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Is social media really behind an epidemic of teenage mental illness?

The scientific evidence is not as compelling as some commentators suggest. But our negative narrative around social media may risk becoming a self-fulfilling one

One of the more promising developments in the continuing debate about social media’s impact on young people centres around the idea of social media mindsets. Photograph: Agency Stock
One of the more promising developments in the continuing debate about social media’s impact on young people centres around the idea of social media mindsets. Photograph: Agency Stock
Eoin Whelan
Mon Jan 13 2025 - 06:05

In September last year, the outgoing Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, described children’s exposure to harmful content on social media as a “public health crisis” and suggested stronger laws may be needed to tackle the issues.

Few people would disagree with him. The arrival of social media has coincided with a surge in mental health issues among teenagers and a mounting chorus of alarm among experts, schools and parents of a possible link to smartphone use. There is an emerging consensus that platforms like Instagram, X, and TikTok are not just idle bystanders in this crisis but active contributors to it, feeding young minds an unhealthy mix of constant comparison, misinformation, and emotional exploitation.

The growing sense of urgency among experts and legislators about the impact of social media on young people feeds into the fears of parents. With every new report on the damaging effects of these platforms, the concerns are harder to ignore. A few months ago, in a move that has drawn international attention, the Australian government proposed a landmark ban on social media access for children under the age of 16. And now Britain, Norway and Greece are considering similar restrictions. American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt is a supporter of such bans. In his bestselling book The Anxious Generation, he argues that the mass adoption of social media and smartphones “ ... is the single largest reason for the tidal wave of adolescent mental illness that began in the early 2010s”. There’s no doubt there is a big appetite for this narrative. But is social media really behind the teenage mental health crisis?

The scientific evidence would suggest the answer is no. Recent examinations of nationally representative large scale data sets challenge the narrative that the impact of social media is entirely negative. For example, the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, the largest long-term study of adolescent brain development and health in the United States, found no evidence of the harmful effects associated with digital technology. Other studies conclude that social media only has a negligible impact on adolescent wellbeing – far less than other factors like sleep, diet, and exercise. In fact, some studies point to potentially positive impacts, such as receiving emotional support from others, especially for those who feel marginalised. An October 2024 editorial in The Lancet, one of the most prestigious journals in the world, best sums it up: “If there is a meaningful causal link between social media and mental illness, it is likely small, although it may also be important.”

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The reality is that the effects of social media are unique to each individual. Just as most people can eat nuts with no issues but for some they can be life-threatening, two teens could use social media in very similar ways but experience very different reactions. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam conducted an extensive study of teenagers’ daily interactions with social media and found that 10 per cent did feel worse, but 46 per cent felt better and 44 per cent felt no better or worse.

But while the impact of social media on the mental health of young users may not be as dire as has been suggested, we do know that some teenagers experience negative impacts including anxiety, depression, and a sense of alienation, while others thrive in the online space, developing connections, finding validation and support. This disparity raises questions for researchers about what is driving these differences and how they can be addressed. The real challenge involves figuring out how to reduce the negative effects and amplify the positive.

One fascinating development centres around the idea of social media mindsets. This concept echoes Henry Ford’s famous words: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” Ford understood that perceptions often lead to reality, and in the case of social media, our beliefs about these platforms may profoundly influence how they affect us.

Mindsets are core beliefs which shape how we interpret and act in specific situations and which guide our expectations. A meta-analysis by Stanford University’s Social Media Lab suggested that individuals with an “empowering” mindset about social media – who see themselves as having agency over their use of it and see it as “a tool they could leverage to pursue personally meaningful activities” – experience better wellbeing. Those who view social media primarily as a toxic space and feel their use is out of control are more likely to experience stress, anxiety, and depression connected to their online interactions. The Stanford analysis found mindsets to be a better predictor of wellbeing outcomes than the amount of time people spend online, or even how they used social media.

Mindsets matter because they shape behaviour, especially in young people. So if we continue to tell teenagers that social media inevitably leads to poor self-worth, that may shape their experiences. For teenagers, whose minds are still forming, these beliefs can become self-fulfilling prophecies.

So instead of the blunt instrument of social media bans for under 16s – which, by the way, are just not practically achievable – a better approach would be to focus on developing mindsets which promote healthy interactions with digital technology. Encouraging a more balanced view – one that acknowledges both the positive and negative aspects of social media – could help young people navigate their online worlds more mindfully, reducing the likelihood of harmful outcomes and helping them build more resilient relationships with these platforms. Mindsets matter, and in this case, changing the conversation could change the experience.

Eoin Whelan is a professor of business analytics and society at the JE Cairnes School of Business & Economics, University of Galway