While social media can have positive aspects, it can also have negative impacts on young people, especially their mental health, which has been widely talked about and researched for many years. There have been recent examples where young people have died in the UK, with unlimited access to social media being the centre of the debate (Hartwell, 2024).
Social media can have many negative impacts on youth mental health, and some examples are as follows:
- Poor physical health – if young people excessively use social media, it can mean they spend less time outdoors, are more sedentary and do not get the exercise they need, which can lead to obesity and other health issues, affecting their mental health. There is also the risk of sleep deprivation.
- Comparing themselves to others – social media platforms often have idealised images of people, e.g. celebrities and influencers, and expose young people to unrealistic beauty standards and lifestyle ideals. It can lead to feelings of inadequacy, obsessions with appearance and body dissatisfaction, which can lead to eating disorders and other harmful behaviours.
- Privacy concerns – oversharing personal information and not being savvy regarding privacy when using social media can open young people up to abuse and can put them at risk of cyberattacks, dangerous people and cyberbullying. If their information is used against them or affects their reputation, it can have significant mental impacts.
- Access to harmful content – there can be images and videos of a dark, violent, sexual and inappropriate nature on social media, which can be distressing to see. According to a 2023 report by Ofcom, 22% of 8–17-year-olds (and 20% of 8-15s) with a social media profile have a user/profile age of at least 18, meaning they are at greater risk of seeing adult content.
- Negative interactions – social media can bring out the best and worst in people. Some go onto these platforms just to be abusive, bully or ‘troll’ others, which can affect young people’s mental health and emotional well-being. Cyberbullying can have devastating impacts, with many tragic examples of young people taking their own lives.
- Poor social skills – if young people are online excessively and do not get sufficient face-to-face contact with others, it can affect their social skill development, especially with younger children. It can also lead to social isolation and loneliness and reduce well-being, as they may be unable to make genuine connections with others online.
- Increased risk of addiction and mental health problems – social media use has been linked to an increased addiction risk, low mood, low self-esteem, depression and anxiety (Zsila & Reyes, 2023). Those who already have mental health issues can be at an increased risk. In worse cases, social media can lead to self-harm, suicide and even murder, especially with access to violent images and exposure to grooming online.
A 2017 RSPH and the Young Health Movement report examined social media’s positive and negative effects on young people’s health, which provides further details here.
