A Double-Edged Sword: How Diverse Communities of Young People Think About the Multifaceted Relationship Between Social Media and Mental Health

National narratives about youth well-being have increasingly focused on how to address the youth mental health crisis. While a multitude of complex factors are contributing to the growth of mental health challenges among young people, social media has often landed in the center of the conversation. To better understand youth mental health and its relationship to social media use, researchers have shown that it is critically important to listen to and honor the experiences of youth themselves. In pursuit of a richer understanding of their experiences with social media and their mental health, this study—the third in a series—has engaged with and centered young people in the design, execution, and interpretation of the research findings. The seven key findings are:

1. Depressive symptoms among young people are down from pandemic highs, but comparable to already-elevated 2018 levels.
2. Young people experience both costs and benefits from their use of social media, and many implement strategies to manage the negative aspects.
3. Most young people encounter negative attacks on identity and body-shaming comments on social media, as well as identityaffirming and body-positive comments.
4. Black young people value connecting with others about mental health, exploring professional and educational opportunities, and expressing their creativity on social media more than White youth. Black and Latino young people are also more likely to face negative experiences online that lead them to take breaks from a social media account.
5. Social media is a double-edged sword for LGBTQ+ youth, offering both important opportunities for support and identity affirmation, and greater exposure to harassment and stress.
6. Young adults see more downsides to social media than teens do, and they also do more to manage their engagement and exposure.
7. Youth with depressive symptoms are more vulnerable to social comparison and pressure to show their best selves on social media. However, they are also more likely to find resources to support their wellbeing and to curate their feeds in response to content they don't want to see.