A Double-Edged Sword: How Diverse Communities of Young People Think About the Multifaceted Relationship Between Social Media and Mental Health

The Complex Nature of Social Media’s Impact

The discussion around how young people interact with digital media and technology, and the subsequent implications for their mental health, has intensified in recent years. With a rise in reported cases of depression, anxiety, and self-harm among teens and young adults, social media is being scrutinized as both a potential cause of these trends and a possible avenue for mitigating them. This report underscores that social media indeed presents a multifaceted reality for youth, offering both significant advantages and considerable disadvantages.

• Dual Nature: Social media functions as a “double-edged sword” for young people, offering both notable benefits and significant costs to their mental health and well-being.

• Key Benefits: Young people frequently use digital platforms for emotional support, connecting with friends and family, finding mental health resources, building communities, and decompressing through entertainment.

• Significant Costs: Conversely, they often encounter stressful content and must actively employ strategies, including temporary or permanent breaks, to manage their exposure.

Key Takeaways and Recommendations

The findings of this report underscore that while the landscape of social media use among young people is nuanced and complex, there’s a clear consensus: it serves as both a source of support and potential harm. Recognizing this dual nature is crucial for developing effective strategies to promote positive mental health outcomes. The report concludes with a call for a multi-pronged approach involving various stakeholders to ensure social media platforms contribute positively to youth well-being.

• Depressive Symptoms Remain Elevated: While down from pandemic peaks, moderate to severe depressive symptoms among young people remain at levels comparable to 2018, with almost 3 in 10 (28%) affected. LGBTQ+ youth continue to show significantly higher rates (49%).

• Benefits and Costs of Social Media Use: Young people derive critical social connection and support from social media, with many finding it important for feeling less alone (55%) and seeking support/advice (54%). However, a significant portion struggles with control (49%), leading to impacts on sleep and attention span, and 73% unconsciously reach for it when bored.

• Active Management by Youth: Most youth (76%) actively try to control the content they see, and 63% have taken temporary breaks to manage their time online, showing proactive self-regulation.

• Exposure to Both Harmful and Affirming Content: A majority of young people encounter negative comments (e.g., body shaming 61%, racist 55%) as well as identity-affirming content (e.g., body-positive 68%, LGBTQ+ affirming 63%).

• Disparities in Experience:

  • Black and Latino youth rely more on social media for mental health support, professional opportunities, and creative expression, but also experience more breaks due to harassment.

  • LGBTQ+ youth experience the “double-edged sword” most acutely, finding crucial support and affirmation while simultaneously facing greater exposure to harassment and stress, leading them to actively curate their feeds.

  • Young adults perceive more downsides to social media than teens but are also more proactive in managing their engagement and exposure.

• Recommendations for a Multi-pronged Solution:

  1. More Research and Public Understanding: Deepen research into the experiences of vulnerable groups (e.g., youth with depressive symptoms, LGBTQ+ young people) and enhance public understanding of these nuances.

  2. Action from the Tech Sector: Social media companies must redesign platforms with youth well-being in mind, implementing more guardrails to limit harm and facilitate effective usage management.

  3. Public Education: Provide more education for families, schools, and teens on how to manage social media challenges without diminishing its positive benefits.

  4. Listen to Young People: Caring adults must continue to listen to and understand young people’s unique experiences and relationships with social media and technology.

Current State of Mental Health for Teens and Young Adults

The mental health of young people has been a growing concern over the past decade, with studies consistently showing an increase in mental distress. This trend was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic due to isolation and stress, and while pandemic highs have subsided, the concern for teen and young adult mental health in the United States remains pertinent. The study utilized the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) to assess depressive symptoms, revealing important insights into current mental health trends.

• Depressive Symptoms Stabilized Post-Pandemic: Nearly 3 in 10 (28%) young people aged 14 to 22 reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms in 2023. While this rate is lower than the almost 4 in 10 (38%) observed in 2020 during the pandemic, it remains comparable to pre-pandemic levels in 2018 (25%).

