Starting social media younger linked to anxiety, depression in teen years
UNSW Sydney
Parents, schools and the age children first use social media may be just as important as restricting access to platforms when it comes to adolescents’ mental health, new research suggests.
The age at which adolescents first start using social media may be more important to their mental health than whether they have a social-media account at all, new UNSW Sydney research suggests.
A survey of 365 Australian adolescents aged 10 to 15, plus one of their parents, found that those who began using social media at a younger age reported more symptoms of anxiety and depression. Simply having a social-media account showed a weaker relationship with those symptoms, according to the findings published today in JAMA Network Open.
Conducted in the six weeks leading up to the Australian social media ban that came into effect in December 2025, participants were asked if they had ever used social media, the age at which they first used it and whether they currently had a social media account. They were also asked questions to measure symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The researchers found 70% of the youngsters had used social media, about half had a social media account already, while the average age they first started using social media was 11 years old.
“What surprised us was that the age children first started using social media appeared to matter more for their mental health than simply whether they had an account,” study chief investigator Associate Professor Susanne Schweizer says.
“It suggests that delaying children’s first exposure may be a promising policy, especially if paired with training good digital hygiene and citizenship during the delay.”
A different question
Australia’s social media ban was introduced in response to growing concerns about rising rates of anxiety and depression among young people and the increasing use of social media. Lead author and UNSW PhD candidate Anna Bilston says governments may need to think beyond simply restricting access if they want to protect young people’s mental health.
“If we want to protect young people’s mental health, we need to think not only about whether they can access social media, but also about how young they are when they first start using it,” Ms Bilston says.
The findings are the first published results from a larger Australian study tracking the mood of young people before and after the social media ban.
Just try and stop us
Only a quarter of the 10-to-15-year-olds said they intended to stop using social media following the ban. Just over a third (34%) said they still intended to use it without an account, while a similar number (35%) said they intended to find a way around the restrictions to continue using their accounts.
“Most young people who intend to keep using social media expect to find ways around the restrictions, rather than simply waiting until they turn 16,” A/Prof. Schweizer says.
If not a ban, then what?
The researchers argue protecting young people’s mental health will require more than restricting access alone.
“As parents and educators we have an equally important role in helping young people develop healthy digital habits and delaying their first use of social media.”
Despite more than three quarters saying they planned to continue using social media anyway, the researchers aren’t suggesting the ban has failed.
“For some the ban likely helped start conversations about the mental health risks of social media between parents and children, teachers and students, and among young people themselves,” says A/Prof. Schweizer.
“In behavioural science we often see attitudes change before behaviour, so it’s still too early to judge whether the policy has been successful. We are excited to follow-up these young people and their parents across the next 12 months.”
Why IRL still matters
A companion study by the researchers followed older teenagers and young adults over time, asking them to record whether their social interactions took place online or in person, and how those interactions made them feel.
The researchers found face-to-face interactions generally left young people feeling more positive and more included than online interactions.
However, socially sensitive young people appeared to find online interactions easier.
“It’s possible these young people experience a short-term benefit from online interactions because they have more time to think about their responses,” A/Prof. Schweizer says.
“But over time, it’s face-to-face interactions that appear to sustain positive relationships. At this stage, though, that’s still speculative.
“What this tells us is that young people’s online activity is more complex than simply ‘helpful’ or ‘harmful’. Some online interactions may play an important role, particularly for socially sensitive young people, even though face-to-face interactions remain important overall.”
Further research needed
The results published today represent the first stage of a larger study that will follow young people before and after the social media ban. The researchers will continue tracking participants over the next year to see whether the policy changes behaviour, attitudes, mental health and exposure to online harms.
“This is one of the first opportunities anywhere in the world to understand what happens when a policy like this is introduced. We now need to follow these young people over time to see whether our teenagers benefit from the new restrictions, and what could be improved,” A/Prof. Schweizer says.
Contact details:
Lachlan Gilbert
UNSW News & Content
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