Abstract
Social media use is nearly universal among adolescents in Aotearoa. The weight of scientific evidence in systematic reviews suggests it contributes to depression, anxiety, psychological distress, sleep disruption, eating disorders, and low self-esteem in young people.
While there are also likely benefits of social media (eg, connecting with like-minded people online), these benefits are greatly outweighed by the risks for many young people, especially for those under 16, who are developmentally more vulnerable. Political decisionmakers now have a strong enough evidence base for action: delay access and support youth and whānau through a coordinated public health response.