The impact of social media on young people's mental health

PUBLISHED: 12 February 2024 | LAST UPDATED: 13 February 2024

What value does social media bring to our lives? For many of us, it’s a means of staying connected and up to date with what’s going on in the world. A way of documenting our lives and sharing it with others. 

But for young people, social media is an increasingly complex space. Arguably, a double-edged sword. As digital natives, it provides them with an ecosystem of support, a means of expressing themselves and a place to form communities. Yet, due to ever changing technologies, they’re also up against social media’s sophisticated algorithms which can wreak havoc with their mental wellbeing.

In this report, we’ll explore both sides of the social media coin and discuss, with the expertise of industry professionals, what needs to change to make it a safer landscape for the wellbeing of current and future generations. While the race is likely over when it comes to outsmarting social media’s intelligence, there’s certainly more we can do – and must do – to safeguard our young people as they navigate and interact with the digital world.  

The information in this article is correct at the time of publishing.

Youth, social media and mind health - coming to a crossroad