Social Media and Screen Addiction: A Growing Threat to Youth Mental Health

Teens4TeensHelp.org is a free online resource that features teen voices and stories of recovery to help other teens facing mental health challenges. In this interview with Dr. Chaz Austin, Ed.D., Jeff and Kathy Long share their insights on the dangers of excessive screen time and social media use, and what can be done to support young people. 

Q: I recently saw the presentation about your nonprofit and website, Teens4TeensHelp, and was shocked by what a negative effect social media use has on young people today. Can you talk about that?

Jeff: It’s not just social media and video gaming, it’s overall screen time. The amount of time spent in the virtual world versus the real world has skyrocketed. That means fewer opportunities for the kinds of face-to-face interactions and hands-on experiences that are essential for developing a mentally healthy human being.

Technology is evolving incredibly fast, but our human brains and social structures don’t evolve nearly as quickly. That gap is part of the problem. 

The divide between the virtual and real worlds keeps widening, and the result is a mental health crisis among our youth. The statistics are alarming:

• Every day in the U.S., 3,703 young people attempt suicide (Jason Foundation, 2023).
• Almost 40% of teens feel hopeless or chronically stressed.
• 1 million teens and children in the U.S. live with a mental health disorder (Child Mind Institute).

This is a national crisis. 

Some people assume the spike in numbers is mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the data tells a different story. Rates started climbing around 2010 and have kept going up. There are many reasons, but one clear shift stands out: 

• From 2010 to 2020, time spent with friends dropped from 160 minutes a day to just 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, internet use, social media use, and depression QUADRUPLED.
• Teen suicide among boys rose by 91%, and among girls by 167% (CDC).

There’s a great book, The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, that digs into this. His research shows that the arrival of the smartphone in 2008, and kids widely getting them around 2010, coincided with a massive increase in screen time. Today, the average American teen spends seven hours a day on screens. That’s a main driver of this crisis in our nation and other developed countries. 

The book talks about the difference between the old “play childhood,” full of in-person socializing, free play, exploration, trial and error, and the new “rewired phone-based childhood.” We may think that kids are more connected digitally to everyone and everything, but in-person connection has eroded. 

Kathy: We’ve all seen it, groups of teens sitting together, but every head bent down toward a phone. They’re physically together, but not emotionally present. Their attention has been hijacked. They are isolated by their phones, even in a crowd. 

As explained in the book Anxious Generation – Teens are being impacted by sources completely out of parents control at a crucial time of development. Healthy brain development depends on getting the right experiences at the right age and in the right order. Without going down a psychology rabbit hole let’s just say that with access to all forms of media they are exposed to a far larger number of common behaviors and observing multiple groups in multiple settings. They are processing thousands of data points in an hour, where earlier generations took time to assess their surroundings and the behaviors of the group in order to conform to the group and feel safe.  

They are no longer experiencing the social interactions that kids need to have to learn about social cues, and the structure to explore and fail and build self-worth and confidence, the way previous generations did. Parents in the 90’s also began to bubble wrap their children as news made the world seem less safe, reducing kids’ chance to live in the real world and learn independence. And with the screens, kids are also getting less sleep. 50% of teen girls get less than seven hours a day when eight to ten are needed. This alone is a big issue. 

And while they are on their screens for seven hours a day, it’s also about the opportunities lost for in person interactions, activities, and mentoring, all the things humans need to develop socially.  

The social media companies and gaming companies are all in a race to the bottom of the brain stem. They hire the best psychologists to design apps that trigger dopamine responses and keep users hooked for as long as possible. The longer they can keep you on their site, the more money they make selling ads. They don’t care about your mental health; they care about making money. 

It’s about capturing and holding your attention at all costs. If they don’t do it, their competitors will. It’s a dangerous, vicious spiral.   

If we teach teens that they are being manipulated in order to get and hold onto their attention, then they can be aware and perhaps make better choices.  

It’s not that technology is bad, it’s great, if you use it in a positive way, not for doom- scrolling or living in a world where negative comparisons will drain you, where time spent on cat videos are fun, but can steal your day and the opportunity to interact in the real world. 

Q: It seems like a dichotomy. You’re warning about the dangers of excessive social media and screen time use among young people, yet you’re using social media and screens to address the problem.

Kathy: Yes, we have to. The internet and social media are where young people “live,” so if we want to reach them, we have to meet them there. 

At Teens4TeensHelp.org, we give them messengers they will actually listen to: other teens. We help them understand what’s going on with their mental health, and then we empower them with coping skills, connections to professionals, and real-world resources so they can get the help they may need. 

The goal is simple: show them that they are not alone. That someone like them has faced similar struggles and made it through, and they can, too. We are working hard to reduce stigma, and save and improve lives. It’s vital right now and that’s what drives us. 

