social media

Courtney K Blackwell, PhD, MEd: The kids are(n’t) alright: The role of social media in youth mental health  

The kids are(n’t) alright: The role of social media in youth mental health  

Key Takeaways: The parallel rise of youth mental health problems and social media use has led to speculations that the latter is a key contributor to the former. The US Surgeon General’s Advisory bolstered such speculations with a recent report detailing the potential harmful effects of social media use on youth mental health. However, others suggest engaging in social media can have positive psychological influences by increasing social connectedness and providing opportunities for creative self-expression and identity exploration. Dr. Blackwell will explore this duality by reviewing what we know about youth social media use and mental health outcomes, highlighting recent and on-going ECHO studies on this topic. She will also provide insight into the ECHO media use data more broadly to inspire future work leveraging the ECHO Cohort.

Courtney K Blackwell, PhD, MEd
she/her/hers
Associate Professor
Department of Medical Social Sciences (Outcome and Measurement Science)
Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
MPI, ECHO Measurement Core

Biography:

Courtney Blackwell, PhD, MEd, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is the MPI of the ECHO Measurement Core and has expertise in the development, validation, and implementation of patient-reported outcome measures and population health surveys for use across the lifespan, general and clinical populations, and health domains. Her research on pediatric mental health and well-being emphasizes promotive and protective factors of children’s positive psychological health. With a background in communication studies and the effects of digital media on child development, Dr. Blackwell has spent the past 10 years collaborating with such organizations as Common Sense Media, Sesame Workshop, PBS, Google, and Code.org on national surveys of children’s media use, the development and evaluation of educational media products, and investigations of the effects of digital media on children’s learning and development. She is also a Faculty Affiliate with the Northwestern University Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences (“DevSci”) and the Northwestern Institute for Adolescent Mental Health and Well-Being.

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For Teens’ Mental Health, Strong Friendships Matter More Than Social Media Use, NIH Study Finds

Posted on by Jodi Snare

Teens who report strong, high-quality friendships tend to have better mental health—an influence that appears nearly three times stronger than the link between social media use and mental health challenges, according to a new study funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program at the National Institutes of Health.

Today’s teens spend a lot of time online. This has raised concerns about how digital interactions affect teens’ well-being. As social media use has grown, some wonder if it’s playing a role in the rise of teen mental health challenges. Such concerns prompted the U.S. Surgeon General to issue a warning in 2023 about the potential impact of social media on youth mental health.

“Social media use does not occur in a vacuum—it’s one piece of a much larger picture,” said Courtney K. Blackwell, PhD, of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “Our study found that peer relationships seem to matter a lot more than social media when it comes to teen mental health outcomes.”

In the study, researchers found that a teen with strong, supportive friendships is likely to experience positive mental health, regardless of how much time they spend on social media. By contrast, teens who report poor-quality friendships and nearly the same level of social media use are more likely to report poor mental health. In comparison, the amount of time spent using social media had a much smaller influence on teen mental health outcomes.

Teens ages 13 to 18 reported how much time they spend on social media and whether they use it actively (like posting and commenting) or passively (like scrolling and browsing). Researchers used the PROMIS® assessment tools and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to measure their mental well-being, including life satisfaction, sense of purpose, symptoms of depression, and the quality of their friendships.

A 2021 national survey of 8th and 10th graders, cited in the U.S. Surgeon General’s report on social media and youth mental health, found that teens spent an average of 3.5 hours daily on social media. More recently, a 2023 Gallup survey of 13- to 19-year-olds reported that the average had increased to 4.8 hours per day.

The study included 963 teens aged 13 to 18 from across the United States. Teens completed surveys on social media habits, peer relationship quality, and mental health outcomes. The results provide insight into how social media use and mental health influence each other during the teenage years, extending beyond negative outcomes like anxiety and depression to also include positive mental health indicators.

“Instead of just focusing on limiting adolescents’ social media use, perhaps emphasizing ways to bolster the quality of their social relationships would help address the current youth mental health crisis in the U.S.,” said Dr. Blackwell.

Looking ahead, the research team plans to use data collected over time to understand better how social media use and mental health influence each other during this sensitive development period. Future studies could focus on improving peer relationship quality as a pathway to better teen mental health outcomes.

This collaborative research was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

 

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For information or to request an interview, contact Rebekah Yeager,  rebekah.yeager@nih.gov.

If you are not a member of the media, but have a general inquiry, please contact  NIHKidsandEnvironment@od.nih.gov.

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Strong Friendships Matter More than Time Spent on Social Media for Adolescent Mental Health, ECHO Study Finds

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Strong Friendships Matter More than Time Spent on Social Media for Adolescent Mental Health, ECHO Study Finds

Authors: Courtney K. Blackwell, et al.

