Is time spent using social media associated with mental health problems among adolescents?

Findings  In this cohort study of 6595 US adolescents, increased time spent using social media per day was prospectively associated with increased odds of reporting high levels of internalizing and comorbid internalizing and externalizing problems, even after adjusting for history of mental health problems.

Meaning  Adolescents who spend more than 3 hours per day on social media may be at heightened risk for mental health problems, particularly internalizing problems. Future research should determine whether setting limits on daily social media use, increasing media literacy, and redesigning social media platforms are effective means of reducing the burden of mental health problems in this population.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2749480