Q: You’ve discussed the problem in some detail. Social media  and screen addiction are so pervasive, it seems an almost insurmountable task for parents to try and wean their kids away from it. What solutions do you offer?

Jeff: Knowledge is power. Before we knew cigarettes caused cancer, people smoked without thinking about the consequences.  

The same applies here, if we teach teens about the impact of addictive technology and that its unconscious use has consequences, then teens can change their behavior. 

For parents, we recommend: 

• Model healthy phone habits. Don’t interrupt conversations to check your phone.
• Designate phone-free times: meals, game night, and before bed.
• Keep phones and screens out of bedrooms and in shared spaces.
• Turn off notifications to avoid the Pavlovian “ding” that hijacks attention.
• Encourage free play and independence: send them outside, give them age-appropriate responsibilities. Send them to sleepaway camp to be with other kids who don’t have phones.
• Delay giving them a smartphone until high school, if possible.
• Limit screen time and promote “free-range kids” parenting.
• Advocate for phone-free schools and more recess. Research shows this improves learning and test scores.

We’d also love to see policy changes, raising the age for social media accounts to 16 and requiring verified identification/authentication to keep younger kids off platforms designed for adults. 

Q: How do teens typically respond when they first encounter with Teens4TeensHelp?

Kathy: Many of them say, “I didn’t know anyone else felt like this.” That’s often the turning point. Hearing a real story from another teen, someone who has faced depression, anxiety, eating disorders, or suicidal thoughts can break the sense of isolation. 

Some reach out immediately, asking for more resources or wanting to join our Youth Board. Others take time, just quietly watching videos until they feel ready. The beauty of an online platform is that they can engage at their own pace, privately if they choose. 

Q: Can you share a success story that shows the impact of your work?

Jeff: One that sticks with me is a message we got from a teen who was struggling in treatment. Her therapist asked her to watch a video on our site. It was a recovery story from a Youth Board member who had struggled with similar issues. The teen wrote to us later and said, “after seeing that story she thought, if they could make it through, maybe I can too. It motivated me to get through treatment and now I would like to share my story to help another teen the way that story helped me.” She ended up joining the youth board and has become a great mental health advocate. 

We’ve also heard from counselors who say their students really opened up after watching our videos. “It’s was amazing how involved the student discussion on mental health became after introducing them to Teens4TeensHelp.” 

Q: What exactly does Teens4TeensHelp do behind the scenes?

Kathy: Having gone through a mental health crisis with our own daughter, we saw firsthand the power of peer support. When our daughter’s story saved another teen’s life, we realized we needed to make that connection possible for more young people everywhere. 

We now have over 100 Youth Board members across 22 states and a few other countries. They help create social media content, film recovery stories, teach coping skills, interview mental health professionals for “Teen Talks,” and give presentations in schools. Last year alone, our youth gave 4,200 volunteer hours and we expect that to double this year. 

Our professional advisory board, made up of therapists, psychiatrists, and educators, reviews and approves all content to ensure it’s safe and accurate. 

Q: What role do schools and communities play in addressing social media and social media addiction?

Jeff: Schools can help by becoming phone-free zones during the day, expanding recess, and promoting hands-on activities. Communities can offer more in-person youth programs, sports, arts, and mentoring, that give kids positive outlets. 

The most effective programs combine education about the risks of excessive screen time with opportunities to build real-life friendships and skills. This isn’t just a “family” problem, it’s a community issue. 

Q: If people want to assist you in your efforts, what can they do?

Kathy: First, spread the word. We’re a free, 24/7 resource, any teen with internet access can use our site. 

We’re always looking for more Youth Board volunteers, mental health advocates, parents, school staff, and therapists to get involved. We also need professional advisory board members and a few motivated executive board members to help us grow. 

And of course, sponsors and donations are always welcome. They go directly to creating more videos, expanding outreach, and providing resources to teens who need them. 

Q: What’s your long-term vision for Teens4TeensHelp?

Jeff: We want to expand. We envision partnerships with schools, youth organizations, and mental health providers around the country. 

We’d love to see a time when every teen who’s struggling knows exactly where to go for support and finds a story and resources that gives them hope. 

Kathy: Our dream is that one day, Teens4TeensHelp won’t be needed because we’ll have a culture that prioritizes mental health, teaches social emotional learning, limits harmful technology use, and equips young people with the resilience they need. Until then, we’ll keep showing up, one story, one video, one event at a time. 

One final thought . . . Social media and screen time addiction is not just a tech problem, it’s a human problem. The solution lies in a mix of awareness, intentional use, supportive communities, and empowering the next generation to take back control of their attention and their lives. 

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