Does social media cause anxiety and depression in teenagers? What the research says

Short answer: The research does not give one simple answer. Some large studies find that teenagers who spend more time on social media are a little more likely to report symptoms of depression and anxiety later, especially girls in early adolescence. Another large study of 25,629 young people in Greater Manchester found no evidence that time on social media predicted later symptoms. Most of the evidence is correlational, so it shows a link, not proof of cause. [1][2][3]

Why this question matters

Parents, schools and governments are debating whether to limit young people's use of phones and social media. Many teenagers have also asked themselves the same question: does scrolling make me feel worse? Psychology gives you the tools to judge the evidence, and the evidence is a clear example of the research methods you need for your exam.

What three recent studies found

• Canada (2026): researchers co-led by the University of Alberta used data from the COMPASS project in schools across five Canadian provinces, covering more than 58,000 students aged 12 to 18. They report that one extra hour of daily device use was linked to a 15% higher chance of moderate to severe depression, and a 12 to 13% higher chance of similar levels of anxiety. The link was strongest in girls. But when they followed nearly 27,000 of the same students from one year to the next, increases in social media use predicted poorer mental health in all students, with no difference between girls and boys. [1]
• Australia (2026): a study in the Medical Journal of Australia followed 1,195 young people in Melbourne every year from childhood. Using more than 2 hours of social media a day, compared with less than 1 hour, was linked to a small increase in the risk of high depressive symptoms the following year: about 6 extra cases per 100 young people. For girls the figure was about 11 per 100, and the risk was greatest at ages 12 to 13. [2]
• England (2026): a study in the Journal of Public Health followed 25,629 young people in Greater Manchester over three school years, starting at about age 12. It found no evidence that time spent on social media or how often students played games predicted later symptoms of anxiety or depression, for either girls or boys. The authors conclude that their findings do not support the view that technology use is a major cause of teenagers' mental health difficulties. [3]

The psychology: why can studies disagree?

Correlation is not causation. A correlation is a relationship between two co-variables, here social media use and mood. A correlation cannot tell you which one causes the other. There are at least three possible explanations:

• Social media affects mood: for example through comparison with others, cyberbullying or lost sleep.
• Mood affects social media use (reverse direction): a teenager who already feels low may withdraw and spend more time online.
• A third variable affects both: for example, problems at home or at school could increase both screen time and low mood. Researchers try to control these variables, but they can never measure all of them.

Following people over time helps. A longitudinal study measures the same people repeatedly. If social media use this year predicts symptoms next year, that is stronger evidence than a single snapshot. The Manchester team used a statistical model that compares each young person with themselves over time, which removes stable differences between people. That is one reason why its result can differ from studies that compare heavy users with light users. [3]

Measurement matters. All three studies relied mainly on self-report: students estimated their own screen time and described their own feelings. People are often poor at estimating screen time, and some may give socially desirable answers. "Time spent" also ignores what a teenager is doing: chatting with close friends and comparing yourself with influencers are very different experiences.

Effect size matters. A result can be statistically significant but small. The Australian authors describe the increase in risk as small. [2] For any one teenager, many other factors, such as sleep, friendships, family and stress, are likely to matter as much or more.

How this links to your exam

A-levels are the main UK qualifications taken at age 16 to 18. On AQA A-level Psychology (7182), this topic links to two areas of the current specification:

• 3.2.3 Research methods: correlations, the relationship between co-variables, and the difference between correlations and experiments; also the control of extraneous variables. [4]
• 3.1.4 Clinical Psychology and Mental Health: the behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of depression, and the cognitive approach to explaining it, such as Beck's negative triad. [4]

Assessment objectives (AOs) are the skills examiners give marks for. AQA's published weightings for 7182 are roughly 30 to 33% for knowledge (AO1), 30 to 33% for application (AO2) and 36 to 38% for analysis and evaluation (AO3), and at least 25 to 30% of the assessment tests research methods. [5] Here is how to use this topic:

• AO2 (application): in a scenario question, identify the co-variables and explain why the study cannot show cause and effect.
• AO3 (evaluation): compare studies. Explain how differences in design, sample and measurement can lead to different conclusions, and say which evidence is stronger and why.

CC practice question: A psychologist finds a positive correlation between the number of hours students spend on social media each day and their scores on a questionnaire measuring low mood. Explain one reason why the psychologist cannot conclude that social media use causes low mood. (2 marks)

CC worked answer: A correlation shows only that two co-variables are related, not that one causes the other. The direction could be reversed: students who already have low mood may spend more time on social media, for example to avoid face-to-face contact. A third variable, such as stress at school, could also increase both.

CC worked evaluation paragraph: One limitation of the claim that social media causes depression in teenagers is that much of the evidence is correlational. For example, the Manchester study followed 25,629 young people and found that social media time did not predict later symptoms once stable differences between individuals were taken into account. This suggests that some of the links found in other studies may reflect differences between people, such as background or existing mood, rather than an effect of social media itself. However, the Australian cohort study found a small increase in later risk, especially for girls aged 12 to 13, so the effect may depend on age and gender. Overall, the evidence suggests that time on social media alone is a weak predictor, and that what young people do online, and who they are, may matter more.

How CC approaches this

The Criterion Method focuses on what examiners reward: in research methods, that means precise use of terms such as co-variable and extraneous variable, applied to the exact study in the question. Students also learn differently, and the Academic DNA diagnostic helps show whether you learn best from worked examples, diagrams or discussion. The CC Psychology platform has practice on research methods and mental health topics.

If social media or anything else is affecting how you feel, talk to someone you trust, such as a parent, teacher or doctor.