A major new study from The University of Manchester has found little evidence that social media use or video gaming are causing mental health problems in young teenagers, challenging one of the most widespread concerns among parents and teachers today.
The research - published in the Journal of Public Health - is based on the experiences of more than 25,000 pupils across Greater Manchester, and is one of the largest and most detailed studies of its kind. The team followed young people aged 11-14 over three school years as part of the #BeeWell programme, which focuses on understanding and improving young people's wellbeing.
For several years, headlines have warned that time spent on TikTok, Instagram or gaming platforms could be driving a rise in anxiety and depression among teenagers - but the Manchester researchers say their findings paint a much more nuanced picture.
"We know families are worried, but our results do not support the idea that simply spending time on social media or gaming leads to mental health problems - the story is far more complex than that," said lead author Dr Qiqi Cheng.
The study tracked pupils' self-reported social media habits, gaming frequency and emotional difficulties over three school years to find out whether technology use genuinely predicted later mental health difficulties. The researchers found no evidence that heavier social media use or more frequent gaming caused increases in symptoms of anxiety or depression over the following year - for boys or girls.
However, the study did uncover other interesting patterns. Girls who gamed more often went on to spend slightly less time on social media the following year, and boys who reported more emotional difficulties were more likely to cut back on gaming in the future - a pattern the researchers suggest could be linked to losing interest in hobbies when feeling low, or parents limiting screen time when they notice their child is struggling.
The research team also explored whether actively chatting on social media or just passively scrolling made a difference, but the overall picture remained the same - technology habits alone did not appear to drive mental health difficulties.
The authors emphasise that this does not mean online experiences are harmless. Hurtful messages, online pressures and extreme content can all have real impacts on wellbeing, but they argue that focusing simply on screen time misses the bigger picture.
