Moderate social media use linked to best well-being
Among Australian students, well-being was highest with moderate after-school social media use, while heavy use and (in older teens) no use were linked to poorer well-being.
*Longitudinal cohort (repeated cross-sectional); Level 2b (OCEBM).
Citation
Singh B, Zhou M, Curtis R, Maher C, Dumuid D. Social Media Use and Well-Being Across Adolescent Development. JAMA Pediatrics. 2026;180(3):288-297. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.5619
Background
Prior studies disagree on whether social media harms or helps adolescents. This study tested whether associations with well-being change by age and sex over early-to-late adolescence.
Patients
Australian government-school students in grades 4-12 (2019-2022). Excluded: non-government schools; nonbinary/unknown sex not analyzed due to data restrictions.
Intervention
After-school social media use (weekdays 3-6 PM): none (0 hours/week), moderate (>0 to <12.5), highest (≥12.5).
Control
Moderate use.
Outcome
(Primary) Low overall well-being: mean of 8 domains scored 1-5; low defined as <3. (Secondary) Each domain separately.
Follow-up Period
Up to 3 years per student; main analyses pooled 2020-2022.
Results
100,991 adolescents contributed 173,533 observations (mean age 13.5 years; 49.9% female). Associations were nonlinear: moderate use generally aligned with the best well-being.
| Group (school stage) |
Exposure vs moderate use |
Adjusted odds ratio for low well-being (95% CI) |
| Girls (grades 7-9) |
Highest use |
3.13 (2.88-3.39) |
| Boys (grades 7-9) |
Highest use |
2.25 (1.86-2.72) |
| Girls (grades 10-12) |
No use |
1.79 (1.41-2.27) |
| Boys (grades 10-12) |
No use |
3.00 (2.01-4.46) |
Odds ratio: relative odds of low well-being compared with moderate use.
Analyses used mixed-effects models adjusted for region, parent education, grade, and year.
Limitations
Observational design cannot prove cause and effect. Social media use was self-reported and limited to weekdays after school, not total use. Well-being was simplified into high vs low, and older nonusers were uncommon, increasing uncertainty.
Funding
Australian governmental research grants; funders had no role.
Clinical Application
In counseling teens, avoid “all-or-nothing” rules; screen for heavy use, but also ask whether complete avoidance limits social connection, especially in older boys.