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The relationship between social media and mental health is complicated. Minimising the harms of social media in children and adolescents will require a multifaceted approach.
Australia’s social media ban is set to take effect in December 2025, with the Australian Federal Government claiming the ban “will protect young Australians at a critical stage of their development, giving them three more years to build real world connections and online resilience.”
However, the true nature of social media harms is still hotly debated among experts, with no real consensus on whether social media’s impact on mental health is correlational or causal.
In a perspective published in the Medical Journal of Australia, researchers from South Australia argue that the social media ban should not be viewed as a panacea, and will need to be accompanied by a multifaceted policy approach.
“We argue that the debate over whether social media’s impact on mental health is correlational or causal should not delay actions to protect young people’s wellbeing,” Dr Ivana Stankov, of the University of South Australia, and co-authors wrote.
“Moreover, we believe that system-oriented approaches can harness social media’s potential for good while minimising its risks.”
Fostering healthy social media use
The authors believe that Australia needs comprehensive social media use guidelines for young people, who may continue to access social media despite the ban.
“Even in countries such as Australia with legislated age bans, guidelines are essential in establishing a framework for responsible behaviour,” Dr Stankov and co-authors wrote.
School-based initiatives could play a pivotal role in fostering healthy social media use through digital literacy curriculum, equipping young people with the skills to critically evaluate online content.
Establishing an open dialogue about social media in families is also crucial.
“This includes discussions around unfollowing or muting accounts that undermine mental wellbeing, and actively seeking out inspiring role models and other positive online experiences,” the authors wrote.
The authors note that vulnerable young people could be negatively impacted by the ban, and early detection and mitigation of these harms will be essential.
“Young people are not homogenous in their engagement with social media, and restrictions may lead to increased marginalisation, particularly for geographically isolated youth, minorities and young people with disabilities.”
Holding social media platforms accountable
In 2024, Meta announced a teen version of Instagram designed to provide a safe social media environment for young people.
However, the perspective authors believe that measures like this are merely a band-aid solution, and do not address the core problem of social media’s design, which prioritises addictive consumption over wellbeing.
Dr Stankov and co-authors argue that there needs to be a paradigm shift in how platforms protect young users.
“Social media interfaces should be co-designed with young people and health professionals to create platforms that are less manipulative and that minimise risks and promote positive experiences,” the authors wrote.
“Design changes should apply alternative engagement metrics that foster positive interactions and reduce harmful social comparisons and infinite scrolling.”
Ongoing research is crucial
To better understand social media’s impact on the mental health of young people, the perspective authors recommend an ongoing research agenda co-designed by policy makers, researchers, schools, social media platforms, parents and youth.
Their recommendations include examining the long term health impacts of adolescent social media use, investigating the specific ways social media impacts marginalised young people, and exploring the influence of social media design features on harmful behaviours.
Public health strategies will need to respond to and evolve with emerging evidence, to ensure that a focus on social media does not overshadow other factors affecting youth mental health.
“By fostering digital literacy, encouraging mindful use and advancing a co-designed research agenda, society can better protect young people while leveraging social media’s potential for positive connection and empowerment,” the authors wrote.
Read the perspective in the Medical Journal of Australia.
Annika Howells is the sub-editor of the MJA’s InSight+.
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