How Social Media Affects Teen Mental Health
Recently, our very own Leanne Stange, LCSW, RPT was featured on KSL News, talking about something many families are quietly worried about, how social media is affecting teens.
Why This Story Matters
In a recent court decision in California, major platforms including Instagram and YouTube were ordered to pay $6 million in damages to a young woman. The ruling found that these companies failed to adequately warn users about the risks associated with their platforms.
This case is just the beginning. Thousands of similar lawsuits are expected to follow. For many families, it raises an important question: What role does social media play in our children’s mental health?
What We’re Seeing in Therapy
In her work with kids and teens, Leanne often sees how social media starts with something very human — a desire to feel connected and accepted.
But over time, that can shift. Some teens begin to experience:
Changes in sleep
Changes in eating habits
More anxiety or changes in mood
It’s not just about screen time. It’s about how those experiences shape the way kids and teens see themselves and their world. And sometimes, the more time spent online, the more disconnected they feel in real life.
It’s Not All or Nothing
Social media isn’t “good” or “bad.” It’s a tool. And like many tools, it can affect people differently.
Some kids and teens use it in ways that feel fun, encourage self-expression, and access supportive communities. Others may start to feel stuck, compare themselves to others, or feel overwhelmed.
As Leanne gently pointed out, mental health struggles like anxiety, depression, or body image concerns often show up alongside heavy social media use. They don’t always cause each other, but they can become closely linked.
What Parents Can Do
If you’re feeling unsure about how to handle social media in your home, you’re not alone. Many parents feel caught between wanting to protect their teens and not wanting to overreact.
Part of what makes this so hard is that social media is still relatively new. Most parents of today’s teens didn’t grow up with it. In many cases, it didn’t even exist until they were already adults. On top of that, it’s constantly changing. Many parents express that it can feel hard to keep up with new platforms, trends, and expectations. That means you’re trying to guide your child through something you don’t fully understand and never had to navigate at their age.
The good news is, you don’t have to have all the answers to make a meaningful difference. What helps most is staying present, curious, and engaged in your teen’s world.
Here are a few ways to start:
Stay connected to your teen, not just their screen — Instead of focusing only on limits, make space to understand what draws them to social media. What do they enjoy? Who do they connect with? This builds trust and keeps communication open and can even create shared hobbies or other means of getting to know one another.
Create simple, realistic boundaries — Small, clear, and consistent limits (like no phones at night or during meals) can help teens build healthier habits without feeling controlled. The goal is to help your teen learn how to navigate this in a healthy way. It’s less about rules and more about helping your teen learn what balance looks like.
Model the relationship you want them to have with technology — Kids and teens notice how we use our own devices. Showing balance in your own habits can be more powerful than any rule.
Focus on what’s happening underneath the behavior — If your teen is using social media more heavily, it may be meeting a need—like belonging, distraction, or validation. Gently exploring that need can be more helpful than taking the phone away.
Give yourself permission to learn as you go — You don’t have to get this perfect. Parenting in the digital age is new territory for everyone. What matters most is your willingness to stay engaged and keep showing up.
Moving Forward with Awareness
As conversations about social media continue to grow — both in the news and at home — it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. There are strong opinions, new studies, and now even legal cases shaping the way we think about these platforms. But in the middle of all of that, it can help to come back to something simple, awareness matters more than perfection.
We may not be able to control everything our teens see or experience online. But we can stay present. We can notice changes in their mood, their habits, and their sense of connection. And we can keep the door open for honest, ongoing conversations.
For many families, this isn’t about removing social media completely. It’s about learning how to live with it in a more intentional, balanced way.
At Wasatch Family Therapy, we believe that small shifts — more curiosity, more connection, more understanding — can make a meaningful difference over time. And when things feel heavier or more complicated, support can help you and your family find your way forward together.
We have therapists who specialize in working with children and teens, helping them better understand their emotions, build confidence, and develop a healthier relationship with technology. We also offer individual therapy for parents who may feel unsure, overwhelmed, or stuck in how to support their teen. And when social media is impacting the whole family, family therapy can create space for better communication, stronger relationships, and shared understanding.
If you’re concerned about your teen, your family, or even your own relationship with social media, we’re here to help. You don’t have to navigate this alone. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