• Age-Related Differences: Moderate to severe depressive symptoms are more prevalent among young adults (35%) than among teens (18%) in 2023.

• Disparities for LGBTQ+ Youth: Almost half (49%) of LGBTQ+ young people reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression, significantly higher than the 24% among their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts. Although this rate decreased from 65% in 2020, the disparity persists.

Where and Why Youth Spend Their Time on Social Media

Social media platforms have become a central part of young people’s daily lives, serving as a hub for a wide array of social, emotional, and cultural activities. From staying connected with friends to finding stress relief and exploring creative expression, social media fulfills numerous important needs for teens and young adults. The report examines the frequency of use, preferred platforms, and the various motivations behind young people’s engagement.

• Frequent Usage: Nearly one-quarter (24%) of youth aged 14 to 22 report being on social media almost constantly throughout the day, a figure that has increased from 17% in 2018.

• Racial and Mental Health Disparities in Usage: A significantly larger share of Black young people (37%) are on social media almost constantly compared to White (19%) and Latino (22%) youth. Young people with mild to severe depressive symptoms are also more likely to use social media almost constantly (31% mild, 30% moderate/severe vs. 18% no symptoms).

• Preference for Digital Communication: 39% of social media users prefer to communicate via social media rather than in person, an increase from 31% in 2018. This preference is higher among Black (45%) and Latino (45%) youth compared to White youth (36%), and among LGBTQ+ youth (52%) compared to non-LGBTQ+ youth (38%).

• Most Commonly Used Platforms: YouTube (78%) and Instagram (76%) are the most used platforms, followed closely by TikTok (71%) and Snapchat (70%). Facebook (56%) and X (formerly Twitter, 39%) are also widely used.

• Platform Usage by Demographics:

  • Gender: Women and girls are more likely to use Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and BeReal, while men and boys prefer Discord, Reddit, YouTube, and Twitch.

  • LGBTQ+ Youth: More likely to use YouTube, Instagram, X (Twitter), Discord, Reddit, Pinterest, and Twitch, with particularly higher usage of Reddit (55% vs. 26%) and Twitch (48% vs. 21%), as these platforms offer specific communities and support.

• Key Importance of Social Media:

  • Entertainment and Connection: Vast majority find social media important for entertainment (89%), communicating with friends (85%), relaxing (83%), and reducing boredom (82%).

  • Relatability and Community: Important for finding relatable content (77%) and connecting with shared experiences/identities (73%).

  • Mental Health Support: 54% view social media as important for seeking support/advice, and 50% for finding mental health resources.

  • Feeling Less Alone: The proportion of youth who feel less alone due to social media grew from 46% in 2018 to 55% in 2023. This is especially important for LGBTQ+ youth (74% vs. 52% of non-LGBTQ+).

  • Disparities in Social Media’s Importance:

    • Black Youth: More likely to find social media critical for staying informed (80% vs. 65% White), getting inspiration (79% vs. 69% White), cheering up (79% vs. 73% White, 67% Latino), connecting with family (72% vs. 62% Latino, 61% White), expressing creativity (79% vs. 62% White, 56% Latino), and learning about professional/academic opportunities (80% vs. 63% Latino, 53% White). Crucially, 77% of Black youth find social media important for connecting with people sharing mental health concerns (vs. 60% Latino, 53% White).

    • Latino Youth: Also place greater importance on finding mental health information (59% vs. 44% White) and getting support/advice (60% vs. 50% White).

    • Youth with Depressive Symptoms: More likely to view social media as important for cheering up (78% moderate/severe, 75% mild vs. 68% no symptoms), feeling less alone (66% moderate/severe, 59% mild vs. 48% no symptoms), connecting with others who share mental health concerns (65% moderate/severe vs. 55% no symptoms), and getting support/advice (63% moderate/severe vs. 51% no symptoms).

