A new Pew Research Center report reveals growing concern among American teens over the impact of social media, with 48% saying it has a mostly negative effect on people their age — a significant increase from 32% in 2022.
At the same time, 44% report having cut back on social media and smartphone use, and 45% admit they spend too much time on it, according to CNN.
The report, based on a survey of 1,391 U.S. teens (ages 13-17) and their parents conducted in September and October 2023, reflects increasing awareness and concern over how social media affects mental health, productivity, sleep, and confidence — especially among teen girls, who are more likely to report negative effects.
While only 14% of teens say social media is mostly negative for themselves (up from 9% in 2022), just 11% believe it’s mostly positive for their peers. A teen boy quoted in the report said, “The overuse of social media… seems to be the main cause of depression… people seem to let themselves be affected by the opinions of people they don’t know.”
The issue has prompted responses from regulators worldwide:
- In the U.S., former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy urged Congress to label social media apps with warnings similar to alcohol and tobacco.
- Australia banned teens under 16 from social media.
- Utah passed a law requiring age verification for app downloads.
Past research, including Meta’s internal findings revealed in 2021, showed that Instagram worsened body image issues for 1 in 3 teen girls. Meta has since launched safety improvements, including AI tools to detect underage users.
The Pew report underscores ongoing debates over the role of tech companies in protecting youth and the broader implications of excessive social media use.
