By Amy Mezulis, PhD, author of Reversing the Spiral of Depression for Teens
Does it seem like every teen you know spends more time looking at their phone than just about anything else?
You’re not wrong. Recent data suggests that over 95 percent of teens have a smartphone, and nearly 50 percent report being on social media or other sites “nearly constantly”1. Teens spend nearly five hours per day on social media—nearly as much time as they spend in school!
This is bad, right? The US Surgeon General certainly thinks so. After warning about the developmental dangers of social media in 20232, in 2024 he actually proposed a “warning label” on social media platforms to alert parents and teens to the harms of social media use3.
So just how bad is social media for teens’ mental health? Let’s take a deep dive into the data to find out.
Why are kids so entranced by social media?
1. All about that dopamine hit. The teen brain is the perfect feeding ground for the allure of social media. The teen brain is uniquely sensitive to dopamine—the “feel good” or “reward” brain chemical. When a teen posts a story on Snapchat or Instagram, the likes, hearts, and comments they then receive each provide a little dopamine hit to their dopamine-craving brain. The cycle—posting then getting peer feedback—becomes highly rewarding at the most basic level of brain chemistry. Which then motivates teens to keep engaging in it.
2. FOMO is real. Research also suggests that there is tremendous FOMO (fear of missing out) associated with teen social media use. Teens quickly fall prey to checking social media to see who is posting about what. That checking behavior can alleviate anxiety when the user does not see anything new, but can also amplify anxiety if the user sees something and feels they are missing out. This creates of a vicious cycle of feeling compelled to be constantly checking social media.
What does the data say about the harms of social media?
In short, the data is pretty clear—social media harms teens’ mental health.
1. Increases in depression, anxiety, loneliness, and social isolation. Nasslund and colleagues4 reported that social media use directly predicts increased anxiety and depression among teens. Others have reported that social media use, contrary to the expectations of many teens, predicts greater social isolation and loneliness rather than social connection. Murthy’s advisory also pointed out an important pathway for the adverse mental health effects—sleep disruption. When kids are staying up late online, they’re also are at risk for sleep deprivation, which further impacts mood, attention, and behavior.
2. Online predation is a growing problem. The CDC reported that one in five teens have been the victim of cyberbullying—such as being taunted with racist or homophobic posts or comments, being the victim of false or misleading information campaigns, or having personally embarrassing information or images posted5. With the recent rise in artificial intelligence (AI), the problem of “deep fake” pornographic images is also emerging as a new threat—with teens reporting that others have posted videos or pictures of their face on digitally created nude images.
3. Harmful content promotes unsafe behaviors. Finally, social media allows teens to access potentially harmful content with few safety features to ensure that such content is accurate or promotes healthy behaviors. Teens are often exposed to self-harm for the first time online, with contagion effects showing that experimenting with such behaviors can snowball through teen communities. Teens posting pictures of substance use has been associated with increased vaping and alcohol use among their peer and school groups6. Social media has also been a primary platform for the dissemination of the glamorization of unrealistic body image standards and disordered eating behaviors.
Is there ANYTHING good about social media use by teens?
With so much (valid) public attention on the harms of teen social media use, it is easy to lose sight of the smaller but equally well-documented counter story.
1. Can increase social connection, especially for marginalized youth. Youth in rural communities and youth who identify as LGBTQIA+ often find that their in-person social opportunities are limited. Social media can give these teens important pathways to peer connection and belonging7.
2. Safe place for exploration. Adolescence is a time of self-exploration and identity development, but not all teens feel comfortable asking questions about sexuality, gender, race, or personal health in their family or peer environments. The anonymity of social media provides that much-needed safe space for learning new things (but see above for the dangers of misinformation).
Tips for Safe Social Media Use
A few pragmatic ways to help the teens in your life engage with social media in safer ways:
1. Monitor use, especially with younger teens. In the critical ten-to-fourteen-year-old age range, set appropriate limits and oversight. This may include limiting apps, restricting hours of use, or requiring parental monitoring.
2. Replacing works better than restricting. Simply telling a teen to “be on your phone less” isn’t a helpful strategy. Behavior is functional—being on their phone is fun, engaging, distracting. If you want your teen to spend less time on their phone, help them build more time in other activities that don’t leave as much time for phone use—sports, clubs, in-person social events.
3. Use smart monitoring tools. You might lock access to the internet at night, or to certain apps during certain times of the day.
4. Have “phone free” zones at home (and adhere to them too!). This might include no phones at the table, family game nights, or no phones after 9pm. Putting phone use in its place helps limit overuse.
Amy Mezulis, PhD, is a clinical psychologist specializing in adolescent mental health. She is cofounder and chief clinical officer of Joon Care, a teletherapy practice for teens and young adults.
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