Impact of Social Media Content on Youth

With the proliferation of social media, there’s increasing evidence that how young people engage with these platforms profoundly impacts their development, both positively and negatively. From the constant stream of negative news to content influencing body image, social media can take a significant toll on emotional health. However, these platforms also serve as vital spaces for identity exploration, mutual upliftment, and community building, especially for underrepresented groups.

How Social Media Influences Young People’s Mood

The influence of social media on a young person’s mood and overall well-being is highly variable, depending on their individual experiences and how they engage with the platforms. While social media can be a source of positive feelings, offering connection and support, it can also exacerbate negative emotions through social comparison or exposure to harmful content. The report delves into these nuanced effects, examining both the positive and negative influences on mood.

• Predominantly Positive or Neutral Impact on Mood: Among young people who use social media, 39% reported that it makes them feel better when they are already feeling depressed, stressed, or anxious. An equal percentage (39%) stated it made them feel neither better nor worse, while only 8% felt worse, and 13% experienced a mix of both positive and negative effects.

• Reasons for Positive Impact (Better Mood):

  • Diversion: Many youth use social media as a distraction from their problems, providing a temporary escape or a focus on entertaining/relaxing content.

  • Connection: Social media facilitates connecting with others, establishing relatability through shared experiences, and maintaining existing relationships for support.

• Reasons for Negative Impact (Worse Mood):

  • Social Comparison: Carefully curated depictions of others’ lives often lead to negative self-comparison and anxiety.

  • Negative Content: Exposure to bad news, hate speech, and negative interactions on platforms can heighten distress.

  • Feeling Unproductive: Scrolling through social media can lead to feelings of laziness and a lack of goals or motivation.

• Mixed Impact Explained by Content: For those who reported both positive and negative effects, their feelings often depended on the specific content encountered. While social media can offer support, it can also expose users to others’ distress.

• Temporary Distraction, Not Solution: Social media can provide temporary relief, but it often doesn’t address underlying issues, leading to emotions resurfacing or intensifying later.

• No Mood Change / Alternative Coping: A significant portion (39%) of users reported no mood change, often because they differentiate social media from real life or use other coping mechanisms for distress.

Broader Content-Related Impacts

• Negative Content’s Emotional Toll:

  • Nearly half (45%) of youth users agree that seeing so much bad news on social media makes them stressed and anxious.

  • Over one-third (39%) feel bad about their body or appearance due to social media content.

  • About half (48%) feel that others’ lives are better than their own after using social media.

• Age and Gender Differences in Negative Impact: Young adults (18-22) are more prone to stress/anxiety from bad news (50% vs. 36% for teens) and negative body image (43% vs. 31% for teens). Women and girls are significantly more likely than men and boys to feel bad about their bodies (50% vs. 26%) and perceive others’ lives as better (53% vs. 43%).

• Racial and LGBTQ+ Disparities in Negative Impact: Black (53%) and Latino (48%) youth more often experience emotional toll from negative news than White peers (41%). 6 in 10 LGBTQ+ youth experience emotional impact from negative news, compared to 43% of non-LGBTQ+ youth. LGBTQ+ youth also show higher rates of negative body image (55% vs. 37%) and social comparison (60% vs. 47%).

• Depressive Symptoms Correlate with Negative Impacts: The severity of depressive symptoms tracks with higher rates of reporting stress/anxiety from bad news, negative body image, and feeling others’ lives are better. For example, 62% of those with moderate to severe symptoms feel stressed/anxious from bad news, compared to 32% of those with no symptoms.

• Self-Presentation Pressures: Over half (52%) of social media users feel compelled to always show their “best selves” online, a sentiment that has remained stable since 2018. This pressure is particularly high for women/girls (63% vs. 45% for men/boys), Black youth (more focus on metrics like likes), and youth with depressive symptoms (62% moderate/severe vs. 47% no symptoms).

• Concerns about Criticism/Harassment: Half of youth are concerned that posting public content would open them to criticism and harassment. This concern is higher among young adults (55% vs. 43% for teens) and significantly higher for LGBTQ+ youth (72% vs. 47% for non-LGBTQ+ youth).

