Finance
Heavy Social Media Usage Erodes Young People's Wellbeing, Report Finds
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 19, 2026
3 min readLast updated: March 19, 2026
Quick Summary
A new World Happiness Report shows heavy social media use—especially among 15‑year‑old girls using over five hours daily—is linked to lower life satisfaction in English‑speaking countries. Australia has taken action, implementing a world‑first ban on under‑16s accessing social platforms, with over 4
Report Links Heavy Social Media Use to Lower Youth Wellbeing, Especially for Girls
World Happiness Report Highlights Impact of Social Media on Youth Wellbeing
By Anne Kauranen
HELSINKI, March 19 (Reuters) - Heavy social media usage appears to contribute to a drop in wellbeing among young people, especially girls, in some English-speaking countries, the World Happiness Report published on Thursday found.
Already, a number of countries across the world are working on plans to curb children's social media access after Australia in December became the world's first country to ban social media for children under 16.
The latest research published in the annual World Happiness Report is based on data from U.S. market research company Gallup and other studies, analysed by a global team led by the University of Oxford in England.
Key Findings from the Report
Real Social Connections Matter
REAL SOCIAL CONNECTIONS MATTER
The report did not establish a direct link.
However, researchers for this year's version of the report, combined the Gallup data with that from the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment and other studies, leading them to conclude heavy social media use appeared to reduce happiness.
The Role of Social Media Algorithms
"The message coming through loud and clear is that we should try to put the social back into social media," Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford Jan-Emmanuel de Neve, one of the editors of the World Happiness Report, told Reuters.
De Neve added that algorithmically-pushed, passively-consumed and mostly influencer-type content had a more negative impact on users than a platform that connects people socially.
Gender and Age Differences in Wellbeing
With the caveat that the impact of social media on wellbeing was complex, he said the combined data showed that 15-year-old girls, who used social media platforms for more than five hours a day, reported lower life satisfaction compared to girls of their age who use social media less.
Gallup's world-wide poll data showed life evaluations, or how people assess their life satisfaction, among under 25-year-olds in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have dropped "dramatically", by almost one point on a 0-10 scale, over the last decade.
By contrast, it found the self-reported life satisfaction of the young in the rest of the world increased on average over the same period.
Social Support as a Predictor of Wellbeing
Gallup's managing editor Julie Ray said the difference in life satisfaction between the young in the English-speaking countries and the rest of the world was likely related to broader social conditions.
"Social support is one of the strongest predictors of wellbeing, and previous research shows that in some countries younger people report feeling less supported, which may help explain the pattern," she told Reuters by email.
(Reporting by Anne Kauranen in Helsinki and Ilze Filks in Stockholm; editing by Barbara Lewis)
Key Takeaways
- •Heavy social media usage (5+ hours/day) among 15‑year‑old girls correlates with lower life satisfaction compared to peers who use it less (washingtonpost.com).
- •Gallup data show life‑evaluation scores for under‑25s in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand dropped by nearly one point over the past decade, while youth satisfaction rose elsewhere (gallup.com).
- •Australia enacted the world’s first legal ban on social media use by under‑16s effective December 10, 2025; platforms removed approximately 4.7 million accounts (investing.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Heavy social media usage erodes young people's wellbeing, report finds
1How does heavy social media usage affect young people's wellbeing?
According to the World Happiness Report, heavy social media use appears to reduce happiness and life satisfaction, especially among young girls in English-speaking countries.
2Which countries are experiencing the largest drops in youth life satisfaction?
Young people in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have seen the most significant declines in life satisfaction over the last decade.
3What kind of social media content is most harmful to wellbeing?
Algorithmically-pushed, passively-consumed, influencer-type content is reported to have a more negative impact than platforms that facilitate real social connections.
4Is there a direct link between social media use and lower wellbeing?
While the report did not establish a direct link, combined data suggest a correlation between heavy social media use and decreased happiness among youth.
5What measures are being taken to curb children's social media use?
Some countries, such as Australia, have begun implementing bans on social media platforms for children under 16 to help protect youth wellbeing.