Social Media May Damage Teens' Mental Health. But a New Study Offers Advice on How to Use It Safely

The public and experts alike have blamed social media for a long list of mental health issues, including rising rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal behavior among America’s youth. But research on the subject is conflicting.
Social media is associated with mental health issues, the research says—but only under certain circumstances, and only for certain people. 

In girls, frequent social-media use seemed to harm health when it led to either cyberbullying and/or inadequate sleep and exercise. 

But these factors did not seem to have the same effect on boys, and the study didn’t pick up on specific ways that social networks could be harming them.