Teenagers know social media is bad for their mental health

The new report by the Pew Research Center also shows many are cutting back.

Transcript

00:00It turns out that even teens themselves know the dangers social media can pose to their

00:04mental health.

00:05The Pew Research Center surveyed nearly 1,400 U.S. teens between the ages of 13 and 17 about

00:11social media use.

00:13Forty-eight percent of them said social media has a mostly negative effect on people their

00:18age.

00:19That's up from 32 percent from Pew's study done in 2022.

00:22However, only 14 percent of teens think social media has a negative impact on themselves,

00:27and 11 percent claim the platforms are mostly positive for other teenagers.

00:32The report also shows teens know they should be cutting back, with 45 percent of respondents

00:37saying they spend too much time on social media, and 44 percent claiming they have cut back

00:42on their usage.

00:44The report comes as the concern over social media use grows among parents and regulators

00:48alike.

00:49In 2024, then-surgeon general Vivek Murthy wanted Congress to require warning labels on social

00:55media apps similar to those seen on alcohol and tobacco.

00:59That'll do it for your daily briefing from New York City, I'm Lauren Torres with The Street.