Study Finds Varied Effects of Social Media on Teen Mental Health

Research highlights complexity of relationship between platform use and adolescent well-being

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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A new study by researchers in the Netherlands examined the impact of social media use on the mental health of 479 adolescents aged 14-18. The study found that while increased social media usage was generally associated with negative psychological outcomes for most subjects, a significant minority experienced a mix of positive and negative effects. The researchers also identified dramatic differences in the mental health impacts of various social media platforms, with TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram linked to more negative outcomes, while WhatsApp and Snapchat were associated with more neutral or positive effects.

Why it matters

As countries debate policies like banning social media for teens, this study highlights the need for a more nuanced, evidence-based approach that recognizes the complexity of the relationship between social media and adolescent mental health. The findings suggest that platform-specific features and design elements may play a key role in determining the psychological impacts, rather than simply restricting overall screen time.

The details

The study recruited 479 Dutch teens aged 14-18 and had them complete daily surveys on their social media use and mental health over a 100-day period. The researchers looked at three key psychological dimensions: well-being, self-esteem, and friendship closeness. They found that for most subjects (around 68%), increased social media use was associated with either uniformly negative outcomes across all three dimensions, or a mix of negative and null effects. However, 13.6% of subjects experienced a combination of positive and negative outcomes. The researchers also analyzed data on the top five social media platforms used by the subjects - TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and YouTube. They found that use of TikTok, YouTube, and to a lesser extent Instagram, was generally linked to negative mental health impacts. In contrast, WhatsApp and Snapchat were more often associated with neutral or positive outcomes. The authors speculate that features like idealized imagery, recommendation algorithms, and engagement-optimization on the former platforms may contribute to their more detrimental effects.

  • The study collected data from participants in the first half of 2023.
  • The findings were published in December 2025.

The players

Amber van der Wal

Lead author of the study and researcher at the University of Amsterdam.

Ine Beyens

Co-author of the study and researcher at the University of Amsterdam.

Loes H. C. Janssen

Co-author of the study and researcher at the University of Amsterdam.

Patti M. Valkenburg

Co-author of the study and professor at the University of Amsterdam.

Mark Zuckerberg

CEO of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

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What they’re saying

“These findings indicate that social media use is a contributor to mental health problems in the majority of adolescents.”

— Amber van der Wal, Lead author (techpolicy.press)

“Policymakers should focus on design elements with an eye on psychological needs, discouraging agency-reducing features like autoplay and infinite scroll, rather than implementing broader rules on screen time or on social media regardless of platform.”

— Patti M. Valkenburg, Co-author (techpolicy.press)

What’s next

The researchers suggest that further investigation is needed to better understand the risk factors and platform-specific features that contribute to the varied mental health impacts observed in the study. They also recommend examining a broader range of mental health dimensions and exploring how adolescents' mental states change throughout the day in relation to their social media use.

The takeaway

This study highlights the need for a more nuanced, evidence-based approach to understanding and addressing the relationship between social media and adolescent mental health. Rather than implementing blanket restrictions, policymakers should focus on regulating specific platform features and design elements that are shown to have detrimental effects, while recognizing the complexity of these issues and the diversity of experiences among young social media users.