Social media fuelling teen mental health crisis, report warns | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleNicole Wootton-CaneThursday 19 March 2026 16:46 GMTRelated: Australia approves social media ban on under-16sA new report suggests social media platforms are "not safe" for teenagers and are causing harm on a "massive scale" due to their current "algorithmic" design.Academics from New York University, contributing to the World Happiness Report, found "overwhelming evidence" of direct harms like cyberbullying and "compelling evidence" of indirect harms such as depression and anxiety.The report, based on an analysis of seven studies, argues that the rapid adoption of social media by adolescents in the early 2010s significantly contributed to population-level increases in mental illness by the mid-2010s.Researchers also noted that social media platforms emphasising communication are more beneficial for user happiness than those focused on "algorithmic content".This report emerges as the UK government considers a social media ban for under-16s.In fullSocial media ‘not safe for teenagers’, new report warnsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in