• Encountering Harmful Comments: A majority of youth often or sometimes encounter body shaming (61%), sexist (58%), transphobic (58%), racist (55%), or homophobic (53%) comments. However, there has been a modest reduction in exposure to these types of comments since 2020.

• Encountering Affirming Content: Social media also provides positive spaces:

  • 68% encounter body-positive comments.

  • 63% see comments affirming different racial/ethnic backgrounds.

  • 63% see comments affirming LGBTQ+ communities.

  • 60% see comments affirming intersectional identities.

• Disparities in Affirming Content Encounters: Young adults, women/girls, and LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to encounter identity-affirming content, but women/girls also encounter more hurtful content. White youth tend to encounter more types of affirming comments than Black or Latino youth.

• Double-Edged Sword for LGBTQ+ Youth: While 89% of LGBTQ+ youth encounter identity-affirming content, 75% encounter transphobic and 76% homophobic comments, highlighting the simultaneous presence of support and harassment in their online experiences.

How Young People Manage Their Social Media Experiences

Social media platforms are intentionally designed to be highly engaging, with features like notifications and endless scrolling contributing to their powerful pull. Despite this, young people are not passive users; they actively respond to the content and experiences they encounter online. Many consciously curate their feeds, engage with content that affirms their identities and interests, and even take temporary or permanent breaks to manage their usage and mitigate negative impacts.

• Active Content Curation: More than three-quarters (76%) of social media users aged 14 to 22 implement measures to control what they see online, such as using “not interested” buttons, flagging content, or blocking users.

• Tailoring Feeds: Nearly 7 in 10 (67%) youth actively “curate their feed” by liking or spending more time on certain content to see more of what interests them.

• Taking Breaks: A majority (63%) have taken a temporary break from social media accounts to reduce time spent, and 41% have permanently shut down an account for the same reason.

• LGBTQ+ Youth and Content Management: Nearly 9 in 10 (89%) LGBTQ+ youth actively avoid content they dislike, and 78% curate their feeds, significantly higher than non-LGBTQ+ peers, reflecting their need to manage both identity-affirming content and increased exposure to harassment.

• Young Adults’ Increased Awareness and Management: Young adults (18-22) are more likely than teens (14-17) to employ strategies to avoid disliked content (81% vs. 68%) and curate their feeds (71% vs. 61%), and are also more likely to have permanently stopped using an account (45% vs. 35%). This suggests a greater awareness of social media’s design influence and developed coping skills.

• Youth with Depressive Symptoms Actively Manage: 9 in 10 young people with moderate to severe depressive symptoms actively try to see less of what they dislike on social media, demonstrating a heightened need to manage their online environment.

• Challenges with Control: Half (50%) of social media users agree they struggle to control their use or use it longer than intended. Nearly three-quarters (73%) unconsciously reach for social media when bored.

• Negative Impact on Daily Life: Close to half report social media takes time from other activities (46%) and has reduced their attention span (46%).

• Disparities in Control Struggles: Young adults, LGBTQ+ young people, and women/girls are more likely to report challenges with controlling social media use, sleep interference, and reduced attention spans due to social media.

• Higher Rates of Breaks for Vulnerable Groups: Black (74%) and Latino (73%) youth are significantly more likely than White youth (56%) to take temporary breaks due to time concerns. Black (56%) and Latino (54%) youth are also more likely than White youth (32%) to take permanent breaks.

• Breaks Due to Harassment: Black (48% temporary, 42% permanent) and Latino (47% temporary, 40% permanent) youth are about twice as likely as White youth (30% temporary, 21% permanent) to take breaks due to harassment, reflecting a lower tolerance for online negativity given their offline experiences with racism.

• Depressive Symptoms and Breaks: Youth with moderate to severe depressive symptoms are considerably more likely to take temporary (76%) and permanent (56%) breaks for time-related concerns, and are more than twice as likely to take breaks due to online harassment (58% temporary, 44% permanent) compared to those with no symptoms.

For the full report, you can read the original article here.