Why does social media seem to both endanger and protect young people’s mental health?
Growing research links excessive online use to addiction, cyberbullying and suicide risk among adolescents. However, those same digital platforms simultaneously provide connection, understanding and community support to many.
As researchers continue to uncover these conflicting effects, it is clear that the relationship between social media use and suicide risk is not a simple one. Emerging research shows that the relationship between social media use and suicide ideation is correlational not causational.
People need to stop blaming social media for teen’s poor mental health, as it is not directly correlated to suicidal thoughts; however, many patterns of use do coincide with higher risk. The issue is complex and evolving that demands our attention, exploration and evidence based reasoning.
TMH posted an anonymous survey to its Instagram story on Jan. 20, which received 60 responses. A junior survey respondent explains their experience with comparing themself with others on social media.
“Just watching people’s stories and posts sometimes contributes to a feeling of loneliness and that I’m not experiencing college ‘the right way.’”
As a result of the digital age, young people often feel pressured to participate online in order to maintain friendships, express themselves or stay relevant within their peer networks. This pressure is often intensified by fear of missing out (FOMO), where the expectation to stay constantly updated and visible online highlights anxiety and reinforces feelings of exclusion. The constant connectivity can blur the line between genuine connection and performance, often leaving teenagers empowered, but more importantly, exposed and isolated.
Marcia Gomez, professor of social media messaging and coordinator of social media internships at the University of Miami offers her thoughts on FOMO.
“FOMO can be understood as a psychological response to constant exposure to curated online lives rather than a superficial social trend,” Gomez said. “The concern is less about social media itself and more about the intensity and comparison-driven nature of exposure, which can subtly shape emotional well-being over time.”
Many studies suggest that the way adolescents engage with social media matters more than the platforms themselves. They highlight how excessive engagement can foster addiction-like behaviors, expose young people to cyberbullying and intensify feelings of isolation, inadequacy and social comparison. In the most extreme cases, these online experiences correlate with self harm and suicide ideation.
The data collected by TMH’s anonymous survey further reinforces the distinction between social media itself and how it is used. A majority of respondents reported spending several hours a day on social media platforms, with many acknowledging compulsive checking behaviors, pressure to post and concern over likes and comments.
While many participants also reported positive outcomes such as staying connected with friends or finding community, negative experiences were just as prevalent.
Feelings of comparison, insecurity, loneliness and exposure to cyber bullying appeared repeatedly across responses, particularly among those with higher daily usage. Notably, approximately 70% of respondents out of 60 selected “strongly disagree” for the statement “social media is good for my mental health”. This indicates a clear majority perceived social media as having a negative impact on their mental well-being.
An article published by Leonido Mendes and Marta Morgado found that “addiction to social media was a statistically significant predictor of suicidal ideation, after controlling for gender and physical activity.”
While the study captures data from a single point in time, it reveals that it isn’t simply the time spent on social platforms that correlates with suicidal thoughts, but rather the addictive behaviors surrounding social media use. These addictive behaviors include compulsive checking of social media, interference with everyday tasks and dissociation from relationships and social encounters.
One respondent from the survey, who identified herself as Elena, emphasized a negative experience with ‘doom scrolling’.
“I spend hours scrolling and it messes with my attention span, consumes a lot of time and isn’t productive at all,” Elena said.
Additional warning signs linked to online activity include cyberbullying and digital self harm. Most probably already know what cyberbullying is, but digital self harm refers to individuals posting or sharing negative content about oneself. Overall, the CDC’s national‐scale data supports the conclusion that frequent social media engagement is associated with increased risk of suicidality among adolescents and helps researchers identify particularly vulnerable sub‑populations.
Despite these findings, social media is not solely harmful, it has the ability to both harm and heal ultimately mirroring adolescents itself. It’s a developmental stage marked by both vulnerability, growth, and the formation of identity and belonging.
To understand social media’s true relationship to adolescent mental health, it is crucial to examine not only its risks, but also its potential to serve as a lifeline.
Researchers and mental health organizations increasingly emphasize that these digital spaces can be used as a tool to combat depression and suicide ideation. A 2023 psychological autopsy study by Elias Balt and colleagues in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health underscores this dual nature of online engagement.
The researchers examined the digital histories of teens who died by suicide, analyzing their social media activity, communication patterns and online communities. These findings revealed a complex dynamic of both harmful and protective factors.
For many victims, cyberbullying, exposure to self-harm content and imitation behaviours were present. These are all clear indicators that social media amplifies vulnerability and contagion effects.
However, other adolescent victims had participated in online support groups, expressed empathy for others and used their platforms to reach out for help. In several cases, peers within these digital spaces had even encouraged the individuals to seek counselling or talk to trusted adults.
This highlights the fact that adolescents’ digital footprint encompasses both risks and protective influences, and cannot be attributed to just one cause. Researchers argue online behaviour often mirrors the complexities of offline life, reflecting both suffering, resilience, risk and recovery.
After properly understanding the complex and sometimes contradictory relationship between social media and youth mental health, it is important to focus on the work that can be done to make digital engagement safer.
UM Professor David Berry teaches a course on social media messaging and strategies. He argues that the evidence linking social media to negative mental health outcomes is now strong enough to warrant meaningful safeguards for young users.
“I feel that the research is statistically significant enough; the impact is clear,” said Berry. “And we are at a point where social media should be treated with consideration as getting a driver’s license to drive a car, having a legal drinking age limit, and so on.”
The APP’s framing of social media as a protective factor challenges the public opinion that frames these platforms as purely detrimental. Rather than telling teens to stay off of social media, the organization calls for digital education on its intentional use.
They encourage parents, educators and health professionals to guide adolescents in appropriate online habits and foster healthy online connections. This shift is known as restriction to regulation as we must acknowledge that social media is an inseparable part of our modern society. Eliminating these platforms is not realistic or productive as we have seen several different platforms come and go over the years.
Instead, the goal should be to teach young users how to interact with digital platforms in ways that nurture self-expression, empathy and safety. Unfortunately, it is also vital to acknowledge that many children, particularly those who are neglected or lack attentive caregivers, can fall through the cracks, missing these protective interventions and remaining at heightened risk. This gap underscores the importance of community, education and mental health systems in providing the guidance and oversight that may be absent at home.
When looked at together, these findings position social media as both a potential risk factor and site of opportunity. This underscores the need for balanced approaches that acknowledge its dangers while harnessing its capacity to support youth well-being.
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