YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat – these are just some of the social media sites that are banned for teenagers under 16 in Australia. But while the push to protect young people from too much screen time continues, major research from the University of Adelaide shows that a balanced approach to social media may not be so bad.
In a new study published in JAMA Pediatricsresearchers identified a “sweet spot” for social media use among teens and found that moderate use (up to 12.5 hours per week) was associated with more positive well-being.
While the findings may sound like good news for teens, the researchers cautioned that there is a caveat, as excessive social media use and social media inactivity are both associated with lower levels of well-being.
Lead author Dr Ben Singh from the University of Adelaide said the relationship between social media and teen well-being was complex, varied by age and gender, and should not be framed as black and white.
“While public discourse often frames social media as harmful to teenagers’ well-being, our findings suggest that the reality is much more nuanced.” Dr. Singh said.
“For girls, we found that moderate use of social media was associated with improved well-being from their mid-teens (grades 7 to 9 and ages 12 to 15) onwards.
“The opposite was true, as boys who stopped using social media were at risk of becoming less happy as they got older.
“Not using social media had little effect on well-being when children were young because their social needs were fully met through offline interactions.
“However, in mid-adolescence, social media becomes an important environment for connecting with peers, expressing identity, and increasing a sense of belonging, making engagement in this area even more important.
“Overall, the best results were found among teens who used social media in moderation. These teens were much more likely to report positive well-being than those who engaged in social media too much or too little.”
“It’s a Goldilocks scenario: not too little social media and not too much social media is best for a teenager’s well-being.”
The study analyzed data from more than 100,000 Australian children and teenagers in grades 4 to 12 over a three-year period (2019-2022) to examine how time spent on social media was associated with happiness, life satisfaction, emotional regulation and other key indicators of well-being.
While the study showed that social media is neither inherently harmful nor beneficial to teens, it also raised concerns about high levels of use.
Teens who reported using social media the most after school were consistently more likely to experience decreased well-being, including higher levels of sadness, worry, and difficulty regulating their emotions.
The data suggests that the healthiest overall pattern is moderation rather than extremes.
Helping teens find a healthy middle ground may be more effective than outright prohibition or complete avoidance. ”
Dr Ben Singh, Lead Author, University of Adelaide
