What you need to know
- Social media can help youth find social support and stay in touch with friends.
- However, social media use can also disrupt routines and expose young people to distressing content.
- Talking openly about social media, supervising use, creating a family media plan, and modeling healthy habits can help your child use online platforms more safely.
Up to 95 percent of U.S. teens use social media. While the minimum age requirement for most platforms is 13, nearly 40 percent of kids ages 8 to 12 use online social platforms, too.
Social media can be a tool for entertainment and connection, but a growing body of research suggests it may come with mental health risks. In 2023, the U.S. surgeon general issued an advisory warning that social media use may be linked to depression and anxiety in young people. Recent lawsuits against Meta—which owns Instagram and Facebook—alleging that the company harmed young people have also raised concerns among parents.
Read on to understand the mental health risks associated with youth social media use and find tips for helping your children navigate social media more safely.
How does social media impact youth mental health?
“Social media is not inherently negative or harmful,” Courtney Blackwell, a youth mental health researcher and associate professor at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, tells Public Good News. “There are a lot of ways that social media could be used in a positive way to connect with others, especially for some marginalized communities—teens finding other teens that are similar to them that might not be in their offline community.”
Some research shows that teens who seek social support online report higher levels of self-esteem and lower levels of loneliness. In a 2025 survey, about 74 percent of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 said social media helps them feel closer to their friends. In addition to supporting connection, social media can help young people explore new ideas and practice creative skills, like writing and video editing, which may help build confidence.
Despite its potential benefits, social media can also disrupt routines that are critical for physical and mental well-being.
“If you’re using it for many hours and neglecting other responsibilities, or you’re staying up late, that’s going to affect your sleep, and that’s not good for your mental health,” Dr. Yann Poncin, a child psychiatrist and associate professor at Yale School of Medicine, explains.
Social media may also expose youth to violent content or idealized images that promote unrealistic body standards. In a 2022 survey, nearly half of teens ages 13 to 17 said that social media negatively impacted their body image.
“When you’re on social media, especially as you become a teenager or preteen, there’s a lot of social comparison, and that’s really detrimental to mental health,” Poncin warns. “You’re seeing others who are better, brighter, smarter, faster, less acne—whatever it may be—and that social comparison is really where things take a hit.”
Some studies have found that youth who use social media are more likely to report symptoms of depression and anxiety, although it remains unclear whether social media is the direct cause.
What are signs that social media might be negatively impacting my child’s mental health?
General mental health warning signs in youth may include:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Changes in sleep and appetite
- Saying they feel sad or hopeless
- Excessive worrying
- Irritability or angry outbursts
- Avoiding social situations
If your child is showing these signs, social media is not necessarily the reason they’re struggling. However, if your child says social media is contributing to their distress, or if it’s interfering with their daily routines, it may be playing a role.
Blackwell encourages parents and caregivers to consider these questions:
- Do you and your child have frequent conflicts about social media use?
- Do you notice your child using social media to avoid responsibilities or distract from stressors?
- Is social media replacing your child’s offline relationships with peers or family members?
If so, you may need to help your child or teen create healthier social media habits.
How can parents help kids and teens use social media in safer ways?
Talk openly about social media
Regular conversations about social media can help parents and caregivers understand what their children are seeing and experiencing online. Open communication also makes it more likely that kids will seek support if they encounter harmful content or cyberbullying.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents and caregivers discuss social media “early and often” with their children. These conversations can help you reinforce risks and assess how social media may be affecting your child’s mental health.
Get conversation starters from the AAP.
Know how to use supervision tools
Many social media apps have tools that allow parents and caregivers to monitor how their children are using social media, set screen-time limits, or filter content.
Learn more about supervision tools from ConnectSafely.
Create a family media plan
The AAP offers a free tool to build a shareable, printable family media plan. This can help your family establish guidelines for social media use—like designating screen-free zones at home—that support healthy routines.
Model healthy social media use
Being intentional about your own social media habits can help your child use it more mindfully.
“You want to have very clear parameters around when you’re using your own phone,” Poncin says. “For example, [at] dinner time, or when you’re having a conversation with your kid who’s excitedly telling you about their day—you’ve got to make a conscious effort to really have values and rules for yourself around when you’re not going to use your phone.”
Get more youth mental health resources from NAMI.
If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm or is anxious, depressed, or upset, or needs to talk, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741. For international resources, here is a good place to begin.