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What Teens Want You to Know About Social Media and Mental Health

Parents can’t quite grasp how inextricable modern teenage life has become from the world of social media. Here, experts—including those modern teens—help decode the landscape.

Amanda Lenhart

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The U.S. surgeon general—along with the American Academy of Pediatrics—has declared a youth mental health crisis in this country. And considering how much research has shown that technology—specifically social media—plays a role in how kids feel about themselves and the world, it's easy enough to point fingers at the obvious culprit.

And while, yes, social media companies should be held accountable for deploying knowingly harmful tactics, the industry as a whole is more complicated. And when you listen to teens—as we've done extensively at Common Sense Media, where I work as the head of research—you can quickly see how complex their relationship with tech and social media can be.

Sometimes social media helps connect them to communities and resources. Sometimes it shows them hateful content or encourages conflict. But what are the next steps in dealing with this crisis? The first one sounds easy but requires patience: Listen to what kids are telling us about how tech makes them feel. From there, we can all work together and make changes so social media becomes a place where mental health is supported and cultivated for all people.

Image by Inna Marchenko / Getty Images

How Do Teen Girls Really Feel About Social Media?

“In this episode of our YouTube series, we spoke with the author of our latest report from the Common Sense Research Program. Learn what teen girls told us about social media and how it impacts their lives.” -Amanda Lenhart, Head of Research

Talking About Mental Health at Home: What Do You Wish Your Parents Knew?

AL: “This collection of tips and research shares exactly how parents can support teens in their online lives.”

How to Help Girls Have Healthier Social Media Experiences

AL: “Researcher Dawn Bounds shares her tips on how to help teen girls make the most of social media and support their mental health.”

Girls and Social Media: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers

AL: “Here is Common Sense Media’s comprehensive guide for parents and caregivers to help their teen girls use social media in a safe and healthy way.”

Social Media Has Made Teen Friendships More Stressful

AL: “In their most recent book, Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing and Adults Are Missing, Harvard researchers Carrie James and Emily Weinstein share what teens told them about the pressure to maintain multiple relationships in an online world.”

10 Things to Know About How Social Media Affects Teens’ Brains

AL: “This summary of key research highlights the most important ways that social media and technology are impacting kids’ physical and mental development.”

A Teen’s Journey Into the Internet’s Darkness and Back Again

AL: “This article is part of a series of interviews with teens who deal with anxiety, depression, and self-harm exacerbated by the internet and social media.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health

AL: “This regularly updated collection of research, tips, and Q&As brings expertise from the country’s most trusted pediatricians and mental health experts to help parents and educators support their kids’ mental health.”

‘Luddite’ Teens Don’t Want Your Likes

AL: “This feature profiles a group of teens who have chosen to stay off of social media—and how that choice impacts their lives and relationships.”

Amanda Lenhart

Amanda Lenhart is the head of research at Common Sense Media. She is a nationally recognized expert on how technology affects teens, children, and families. Check out all of Common Sense's current research.