 

Who sponsored this study?

The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health supported this research.

 

Why was this study needed?

Teens spend a significant amount of time using social media, raising questions about how their digital and social experiences intersect. Recent concerns outlined by the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory suggest potential negative influences of social media on youth mental health. A 2021 national survey of 8th and 10th graders, cited in the U.S. Surgeon General’s report on social media and youth mental health, found that teens spent an average of 3.5 hours per day on social media. More recently, a 2023 Gallup survey of 13- to 19-year-olds reported that the average had increased to 4.8 hours per day.  While a large number of previous studies focus on negative mental health outcomes such as depression and anxiety, ECHO researchers examined teen social media use in relation to both positive and negative mental health effects.

 

What were the study results?

High-quality peer relationships were the strongest predictor of teen well-being, regardless of social media use, with a magnitude nearly three times as large as the association between social media use and poor mental health. Teens who reported high quality peer relationships were more likely to experience positive mental health, while teens who reported poor quality relationships were more likely to report worse mental health, even at similar levels of social media use.

 

What was the study's impact?

The study highlights the importance of improving the quality of peer relationships rather than merely limiting social media use to enhance teens’ mental health.

 

Who was involved?

The study included 963 teens aged 13 to 18 from three ECHO Cohort Study Sites across the United States.

 

What happened during the study?

Teens ages 13 to 18 reported how much time they spend on social media and whether they use it actively (like posting and commenting) or passively (like scrolling and browsing). Researchers used the PROMIS® assessment tools and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to measure teens’ mental well-being, including life satisfaction, sense of purpose, symptoms of depression, and the quality of their friendships.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

What happens next?

Studying social media use and mental health over the course of adolescence could help researchers better understand how these factors influence each other throughout this sensitive stage of development. Future research could also focus on finding ways to strengthen peer relationships to support teens' mental health.

 

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Adolescent social media use and mental health in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO),” in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

 

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Published February 5, 2025

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Strong Friendships Matter More than Time Spent on Social Media for Adolescent Mental Health, ECHO Study Finds

Media Use Research

ECHO Media Use Research

Media Use

The ECHO Program is committed to understanding the factors that influence child health, well-being, and development. The ECHO Program’s uniquely diverse, nationwide research network collects information from more than 64,000 children and their families, including information about media habits and related health outcomes. This allows researchers to investigate the effects of digital media use on child health and well-being.

Resources

Visit these sites to learn more about media use and children.

Surgeon General: Social Media and Youth Mental Health

American Acadamy of Pediatrics: Constantly Connected: How Media Use Can Affect Your Child

QUESTIONS

For more information, please email the NIH at NIHKidsandEnvironment@od.nih.gov.
For media inquiries or to request an interview, contact Rebekah Yeager at rebekah.yeager@nih.gov. 

Social media and digital tools have become part of daily life for many children and adolescents. While these platforms may offer a number of benefits, excessive screen time and digital media use among children have also been associated with adverse physical, developmental, and mental health outcomes, including obesity, inadequate sleep, and depression and anxiety. More research is needed to understand the full impact of screen time and social media use during developmentally sensitive periods of childhood and adolescence.

What We're Learning

The ECHO Program has published more than 2,000 articles about the results of its research, including many that looked at screen time and social media.

Here are some research highlights:

Strong Friendships Matter More than Time Spent on Social Media for Adolescent Mental Health, ECHO Study Finds
February 2025
High-quality peer relationships were the strongest predictor of teen well-being, regardless of social media use, with a magnitude nearly three times as large as the association between social media use and poor mental health.

How Can Clinicians Help Parents Set Reasonable Boundaries for their Children’s Digital Media Use?
March 2023
Parents have varying knowledge and beliefs about regulating their children’s digital media use, but many are interested in learning more about this topic from materials provided by their child’s pediatrician.

Screen Time for Children Rose During COVID-19 Pandemic, Remained High After Restrictions Lifted
February 15, 2023
Increases in screen time among children during the COVID-19 pandemic persisted more than one year into the pandemic, even when school closures and other restrictions had been lifted.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Children's Screen Time Increased
August 19, 2022
Children’s screen time increased during the pandemic with Hispanic children and non-Hispanic Black children having the most noticeable increase in screen time.

Children Whose Parents Had Flexible Work Schedules and More Financial Security Were More Likely to Have Less Screen Time and More Sleep
July 19, 2022
Children with parents who were able to change their work schedules to care for their children during the pandemic had less screen time and slept longer at night compared to children with parents who were unable to adjust their work schedules due to stress about money and access to food.