Adolescents who spend at least two hours a day on social media are more likely to experience symptoms of depression.
A 10-year study followed a total 1200 children from the ages of nine to 19, and found that those aged between 12 and 18 who used social media two hours a day were slightly more likely to display signs of poor mental health a year later than those whose daily use was less than one hour.
Girls aged 12 and 13 showed the most impact, according to the Child To Adult Transaction Study (CATS), carried out before Australia
imposed a social media ban for under-16s in December 2025.
Lead author Dr Nandi Vijayakumar said: ‘While the increases in risk were modest, even small effects can have important public health implications when large numbers of young people are exposed. This is why early adolescence may be the key time to intervene.’
Study Medical Journal of Australia
