A new large-scale diary study was published by Amber van der Wal, Ine Beyens, Loes Janssen and Patti Valkenburg: Diverse platforms, diverse effects: Evidence from a 100-day study on social media and adolescent mental health.
The study sheds light on how social media affects adolescent mental health, showing that its impact is far from one-dimensional. Drawing on over 44,000 daily diaries from 479 adolescents across 100 days, the study examined how social media use relates to well-being, self-esteem, and friendship closeness.
Importantly, the study highlights strong platform-specific differences: TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram were linked to more negative outcomes, while Snapchat and WhatsApp showed neutral or positive effects.
These results underscore the need for tailored, platform-aware approaches when addressing adolescents’ mental health in a digital world.
