CDC confirms link between teen social media use and mental health struggles

Social media has been a part of Americans' lives for well over a decade and, in part because of its newness, some people argue that there is a dearth of research about its effect on us — particularly its effect on young people.

For the first time ever, the Centers for Disease Control's Youth Risk Behavior Survey assessed the frequency of social media use among U.S. high school students. Using that data, the organization drew some conclusions on the relationship between high school students' social media use and bullying, feelings of hopelessness, and suicide risk. The findings show that most students use social media frequently and it significantly affects their mental health.

The study showed that the vast majority — 77 percent — of high school students use social media at least several times a day, which the CDC defines as "frequent social media use." Female students use social media more — 81.8 percent — in comparison to male students' 72.9 percent. Heterosexual students reported using it more frequently than lesbian and gay students, 79.2 percent to 67.7 percent, but bisexual and questioning students reported using social media more frequently than students identifying with any other sexual orientation with 82.2 and 82.6 percent, respectively.

"Students who reported frequent social media use were more likely to be bullied at school and electronically bullied compared with less frequent social media users," the report reads. "Frequent social media users also were more likely to report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Frequent social media use was associated with having seriously considered attempting suicide and having made a suicide plan."

While those findings break down by gender, race, and sexuality, all groups surveyed — male students, female students, and LGBQ+ students — who reported "frequent social media use" were more likely to report feeling sad, hopeless, and seriously considering attempting suicide than their less online counterparts.

While social media can also help young people find community, express themselves, and create, this study is further confirmation that the darker effects also exist.