Globally, young people are reporting greater happiness today than two decades ago—but the trend doesn’t hold in the United States, other English-speaking nations, and parts of Western Europe. The latest World Happiness Report, released each year on March 20 to mark the UN’s International Day of Happiness, highlights this divide. One factor may be social media: youth who spend more than five hours daily online reported lower well-being.
The survey, which reaches 96% of the world’s population across at least 140 countries through interviews in native languages, revealed notable declines in youth happiness in developed nations. “We saw declines in youth well-being in a subset of developed countries, particularly the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand,” explained Ilana Ron Levey, managing director at Gallup, in an interview with CNN. Similar patterns emerged in France, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Ron Levey noted with interest that youth happiness has actually risen in some Central European countries, despite widespread internet access and heavy social media use. She suggested that strong family ties and robust social connections may help explain this resilience. While the World Happiness Report does not claim social media is the sole driver of differences in youth well-being, it identifies it as a contributing factor.
Produced in collaboration with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and an independent editorial board, the report is best known for its annual ranking of the world’s happiest nations. Each year, however, researchers also spotlight issues shaping well-being across different groups. This year’s focus is the impact of social media—and the findings may prompt people to rethink how they engage with it.
Social media and the ‘trap’ effect
People recognize the downsides of social media—such as increased sadness and anxiety—yet many struggle to step away, coauthor Cass Sunstein, a professor at Harvard Law School, told CNN. Curious about this paradox, he analyzed three studies and found that many young people use social platforms largely because their peers do, even though they often wish those platforms didn’t exist. His research points to social pressure and the fear of being left out as key reasons for continued use. Interestingly, participants said they wouldn’t pay much to access social media for a month, but they would demand significant compensation to give it up—even though abstaining improved their well-being.
“When people stay off Facebook for a month, they are happier, less anxious, and less depressed,” Sunstein explained. Yet, on average, they would require about $85 to remain off Facebook for another month, and college students reported needing substantial incentives to avoid TikTok or Instagram. Notably, many said they would even pay for their peers to quit the same apps.
“Social media should be considered an adult product regardless of circumstance,” said coauthor Zach Rausch, senior research scientist at New York University’s Stern School of Business, in an email. Harm extends beyond mental health, he said. It’s important to consider high rates of cyberbullying, addiction, sexual solicitation and sextortion, to list a few.
Heavy use appears to be the dividing line between youth who are happy and those who are not.
One analysis surveyed data from 15-year-olds from around the world and “found girls who use social media heavily are less satisfied with their lives,” said coauthor Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University, via email. This was true for boys only in some regions — “social media seems to be more toxic for girls than for boys,” said Twenge, who also challenged the idea that teen girls must be on social media to have a full social life. “In most regions, girls who did not use social media at all were the most likely to be completely satisfied with their lives.”
Despite social media use in the Middle East and North Africa ranking among the highest in the world, “the key takeaway is that social media use is not inherently harmful, but it becomes problematic at high intensity,” wrote coauthor Martijn Burger, professor of happiness economics at Open University of the Netherlands, in an email.
When people spend more than about five hours per day on social media, researchers consistently observed lower well-being: more stress, more depressive symptoms and more negative comparisons with others, Burger said. Burger and his fellow researchers also looked at social comparison, with the steady exposure to curated and idealized posts functioning as a key mechanism that undermines well-being. That’s especially true for those who deeply rely on social media, follow online influencers or use multiple platforms.
Why your friends’ scrolling can affect you
The effects of social media consumption on well-being can’t be distilled into one universal claim, largely due to the “peer group” effect.
“The internet is not equally good or bad for everyone — it depends heavily on who you are and the digital world surrounding you,” wrote coauthors Zeynep Ozkok, Jonathan Rosborough and Brandon Malloy, all associate professors of economics at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.
Social media use can be beneficial when peer-group exposure is low, they reported, but becomes increasingly harmful as engaging with online content becomes more widespread among one’s peers. Researchers estimated that internet use is most harmful for Gen Z, less harmful for millennials, close to neutral for Gen X, and slightly beneficial for baby boomers. The generational differences reflect the reality that young people are online more than older people. It also suggests that extra online time is more strongly tied to feeling worse for them than it is for older generations.
The report authors also argued the internet may be worsening existing social problems rather than acting “as the sole root cause,” pointing to declining trust, fewer in-person friend meetups, and the sense among many younger people that they’re falling behind socially.
What you watch affects your well-being
So what are people to do when social media seems to be everywhere? The World Happiness Report experts have some ideas.
Watch intensity, not just screen time. Burger’s work highlights a consistent drop in well-being beyond extremely heavy use of about five hours per day. “Interventions should focus less on reducing use overall, and more on encouraging healthier patterns of use,” he said.
Reduce comparison triggers. If your feed is dominated by influencers, “perfect life” content or algorithmic recommendations that leave you feeling worse, consistent with the mechanism Burger described, take conscious steps to change your online environment. Try curating your media feed by unfollowing or muting “perfect people” to reset your recommendations.
Create a way for your peer group to step away. Researchers suggest it’s easier to cut back when friends do it together. Try a shared agreement, such as phone-free lunches, one weekend day off from apps, or a two-week “no scrolling after 9 p.m.” pact.
Prioritize offline connections. Several World Happiness Report chapters tie well-being to trust, social bonds and real-world connection. If you reduce social media, replace it with other social activities like sports, clubs, volunteering or study groups rather than just removing it and feeling like a void remains.
Be wary of absolute claims, including your own. Dismissing harm from social media may be naive, but treating every new finding as definitive can also backfire. It’s OK to check in with family and friends frequently and adjust rules based on how social media is affecting your well-being.
Set an intensity guardrail. Limiting the use to about one hour a day appears to be the most optimal for an actual boost in well-being, according to Ron Levey.
Parents are role models. “Parents can set the tone for how much social media their child is using, regardless of if they’re 8 years old or if they’re 16 years old. Parents play a supportive role in the social media debate,” Ron Levey said.
Source: CNN
