Social Media Alone Does Not Cause Mental Health Problems In Teenagers, New Study Finds

A large new study from the University of Manchester has delivered a surprising conclusion: "how much time teenagers spend on social media or gaming does not seem to cause mental health problems such as anxiety

or depression." This research tracked 25,000 young people aged 11–14 over three years, asking them about their daily use of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and online gaming as well, alongside regular measures of their emotional wellbeing. The result? Even increases in screen time from one year to the next did not predict later mental health issues for boys or girls.

What Researchers Say

Researchers made a point of looking at not only total hours of use but also how teens engaged online. Whether they scrolled passively through feeds, posted content, or actively chatted with friends, none of these patterns reliably forecasted anxiety or depression later on. That challenges a common assumption that simply spending lots of time online is harmful by default. Instead, the scientists argue that screen time alone is a poor standalone measure of wellbeing risk.

Harmful Interactions Still Exist

Importantly, the team didn’t claim that social media is harmless in every respect. Harmful interactions, such as being bullied online, seeing distressing content, or feeling pressured by comparisons with others, can certainly affect wellbeing. Their point was more specific: the clock doesn’t tell the whole story. How teens feel, who they interact with and what they’re experiencing in their broader lives matter much more.The research has also been uncovered at a moment when we are already seeing debates in the UK and beyond. Politicians and teaching unions collectively have recently called for measures such as banning social media use for those under 16 years of age along with restricting phone access and usage in schools amid widespread concerns about screens and their effect on mental health. These debates often driven by assumptions that more screen time automatically equals more issues for young people. But this new study suggests that such policies may be oversimplifying a complex reality.

Supporting Data

Other scientific work supports the idea that there’s no strong direct link between social media hours and poor mental health. Meta-analyses and past longitudinal studies have found little evidence that sheer time spent online causes depression or anxiety in teens, urging a shift toward understanding context, content, and individual differences instead.In short: while too much screen time might still coincide with struggles for some young people, it’s not the amount of time itself that’s the culprit — and focusing policy or parenting solely on screen hours may miss what really matters for teen wellbeing.