Pew released an update to their 2022 survey on teens, mental health, and social media use. There are some stark differences in how teens responded to the same survey in 2024:
- U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who said social media has a “mostly negative” effect on people their age.
- 2022 – 31%
- 2024 – 48%
- U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who report they spend too much time on social media.
- 2022 – 36%
- 2024 – 45%
Parents also participated in the survey, and there were differences in how they responded as compared to their teens:
- When asked what is “the one thing” that most negatively impacts teen mental health:
- 44% of parents mentioned social media
- 22% of teens mentioned social media
- When asked if they would be comfortable talking to one another about teen mental health:
- 80% of parents said they would be “highly comfortable” talking to their teen about their teen’s mental health
- 53% of teens said they would be “highly comfortable” talking to a parent about their own mental health
- Although there is a significant gap in this willingness to talk to one another, teens did report they feel more comfortable talking to their parents about their mental health than others such as friends, therapists, or teachers.
Routine conversations about emotions, feelings, and mental health between parents and teens is an important way to check on wellness. There are many factors that can impact teen mental health – in the survey teens mentioned bullying, pressures and expectations, and school as other factors – and regularly discussing all of them and how to take care of mental health is key to any parent-teen relationship.