Social media use isn’t a black-and-white thing. It’s nuanced. It has its fair share of upsides as well as lots of disturbing downsides. And, on a very practical level, it is how many people communicate these days.
Johns Hopkins Medicine points out that social media can, in the right context, benefit mental health. “It provides access to information that might be unavailable elsewhere, as well as a safe place to express oneself. Many teens find a community online that helps them through difficult times, breaking through barriers that would normally exist, such as distance or shyness in approaching others.”
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That being said, the downsides of social media use, arguably, outweigh the positives. But the key point here is that excessive use is what’s harmful, not moderate use.
Frequent social media use by kids and teens is linked to changes in parts of the brain related to emotions and learning, and affects impulse control, social behavior, emotional regulation, and sensitivity to social punishments and rewards.
There is also a link between social media use and depression, but there are some nuances here. Correlation does not automatically mean causation.
“Research has demonstrated that there are high rates of depression with very low social media use and very high social media use, demonstrating that there is a ‘sweet spot’ of use for each child that is often specific to their own developmental level and protective factors,” says Jennifer Katzenstein, Ph.D., co-director of the Center for Behavioral Health at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
Of course, the broader picture is more complex. Social media aside, other factors can contribute to depression, too, including social isolation, a lack of healthy activities, low-quality sleep, etc.
“Depression is complex and has many risk factors, including a genetic predisposition, aspects of the surrounding environment and personal experiences, which are not so directly related to social media use patterns. Research is showing that those who are more depressed tend to use social media more, and vice versa. But it is not clear that the cause of depression is social media use,” explains Carol Vidal, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., child and adolescent psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
“However, excessive social media use is associated with behaviors, such as poor sleep, increased social comparisons, impact on learning, and exposure to cyberbullying and negative content, that could contribute to the worsening of depressive symptoms,” Vidal says.
Parents can help guide their kids toward a healthier relationship with social media by suggesting the following strategies to them:
- Turn off notifications
- Take regular breaks from devices
- Set phone-free hours and spaces
- Discuss healthy boundaries when interacting with people online
What’s vital here is that parents don’t just tell their kids to do something that they themselves avoid doing. They have to set an example that their children are more likely to follow.
“Learning to have a healthy relationship with social media is as important as learning to have healthy relationships with food, exercise, and coffee consumption. Delaying the purchase of smartphones until the child is ready is a good first step. But, it is also important to instill healthy habits in children’s use of screens, given that technology — and social media in particular — will be present throughout their lives,” Vidal explains.
“It’s important for us as parents to model healthy social media use and discuss social media citizenship behaviors with our children, to ensure we are not posting anything we wouldn’t say directly to someone in the ‘real world’,” Katzenstein adds.
Due to the harmful effects of social media, many countries are banning these networks for children and young teens. That being said, the legal process is long and arduous. Social media companies are not giving up without a fight. And it’s not quite clear how effective the bans actually are.
For example, Australia banned social media for kids under 16 in December 2025, Mashable reports. That being said, a recent study by Australian government advisors noted that the ban has been ineffective so far.
