Is Social Media Causing A Youth Mental Health Crisis?
Published May 2nd, 2024
4.5 min read
A new book points the finger at Instagram, TikTok, and other apps. Researchers say it's not that simple.
Written by Simon Spichak
In the book The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt suggests that youth are experiencing more mental health problems than ever before because of social media. The book suggests that these apps are rewiring children’s brains with addictive content that keeps kids from playing and socializing in person. While the book’s premise sounds scary, scientists say that even though social media can make existing mental health problems worse, it isn’t the main culprit behind the crisis.
Does social media negatively affect mental health?
Scientists have conducted studies that carefully control and measure whether mental well-being is linked to social media.
A large study found that social media use can increase the severity of depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions in young people who already have mental health problems. Although social media isn’t always the reason you might be experiencing anxiety or depression, it can amplify these feelings and make them worse.
Signs social media is starting to impact your mental health
Here are some signs that your social media use might be getting out of hand and affecting your mental health:
Spending more time glued to your screen than hanging out with friends in person
Losing sleep because of doom scrolling
Causing body image concerns, anxiety, and problems with self-esteem
Spending too much money on Twitch streams or other influencers
Having arguments in real life about social media use
Performing risky behaviours or stunts for likes
Did social media kickstart the mental health crisis?
While it is true that more young people than ever are experiencing mental health problems, just because we’re spending more time on social media in the last ten to fifteen years doesn’t mean that social media is to blame.
However, correlation does not always equal causation.
Did the increase in mental health problems start with the rollout of social media worldwide? Well, not exactly. Researchers looked at 72 different countries and saw no association between the rollout of Facebook and well-being in the countries studied.
Another study also challenges the claim that social media and screen time rewire the brain. The longest-term study to date on brain development found no evidence that smartphones and spending time on social media rewired parts of the brain.
What’s causing the increase in mental health problems for youth?
“There are, unfortunately, no simple answers,” Candice L. Odgers, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, who is involved in international research on child development, writes. “The onset and development of mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression, are driven by a complex set of genetic and environmental factors.”
There is a combination of different reasons that might explain the increase, including:
Guns and exposure to violence
Discrimination, racism, and sexism
Financial problems
Social isolation
Since there may be multiple causes of mental health problems, treating social media addiction or limiting screen time won’t be a magical fix for issues related to anxiety, depression, or ADHD.
How Resolvve can help
Meeting with a mental health professional like a psychotherapist or social worker can help you get to the root of the problem, help break bad habits, and treat the underlying issues that might be driving unhealthy social media usage.
Resolve also offers free consultations with mental health professionals that can help you start the journey to improving your mental well-being.
Please note that this post is written for educational purposes; it is not therapy. If you need to talk to a professional, please book a consultation with a psychotherapist through Resolvve.
