Social media usage and depression in adolescents and young adults: Examining the connection

By The DO Staff

09.16.23

Depression’s escalating prevalence among adolescents and young adults is a disquieting trend in today’s world. A rising body of research, including a recent public health advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General, has revealed an alarming correlation between this mental health crisis and the surge in social media usage. For instance, a 2016 study by Mojtabai et al. found the prevalence of major depressive episodes in adolescents aged 12-17 years rose from 8.7% in 2005 to 12.7% in 2014. More recent research corroborates this worrying pattern, showing that 16.9% of youth age 12-17 and 17.2% of those age 18-25 had experienced depression in the past year.

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