Study Links Problematic Social Media Use to Lower Wellbeing in Teens, Especially Disadvantaged

A study published in the World Happiness Report 2026 by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the University of Oxford analyzed data from over 330,000 adolescents across 43 countries, finding that problematic social media use is consistently associated with poorer wellbeing, including more psychological complaints and lower life satisfaction. The effect is strongest in Anglo-Celtic countries like the UK and Ireland, and weakest in the Caucasus-Black Sea region. Teens from disadvantaged backgrounds are more vulnerable to these negative effects, with socioeconomic status shaping risks. Socioeconomic gaps in life satisfaction are more pronounced than in psychological complaints, likely due to social comparisons amplified by social media. Between 2018 and 2022, the link between problematic use and poor wellbeing intensified, possibly due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but inequalities did not widen. The study emphasizes that interventions must account for socioeconomic disparities.