On February 18, the CEO of Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Threads, testified in a landmark trial. The lawsuit accuses Instagram and other social media platforms of intentionally designing features that encourage compulsive use among children and teens, contributing to mental health concerns. On February 26, Instagram announced that its app will now alert parents if their children repeatedly search for terms related to self-harm and suicide. Some online commenters responded by discussing the impact of social media use on adolescent mental health, sharing personal experiences and advice. Others argued that social media is no more harmful to mental health than video games or television and that parents are responsible for monitoring their children’s social media use.
Recommendation
Online conversations about social media’s impact on youth mental health provide an opportunity for health communicators to explain the mental health risks associated with social media use and share tips for helping young people use social media safely. Messaging may direct people to mental health resources for children and teens, such as the peer support hotline YouthLine and the Trevor Project’s hotline.
Fact-checking sources: Yale Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins
Communication resources: Download our factsheet on Social Media and Your Mental Health
