Which Social Media Features Harm Youth Mental Health?

This article examines specific social media features that pose mental health risks to youth, who are particularly vulnerable due to their developmental stage. Harmful features include notifications that exploit children's reward sensitivity and trigger FOMO while disrupting sleep; visually stimulating content that makes offline life seem boring; algorithmic content suggestions that can lead vulnerable youth down dangerous paths after even neutral searches; public metrics like likes and followers that create transactional relationships and fuel social comparison; and filters that distort reality and contribute to body dissatisfaction. The article notes that while social media offers benefits like social connection, especially for marginalized youth, these platform features intersect with developmental vulnerabilities to create unique risks. The article advocates for government regulation through bills like KOSA and COPPA 2.0 to restrict data collection and push companies to reduce harm, rather than trying to get kids offline entirely.

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