New Study Warns Social Media Is Severely Harming Teen Mental Health

A new research paper argues that social media poses serious risks to young people's mental health. The study, titled Social Media Is Harming Young People at a Scale Large Enough to Cause Changes at the Population Level, was written by Jonathan Haidt and Zachary Rausch. It examines both direct and indirect harms, calling for urgent action from governments to protect adolescents.

The paper focuses on two key questions: whether social media is safe for young users and how its rise in the 2010s has affected mental health trends. Researchers compare the rapid spread of smartphones and social media to a 'giant uncontrolled experiment' on children. Evidence suggests this experiment has caused widespread harm, particularly in depression and anxiety, with girls suffering more severe effects.

Direct harms include sexual harassment, sleep loss, and addictive behaviours, impacting millions of U.S. teens. Indirect effects are just as concerning—studies show that a two-week break from social media can cut clinical depression rates by about one-third. The authors describe the situation as a 'collective action trap', meaning individual changes won't fix the problem without large-scale policies.

The paper proposes strict measures, such as banning social media for under-16s, enforcing age checks, and removing phones from schools. Some countries are already moving in this direction. Australia passed a law in December 2025 that blocks under-16s from social media, with fines up to €30 million for platforms that fail to verify ages. Spain has drafted a similar ban, though it hasn't been implemented yet. France and the UK are also considering age restrictions, but no laws have been finalised.

In the U.S., teens now spend nearly five hours a day on social media on average. A quarter of 13-to-14-year-olds use it for seven hours or more daily. The authors argue this level of exposure is unsafe and demands immediate regulatory action.

The study concludes that social media is fundamentally unsafe for adolescents due to both direct and indirect harms. Governments are beginning to respond, with Australia's new law setting a precedent for stricter controls. However, the long-term effects of these policies remain unclear, as most are still in early stages or not yet enforced.