Nearly Half of Teens Say Social Media Is Bad for Youth Mental Health

The impact of social media on young people’s mental health and well-being is a growing concern among parents, educators, health care professionals, and regulators.

The report comes amid growing calls from parents and regulators for social media companies to do more to keep young people safe and limit excessive screen time.

Nearly half of U.S. teens say social media has a mostly negative effect on people their age — and almost the same proportion say they’re cutting back on its use, Clare Duffy reported for CNN.

A Pew Research Center report — which surveyed American teens and parents about their attitudes toward social media and smartphones — offers an updated glimpse into how teens view their digital habits.

A separate Pew study from December found that nearly half of U.S. teens are online almost constantly.

The report comes amid growing calls from parents and regulators for social media companies to do more to keep young people safe and limit excessive screen time. Last year, then-Surgeon General Vivek Murthy asked Congress to require warning labels on social media apps — similar to those on alcohol and tobacco.

Australia passed a world-first law banning teens under 16 from social media.

And in March, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed a landmark bill requiring app stores to verify users’ ages and share that data with developers to protect teens from accessing age-inappropriate content.