Researchers followed about 6,600 teens from 2013 to 2016. The study checked for things like feeling sad or worried (internalizing), acting out or having trouble paying attention (externalizing), or both. The study found that the more time teens spent on social media, the more likely they were to have internalizing problems, or both internalizing and externalizing problems. Teens who used social media for more than 3 hours a day seemed to have the most risk, especially for internalizing problems. The researchers interestingly didn't find a clear link between social media use and externalizing problems alone. The study suggests that limiting social media use and teaching teens about media could be helpful.

This study is important because it shows that too much social media may not be good for teens' mental health, especially their feelings and emotions.  It found that more time on social media might link to feeling more anxious or depressed. While the study isn't perfect, it reminds us that we need to help young people use social media in a healthy way. Maybe teaching them how to understand what they see online or setting time limits could help. We need to learn more about which parts of social media are harmful and how to prevent problems.