An Australian-led study published in JAMA Pediatrics found children and teenagers who spend more time on social media are more likely to experience depression, self-harm, substance use, and lower achievement later in life. The systematic review examined data from 153 studies involving over 350,000 children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years, tracked for up to two decades.
The research focused on longitudinal studies that follow participants over time, offering stronger insights than previous snapshot-style research. According to Sam Teague, a senior research fellow at James Cook University, "The strongest pattern we saw was between social media use and later problematic media use, suggesting early patterns of engagement may become more entrenched and difficult to manage over time."