Special Topic: Potential Harms of Excessive Social Media and Smartphone Use on Youth Mental Health

There has been a progressive decline, since 2010, in children’s mental health, coinciding with the widespread availability for the first-time of 24/7 internet access via smartphones. Excessive social media is linked to a wide variety of mental health problems in youth, including depression, anxiety, and increased risk of suicidality. In 2023, the Surgeon General issued an advisory on “Social Media and Youth Mental Health”, indicating an urgent public health need to address the negative impact of social media exposure on children and adolescents. This chapter reviews data from national surveys and recent studies highlighting a strong association between smartphone use and time on social media with rising rates of mental health problems in this vulnerable age group during this period. Unhealthy social media use impacts girls and children in younger grades most detrimentally and is associated with trends toward less in-person interaction, chronic sleep deprivation, increased social comparison, and normalization of self-harming behaviors. Heavy social media and smartphone use is also associated with attentional difficulties and worsened academic performance and may be associated with decreased engagement with mental health care. This chapter considers the need for increased public awareness and policy initiatives to support the emotional health of children who are vulnerable to excessive use of social media. Suggestions and guidelines for parents and health care providers are offered, with a focus on clinicians and families working with youth collaboratively and without judgment to reduce potential harms.