Scrolling at a Cost: Teen Mental Health

In recent years, most teenagers have been spending several hours a day engaging with social media apps such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. At the same time, mental health issues indirectly caused by social media such as anxiety, depression, and low confidence are increasingly prevalent. This raises an important question: Should social media platforms be held responsible for the harmful effects they have on adolescents’ mental health? While personal habits and family environment certainly play a role, I argue that social media companies carry significant responsibility. Their platforms are deliberately designed to keep young users in particular engaged for as long as possible.

Social media platforms are often designed to prioritize keeping user engagement as high as possible, sacrificing users’ mental health in the process. For example, the infinite scroll feature makes it difficult for users to naturally stop, while algorithms recommend content that appeals specifically to each individual. This has particularly harmful side effects on adolescents, whose self-control is not yet fully developed, making them more vulnerable to algorithmic influence. In fact, in 2021, former Meta employee Frances Haugen disclosed internal documents to the media and the U.S. Congress, confirming that company executives were aware of Instagram’s negative impact on adolescents’ mental health, yet they prioritized growth and profits over making meaningful changes.

Furthermore, social media platforms have cultivated a harmful culture of comparison among teenagers. Instagram and TikTok frequently feature content showcasing luxury goods, sports cars, lavish settings, or successful individuals, which can cause ordinary users to feel anxious and inferior. This is particularly damaging to teenagers’ self-confidence, especially since they are in the process of developing their sense of self-worth and identity.

While parental involvement is certainly important, it also has its limitations. Parents can set daily screen time limits and establish clear rules with their children, for example, permitting social media use only after homework is completed. However, this isn’t always practical. Many parents work full-time and do not have the time to closely monitor their children’s smartphone usage. For instance, some of my classmates board at school Monday through Friday, making it nearly impossible for their parents to monitor their social media use. Therefore, social media platforms should still carry the primary responsibility, as this issue cannot be addressed by families alone.

In summary, the available evidence effectively demonstrates that social media companies carry significant responsibility for the mental health issues facing many teenagers today, from addictive algorithmic design to the promotion of unhealthy social comparison. These platforms often prioritize profit over the emotional well-being of their young users. While parental guidance is certainly important, parents often find it difficult to counteract such carefully designed and addictive mechanisms. I hope that in the future, social media platforms will take practical actions, such as setting time limits for minors’ social media use and strengthening protections for teenage users. Mental health should be treated as a serious priority, not a secondary concern.

Shaojie Yang