Social media use by youth is nearly universal. Up to 95% of youth ages 13–17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use social media “almost constantly.” Although age 13 is commonly the required minimum age used by social media platforms in the U.S., nearly 40% of children ages 8–12 use social media. Despite this widespread use among children and adolescents, robust independent safety analyses on the impact of social media on youth have not yet been conducted. There are increasing concerns among researchers, parents and caregivers, young people, healthcare experts, and others about the impact of social media on youth mental health.

Contents

• About the Advisory
• Social Media and Youth Mental Health
• Social Media Has Both Positive and Negative Impacts on Children and Adolescents
  • The Potential Benefits of Social Media Use Among Children and Adolescents
  • The Potential Harms of Social Media Use Among Children and Adolescents
• What Drives Mental Health and Well-Being Concerns: A Snapshot of the Scientific Evidence
  • Potential Risk of Harm from Content Exposure
  • Potential Risk of Harm from Excessive and Problematic Use
• Critical Questions Remain Unanswered
  • Known Evidence Gaps
• We Must Take Action: A Way Forward
  • What Policymakers Can Do
  • What Technology Companies Can Do
  • What Parents and Caregivers Can Do
  • What Children and Adolescents Can Do
  • What Researchers Can Do
• Acknowledgments
• Endnotes