***Updated April 2025**** “So instead of asking, does social media use cause mental health issues? perhaps a better question might be: why do some people prosper online while others get into real difficulty?” – Dr. Pete Etchells We love reading academic research, which for most parents and caregivers is like watching paint dry. However, we believe that the research mentioned in this posting is important. It helps to balance the misrepresented narrative that some are claiming when it comes to the use of social media and technology by youth. We believe that it is particularly crucial for parents and caregivers to comprehend both the advantages and drawbacks of social media and technology, especially when it comes to the mental health of young people. Plain and simple, research on the relationship between social media, technology, and mental health is inconsistent (1). While some research suggests a correlation between social media usage and negative mental health outcomes, there is an equal number of correlational studies that demonstrate minimal to no correlation or causation. Correlational studies examine the relationship between two variables without manipulating them. This method is often chosen because it might not be practical or ethical to control the variables. For instance, to determine if social media causes depression, it wouldn’t be right to make teens spend hours on social media daily just for research purposes. Since these studies don’t control the variables, they can’t definitively show that one thing causes another. If a study finds a link between social media and depression, it could mean that social media leads to depression, that people who are depressed use social media more, or that another confounding factor is influencing both. However, it can be argued that if many studies consistently find a strong link and there’s a reasonable explanation for why one thing might cause the other, we might conclude that one does cause the other. Certainly, it’s important to recognize that under specific circumstances, and for certain individuals, social media might have harmful effects, but not for the majority of youth. Again, this is why Dr Etchells quote, “So instead of asking, does social media use cause mental health issues? perhaps a better question might be: why do some people prosper online while others get into real difficulty?” rings true! It’s easy to fixate on social media and cellphones as the single root cause for the mental health struggles of young people today. However, it’s crucial to understand that adolescent development and mental well-being are a highly intricate and multifactorial process. In a 2018 research paper (2), “The Longitudinal Association Between Social-Media Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents and Young Adults: An Empirical Reply to Twenge et al” found: Results indicate that among both samples, social-media use did not predict depressive symptoms over time for males or females. However, greater depressive symptoms predicted more frequent social-media use only among adolescent girls. Thus, while it is often assumed that social-media use may lead to depressive symptoms, our results indicate that this assumption may be unwarranted. In an October 2021 meta-analysis paper called “Screen media and mental health” (3) the researchers looked at 33 separate studies from 2015-2019 and reported: “Across studies, evidence suggests that screen media plays little role in mental health concerns. In particular, there was no evidence that screen media contribute to suicidal ideation or other mental health outcomes. This result was also true when investigating smartphones or social media specifically. Overall, as has been the case for previous media such as video games, concerns about screen time and mental health are not based in reliable data.” In a May 2021 Swedish longitudinal study (4), researchers followed 3,501 14-15-year-old girls for two years and found: “We found between-person rather than within-person positive associations between social media use and symptoms of mental ill health. This suggests that social media use may serve as an indicator rather than a determinant of risk of mental health problems among adolescents. In a 2019 Canadian-based longitudinal study (5), that followed 594 adolescents for two years researchers found: “…social-media use did not predict depressive symptoms over time for males or females. However, greater depressive symptoms predicted more frequent social-media use only among adolescent girls. Thus, while it is often assumed that social-media use may lead to depressive symptoms, our results indicate that this assumption may be unwarranted.” UPDATE – April 2025 Dr Mike Miles, looked closely at the US CDC 2021 and 2023 statistics and found In both surveys, girls who used screen and social media the most reported more depression, but less self-harm and suicide attempts. Dr Miles further found that compared to girls who rarely/never use social media, girls who reported using social media several times a day on the 2023 survey were 65% more likely to report depression, but 54% less likely to attempt suicide and 65% less likely to harm themselves. (56) Dr Miles article contradicts those who are saying that technology and social media is leading to significant increases in self-harm and suicide in teen girls. In this large study (6) released in January 2022, researchers found:   “…. in our study integrated technology into their (teens) lives in ways that were not associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, or other poor health outcomes. Thus, the study findings indicate that most adolescents using technology do so in ways that do not lead to increased risk of negative health consequences.” In a recent 2022 study from Cambridge University in Great Britain (7), researchers found that during COVID: “Young people’s mental health tended to suffer most during the strictest periods of lockdown, when they were less likely to be able go to school or see friends. But those without access to a computer were the worst hit – their mental health suffered much more than their peers and the change was more dramatic.” Dr. Amy Orben from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Cognition and Brain Sciences at the University of Cambridge, the study’s senior author, added:  “Rather than always focusing on the downsides of digital technology on young people’s mental health, we need to recognize that it can … Continue reading Does Technology + Social Media = Mental Health Issues For All Youth? We Need To Reframe the Question!