Youth, Social Media, and Mental Health
Evidence from Australian Panel Data
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23312458 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alfred Michael Dockery (0000-0002-4517-2442), Alan Duncan (0000-0001-5145-6516, Curtin University), Astghik Mavisakalyan (0000-0001-5210-8820, Curtin University), Loan Vu (0000-0002-8344-2773, Curtin University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Pages | 100678 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | SSM - Mental Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2666-5603 • E-ISSN: 2666-5603 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2026.100678 |
| OpenAlex | W7171322413 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 45 |
Social media use has become ubiquitous among young people, yet evidence on its association with mental health remains limited and mixed. In this study, we use rich longitudinal data from Australia and measure social media use based on the frequency of active posting or sharing on social networking sites. We find that heavy social media use and addiction are associated with increased psychological distress, with the association concentrated among individuals who started using social media at younger ages. Our findings point to several co-occurring risk factors associated with intensive social media use. Heavy users report increased smoking and alcohol consumption, reduced sleep, diminished parental contact and heightened feelings of loneliness. Importantly, we identify several family environments associated with weaker associations between intensive social media use and psychological distress, such as screen time management, open communication, and warm parent-child relationships. These findings have implications for family targeted approaches that may complement broader policies aimed at protecting adolescent mental health in the digital age.
Addiction · Association (psychology) · Feeling · Mental health · Panel data · Social environment · Social isolation · Social media · Digital Mental Health Interventions · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Mental Health via Writing
Association of adolescent risk behaviors with mental health symptoms in high school students
Social Media and Mental Health
The Longitudinal Association Between Social-Media Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents and Young Adults
Fear of missing out and sleep
Media use and brain development during adolescence
Screening for serious mental illness in the general population with the K6 screening scale
The long shadow cast by childhood physical and mental problems on adult life
Sedentary behavior and indicators of mental health in school-aged children and adolescents
Association of Social Media Use With Social Well-Being, Positive Mental Health, and Self-Rated Health
Biases in Dynamic Models with Fixed Effects
Associations between parental media monitoring, media use, and internalizing symptoms during adolescence
Social Media Use and Adolescent Well-Being
Social Media and Mental Health
Seeing Everyone Else's Highlight Reels
Social Media Use and Mental Health among Young Adults
The Welfare Effects of Social Media
Does time spent using social media impact mental health
Social media use, loneliness and emotional distress among young people in Europe
Evaluating How Mental Health Changed in Australia through the Covid-19 Pandemic
A systematic review
Online Communication and Adolescent Well-Being
Parental Knowledge of Adolescents’ Online Content and Contact Risks
Adolescents’ Social Network Site Use, Peer Appearance-Related Feedback, and Body Dissatisfaction
The Protective Effects of Parental Monitoring and Internet Restriction on Adolescents’ Risk of Online Harassment
Depression and Risky Health Behaviors
IFamily
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |