I grew up with social media but dodged its worst effects. I might be the exception

If the latest research is anything to go by, my risk of developing a mental health disorder is rather high compared to much of the population. I’m in my mid-20s, female, and I can’t remember a day in the past decade that I’ve gone without social media.

My first year of high school was the first year I dipped my toe into the space. Until I was about 12, communicating with anyone outside of family, and beyond school hours, was limited to play dates, after-school activities and rookie email chains when I finally got my turn on the family computer.

There’s a compelling case – when mental health is deteriorating among young people – as to why, even if we don’t have all the information or the perfect solution, we need to act fast.Credit: Matt Davidson

I grew up alongside social media, working my way through high school as Facebook and Instagram morphed from clunky, teenage versions of themselves, to more seamless, somewhat creepily curated “grown-up” platforms.

Perhaps it’s fitting, then, that from December, social media platforms will be limited to those aged 16 or older – in a world-first – right here in Australia. There’s been plenty of fair and reasonable criticism against the policy, but there’s solid evidence a social media ban for teens could be a worthwhile pursuit.

Dr Andrew Leigh – former economics professor and now assistant minister for competition and treasury – and health economist Dr Stephen Robson recently documented a “substantial worsening” in the mental health of Australians aged 15 to 24 over the past few decades, suggesting smartphones and social media might be the killer bullet ripping through their mental wellbeing.

Assistant Minister for Competition Andrew Leigh.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

It’s not a new theory that social media is, at least partly, to blame for the rise in self-harm hospitalisations and suicide deaths. But Leigh and Robson’s study steps through the data and existing body of research, laying out why the link between social media and the tumble in young peoples’ mental health is causal rather than just correlative.

There are various signs that, when it comes to youth mental health, the proliferation of social media has been a driving force – and not in a good way.

So, how do we know what’s causing what?

Between the 2007-10 and 2019-22 periods, there was a 50 per cent surge in the share of young people reporting a mental health disorder, a 35 per cent climb in self-harm hospitalisations among young people, and a 34 per cent jump in the suicide rate among – you guessed it – young people.

It’s little coincidence that the share of children aged six to 13 with mobile phones went from virtually none in 2006 (the first iPhone was released in 2007) to 33 per cent in 2020, with screen time also shooting up over the same period. Major social media platforms also emerged around the same time: Facebook and Twitter (now X) in 2006, Tumblr in 2007, and Instagram and Snapchat in 2010.

As Leigh points out, many studies have shown the damaging effects of screen time on mental health – including depression, anxiety, body image issues and eating disorders. And it’s young women who are suffering the most, because they’re more likely than young men to be invested in social media over other activities like gaming.

Rates of young men experiencing a mental disorder were 40 per cent higher in the 2019-22 period compared to the 2007-10 period, and 60 per cent higher for young women. The gaps in self-harm hospitalisations and suicide deaths between young men and women are even wider.

Now, there’s little doubt the housing crisis and soaring cost-of-living pressures have taken a toll on the mental health of young people, who tend to be among the hardest hit by economic insecurity. But Leigh says the data shows the worsening in mental health pre-dates COVID-19 and the recent spurt of inflation, with a significant drop-off in young people’s wellbeing – especially that of women – from about 2010.

So, how do we know social media is actually leading to worse mental health, rather than just being statistically linked to it?

First, an Australian survey of kids aged 11 to 17 shows the more hours spent online on a typical weekend day, the higher their levels of psychological distress tended to be.

Second, the fact that young women’s mental health has dropped off more significantly than that of young men bolsters the idea that social media may be to blame, since they tend to use social media more heavily.

Leigh says we can also look at what young people think. When asked why they think mental health has worsened, the top answer – ranked ahead of cost of living, drugs and alcohol, and climate change – is the increased use of social media.

Fourth, we can look at a “natural experiment”, where no one has intentionally designed conditions to test and observe a theory, but a situation occurs in the real world that allows researchers to examine the impact of something. A relevant one is the rollout of Facebook across US universities. As students were granted access at various universities, there was a parallel worsening in mental health and increased use of campus mental-health services.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants to make social media safer for children.Credit: Michaela Pollock

Fifth, in randomised experiments, those who were asked to reduce their use of social media for three weeks became less lonely and depressed.

And finally, Leigh says social media companies themselves see a link between use of their products and adverse mental health outcomes in young people.

Of course, even with all this evidence, it’s not as easy as saying social media is evil – or that an age-based ban is the best solution.

Indeed, I think the social media ban has its issues. It cuts off kids (who may already be isolated from those around them) from online peers who may be their main source of company, comfort and friendship; it reduces the ability of kids to share ideas and form connections with people across international borders; and there are questions about how they will learn to navigate the social media landscape once they turn 16.

As an avid social media user myself, I can see both the positive and negative impacts these platforms have had on my life. I’ve learned to curate my content (mostly) to people and things that spark joy (hello, digital Marie Condo), or inspire me to become a better person. But I think in the current digital environment, being shielded from social media for a few extra years would do more good than harm.

There’s also a compelling case – when mental health is deteriorating among young people – as to why, even if we don’t have all the information or the perfect solution, we need to act fast. And being the first in the world to have a social media ban means we’ll be helping the world get closer to identifying the wrong solutions and finding the right ones.

Millie Muroi is the economics writer.

If you or anyone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 131 114, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.

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