of Black adolescents. JAMA Psychiatry, 81(3), 312–316. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.4961
Wang, J., Wang, N., Liu, P., & Liu, Y. (2025). Social network site addiction, sleep quality, depression and adolescent difficulty describing feelings: A moderated mediation model. BMC Psychology, 13, Article 57. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02372-1
Wells, G., Horwitz, J., & Seetharaman, D. (2021, September 14). Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739
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