Maryland psychologist weighs in on new study that links social media use to teen mental health

A Maryland psychologist shared his thoughts on teen social media use after a new study out of the University of Cambridge suggested that adolescents with mental health conditions experience social media differently than their peers. 

For young people with conditions like anxiety and depression, interactions with social media can worsen their symptoms, according to the study. 

Dr. Matt Edelstein, a clinical psychologist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, said the findings reflect what many people in the mental health field have observed for years. 

“The not-so-good pieces are that social media really promotes social comparison,” Edelstein said. “What people post tends to be the best version of themselves. So, if I’m more likely to have negative thoughts or attribute others’ posts to something negative about myself, social media can heighten these feelings of hopelessness or lower self-worth.” 

Relationship between teen mental health and social media use 

The study, published in the medical journal Nature Human Behavior, analyzed data from more than 3,000 teens aged 11 to 19 in the United Kingdom. 

Researchers found adolescents with internalizing disorders, such as anxiety, depression and PTSD, were more likely to compare themselves to others online, feel mood shifts based on likes and comments, and report less control over the amount of time they spend on social media. 

“What the study did is show connections between adolescents with certain diagnoses and how they’re interacting with or interpreting social media,” Edelstein said. “What it couldn’t do, because of the way it was designed, is prove a causal link. We don’t yet know if social media causes distress in these teens or if their diagnoses shape how they experience social media.” 

On average, teenagers with mental health conditions reported spending 50 minutes more on social media each day than those without such conditions. They also expressed greater dissatisfaction with their number of online friends, which researchers said may fuel feelings of inadequacy or rejection. 

Edelstein said parents should continue to engage in conversation with their children about how social media is impacting them. 

“Parents are understandably stressed about the impact of social media,” he said. “The first thing I’d recommend is open communication. The adolescents in this study were willing to report how social media made them feel, which tells me that having an open line of communication with your child is a great place to start.”

Edelstein said that parents should view social media use as one part of a broader picture of teen well-being. 

“Parents should recognize both the benefits and the risks,” Edelstein said. “Having a child isolated in their room on social media for hours on end isn’t healthy. It’s important to encourage a variety of activities and check in on how your adolescent is functioning overall.”

The authors of the study said more research is needed to understand how different types of content and patterns of social media use affect young people across a wide range of mental health conditions.