Many are concerned about the issue of youth mental health and the perception that there is an uptick in problems among children and teens. However, the research to prove a causal link between social media use and such concerns is not currently available and concerning trends around youth mental health pre‐date most of the concerns about social media use. The underlying concerns about youth mental health are well intentioned. However, such problems rarely have one‐size‐fits‐all solutions and are much more complicated.
Social media has been beneficial to young people in various ways, such as through the emergence of communities consisting of people that may have been more at risk of suicide or self‐harm, or may have experienced fears around lack of acceptance. Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, the internet and social media provided ways for people of all ages — including teenagers — to stay connected to friends and family and form new connections while in physical isolation.
