Social media and the youth mental health crisis: Is there a relationship?

Abstract

I attended a recent webinar, “Beyond the hype: What research tells us about social media use in youth mental health” (August 2024), expecting the panelists to focus on the adverse effects of screen time. Interestingly, they offered a different perspective, one of nuanced findings in a young area of research, the suggestion to “take the panic level down” and still recognize risk factors (Schleider, 2024), and how social media might be a powerful tool for promoting positive mental health in youth.