A new report from the Pew Research Center, recently covered by CNN, reveals teens in the United States (U.S.) are becoming concerned about the effects of social media use on their mental health (Duffy, 2025). While platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok remain central to teen social life, the study shows a significant shift in how teenagers view their digital lives. Nearly half of the teens surveyed said social media has a mostly negative effect on people their age. This finding signifies a sharp attitude change from just a few years ago (Duffy, 2025). This evolving perspective suggests that teens are becoming more critical of the platforms they use every day.
The Pew study, conducted in fall 2024, surveyed around 1,400 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 and their parents. A striking finding is that 48% of teens believe social media has a negative impact on people their age; this is an increase from the 32% reported in 2022 (Duffy, 2025). However, only 14% say social media affects them personally in a negative way; this is a small increase from previous years—but an important shift in viewpoint (Duffy, 2025). This result may indicate that, while teens are seeing the toll social media use may take on others, they are less likely to see themselves as being affected in the same way.
Parents are more pessimistic. Many parents report having high levels of concern over their children’s social media use, especially regarding impacts on teens’ mental health, sleep, and academic performance (Duffy, 2025). Interestingly, teens are not pushing back against this concern, and many are taking active steps to limit their screen time! Currently, about 45% of the teens surveyed said they spend too much time on social media; this percent is up from 36% in 2022. In fact, 44% report they have tried to cut back on their use of social media or smartphones overall (Duffy, 2025). This growing self-regulation may signify a shift in teens’ perspectives, and they may be recognizing that less screen-time use could be beneficial in several ways, such as enhanced focus and better sleep.
The data from this report display an interesting divide regarding gender. Teen girls are more likely than teen boys to report that social media negatively affects their sleep, productivity, self-confidence, and mental health overall (Duffy, 2025). These differences mirror wider trends in teen well-being, such as girls are consistently more likely to report anxiety, depression, and body image issues (Asmelash, 2019). The design of many social platforms, which often emphasize appearance, popularity, and curated perfection, may be part of the cause of these pressures for girls. In fact, according to the report, girls, in particular, said they feel more pressure to post, to appear attractive or popular, and to engage with content that often triggers comparison or self-doubt (Duffy, 2025). This constant exposure to idealized versions of peers and influencers can take a powerful toll on teenage girls’ self-esteem and create unrealistic expectations and idealistic aims that no one can ever achieve.
Sleep disruption is also an important concern. Many teens admit that using social media interferes with their sleep; this could be from late-night scrolling or responding to messages and notifications (Duffy, 2025). Poor sleep is closely linked to mood disorders, academic struggles, and reduced ability to manage stress (Harvard Medical School, 2021). When these challenges are combined with ongoing pressures to maintain appearances online and the perceived need to respond immediately and, therefore, be “on” all of the time, teens, understandably, report experiencing mental health challenges that are tied to their digital lives (Faverio et al., 2025).
However, despite the rising concerns, teens still report many positive aspects of social media use. Many say it helps them stay connected with friends, find creative inspiration, and even access mental health or other health information (Duffy, 2025). These benefits shouldn’t be dismissed. For many teens, especially those who feel isolated in their offline lives, digital spaces can provide community and support. However, the data suggest that the balance is shifting. Fewer teens now describe social media as a mostly positive force, and teens are moving toward a neutral or mixed view (Duffy, 2025).
This shift in views could be a starting point for important conversations about what aspects of social media use need to change. These changes can include how teens use social media, how platforms are designed, and how adults can support healthy social media use for teens.
For parents and caregivers, some takeaways from this report could include the following: have open conversations about how social media makes teens feel, establish family guidelines around screen time usage, and offer support for offline activities. Rather than banning social media use outright, parents can help teens develop digital literacy, emotional awareness, and the ability to recognize when online experiences are hurting rather than helping (Duffy, 2025).
Ultimately, social media is here to stay. What can change is how individuals view it. When social media emerged, many teens viewed it as purely fun and harmless, but, today, teens are also seeing the negatives. They’re beginning to talk openly about social media’s “dark side,” the anxiety using it can create, the pressure using it puts on people, and the self-comparison using it generates. Now, the challenge is to match that awareness with action. Social media usage doesn’t have to be toxic by default. When teens use social media by engaging in thoughtful choices and having honest conversations, usage can be part of a healthier, more balanced family and teen experience.
References
Asmelash, L. (2019, August 14). Social media use may harm teens’ mental health by disrupting positive activities, study says. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/13/health/social-media-mental-health-trnd/index.html
Duffy, C. (2025, April 22). Nearly half of teens say social media is bad for youth mental health, report finds. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/22/tech/teens-social-media-mental-health
Faverio, M., Anderson, M., & Park, E. (2025, April 22). Teens, social media and mental health. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/04/22/teens-social-media-and-mental-health/
Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine. (2021, October 1). Sleep and mood. https://sleep.hms.harvard.edu/education-training/public-education/sleep-and-health-education-program/sleep-health-education-87