Quick Facts: Social Media & Mental Health Based on peer-reviewed academic research
Key Statistics
- 9.4% of early adolescents (ages 11–12) reported being cyberbullied online
- Cyberbullying victims are 2.62x more likely to show suicidal behaviors one year later
- Cyberbullying victims are 4.65x more likely to experiment with cannabis
- Cyberbullying victims are 3.37x more likely to experiment with nicotine
- 84% of young adults ages 18–29 use social media
- 72% of all Americans use social media
How Social Media Affects Teen Wellbeing
- Teens compulsively check likes and comments receiving fewer likes directly damages self-esteem
- Photo-sharing platforms trigger body comparison and feelings of unworthiness
- Teens describe social media as "like an online drug" disconnecting causes anxiety and fear of missing out
- Anonymous cyberbullying causes distress and isolation repeated cases linked to suicidal thoughts
- Reduced social media use is linked to improved mental health outcomes
Social Comparison & Self-Esteem
- Upward social comparisons on Instagram and Facebook directly lower global self-esteem
- Higher social media use is linked to increased depressive symptoms through comparison
- Negative effects on self-esteem were similar across both Instagram and Facebook neither platform is safer
- Extreme comparisons feeling very inferior to others online had the strongest negative impact
Summary
Teens cyberbullied online
9.4%
Nagata et al., 2025
Higher odds of suicidal behavior
2.6x
Cyberbullying victims
Young adults use social media
84%
Ages 18–29
Studies reviewed on teen wellbeing
24
Popat & Tarrant, 2023
Sources: Nagata et al. (2025) Lancet Regional Health; Popat & Tarrant (2023) Clinical Child Psychology & Psychiatry; Le Blanc-Brillon et al. (2025) Frontiers in Psychology
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