We’re All Kids –
May 21, 2025 – Depression and suicide in youth spike, experts are asking whether social media makes kids depressed — or whether depressed kids simply spend more time on social media? “There has been ongoing debate about whether social media contributes to depression or simply reflects underlying depressive symptoms,” said Nagata. “These findings provide evidence that social media may be contributing to the development of depressive symptoms.” While it’s unclear why social media increases depressive symptoms, prior research points to risks such as cyberbullying and disrupted sleep. In fact, Nagata and team just published a separate study in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas looking at the same cohort of participants, focusing instead on the effects of cyberbullying.
