YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat – these are some of the banned social media sites for Australian teens under 16. But while efforts to protect young people from too much screen time continue, a major study from the University of Adelaide suggests a balanced approach to social media might not be so bad.
In new research published in JAMA PediatricsResearchers have identified a ‘sweet spot’ for social media use by adolescents, with moderate use (up to 12.5 hours/week) being associated with more positive well-being.
While the findings may seem like good news for teens, researchers caution that both excessive use of social media and no use of social media are linked to poor health.
Lead author Dr Ben Singh, of the University of Adelaide, says the relationship of social media with teenagers’ well-being is complex, varies by age and gender, and should not be seen in black and white terms.
“Public debate often views social media as detrimental to adolescent well-being, but our findings suggest that the reality is far more nuanced.” Dr Singh said.
“For girls, we found that moderate use of social media was associated with better health in their middle adolescence (grades 7-9; ages 12-15) and beyond.
“This was the opposite for boys who did not use social media as they were at increased risk of poor health as they grew older.
“In the younger years, not using social media had little impact on their well-being, as children’s offline interactions can adequately meet their social needs.
“But by mid-adolescence, social media becomes an important setting for peer relationships, identity expression, and belonging, making engagement in this area even more important.
“Overall, the strongest results were among teens who used social media moderately. These teens were more likely to report positive well-being than those who had very high or very low social media engagement.
“It’s a real Goldilocks scenario – neither too little nor too much social media is best for teens’ well-being.”
The study analyzed data from more than 100,000 Australian children and adolescents in grades 4-12 over a three-year period (2019-2022), examining how time spent on social media relates to happiness, life satisfaction, emotional regulation and other key indicators of well-being.
While the research showed that social media is neither inherently harmful nor inherently beneficial for teens, it also reinforced concerns about its high levels of use.
Teens who used social media the most after school were more likely to experience persistent low health, including higher levels of sadness, anxiety, and difficulty managing emotions.
What the data points to is moderation, not excess, is the healthiest pattern overall.
Helping teens find a healthy middle ground may be more effective than a complete ban or complete abstinence.
Dr Ben Singh, lead author, University of Adelaide
