Children in the Age of Social Media

October 27, 2026

According to a recent study published in a journal named Acta Paediatrica, the excessive use of social media can lead to reduced sleeping hours among children. The research was conducted among the Canadian students aged between 11-20 years which revealed a dose-response relation between the over-use of social media and the shorter sleep duration among the students. There were in total 5242 participants in the study out of which 63.6% slept less than recommended and 73.4% students reported that they used social media for at least an hour per day. “The impact social media can have on sleep patterns is a topic of great interest given the wellknown adverse effects of sleep deprivation on health,” said senior author Dr. Jean-Philippe Chaput, of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute. He further added that electronic screen devices are pervasive in today’s society and they are just starting to understand their risks and benefits. Some experts believe that mental health concerns may be an unexpected side effect of increased social media use. While the link between the two is still being researched, it’s becoming more important to monitor the way children and teens use social media and its effects. Children and teens spend less time connecting with friends and family in person compared with past generations. Many now use social media to connect, which can leave them feeling even more isolated or excluded when seeing others engage in social activities without them. Lack of healthy activities: Physical activity and time spent outdoors help release endorphins, which can help ease symptoms of depression. They can also provide a sense of accomplishment and confidence. But time spent on social media may lead to a lack of activity that prevents these rewards. Lack of sleep: Research shows that sleep deprivation is a common contributor to depression, and social media can have a notable impact on sleep: There is a lot we do not know about how social media platforms algorithms are configured, because this information is kept private by many of the companies. However, we do know that many social media platforms have designed their algorithms to maximize engagement and time spent on the platform. This means that, as we interact with a platform, the algorithm “learns” what type of content is going to keep us more engaged – which types of videos we will watch for a longer period of time, what photos will we swipe through – and then shows us more of that content. The use of an algorithm in itself is not necessarily problematic. An algorithm could also be used, for example, to maximize content that is educational or age-appropriate. However, parents should know that many of the algorithms used by social media companies are not designed to maximize for kids’ well-being: They are designed to maximize for engagement, which can make it harder for kids to log off. Children are still developing self-regulation abilities, and this can make it very hard to put down devices or stop using social media when those features are testing self-regulation abilities. When it comes to adolescents, they may be more sensitive to rewards, particularly ones that are “social” (for example, “likes” or “views” from peers), which can make it difficult to pull themselves away. There are also very real social implications for youth – for many teens, the majority of their peers are exchanging messages or otherwise interacting on social media. It makes sense that a child will feel left out if they are not part of that. This happens to adults, too, but children and teens may be more sensitive to that, given the importance that peer relationships play in development. cientists are continuing to work on understanding the question of how social media use affects children and teens’ mental health. What we do know is that the impact of social media really depends on how it is used, and that it differs significantly across children. Some children, particularly those who may be vulnerable due to existing mental health concerns or other emotional challenges, are at higher risk of harm from using social media platforms. For others, social media poses less of a risk, particularly if we are guiding and educating them toward using social media in healthier ways. For all kids, we want to make sure that social media use is not taking the place of other activities that are important for mental health – like sleep, physical activity and building social relationships.