Social Media and Adolescent Mental Health: A Comprehensive Narrative Review

Social media use is nearly universal among adolescents and has become a prominent focus of concern regarding its potential impact on mental health. The aim of this narrative review is to synthesize and critically evaluate the evidence on the relationship between social media use and adolescent mental health, with particular attention to risk pathways, protective factors, underlying mechanisms, moderating variables, and intervention strategies. Existing research suggests that social media may function as both a risk factor and a source of support, depending on patterns of use, individual vulnerability, and contextual influences. A narrative review of the literature was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO to identify peer-reviewed articles published between 2007 and 2025. Search terms included social media, adolescents, mental health, depression, anxiety, sleep, cyberbullying, body image, problematic use, and digital interventions. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, longitudinal studies, experimental trials, and high-quality observational studies were prioritized, and findings were synthesized thematically. Social media influences adolescent mental health through multiple risk and protective pathways, with modest individual-level effects but meaningful population-level relevance due to widespread use during a sensitive developmental period. Outcomes are shaped by psychological mechanisms, moderating factors, and patterns of engagement, while emerging multilevel interventions show promise in reducing harm and enhancing benefits. Overall, social media is not inherently harmful to adolescent mental health; rather, its impact depends on how, why, and in what context it is used, underscoring the need for nuanced, developmentally informed, and multilevel approaches.