Social Media's Growing Impact on Young People's Wellbeing and Work Life

A growing body of evidence suggests that spending too much time on social media is having a negative effect on the wellbeing of young people, particularly in Western countries. The World Happiness Report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, found a clear link: the more time young people spend on social media, the less happy they tend to be. This report noted that the wellbeing of those under 25 in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UK has fallen sharply over the last ten years, which is the same period when social media use has greatly increased.

Michael Plant, a Research Fellow at the Wellbeing Research Centre, explained to BBC Health that while an hour a day on social media can be good for staying connected, more than that often leads to a loss of wellbeing. He admitted that he was at first unsure about the negative effects of social media, but now believes the evidence is strong. Plant pointed out that today's young people are less likely to smoke or use drugs than previous generations, but they are heavily involved with social media platforms, which are designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible.

This impact on young people's mental health is also showing up in their ability to adapt to the world of work. According to The Guardian, Alan Milburn, a government jobs adviser in the UK, will release a report stating that an "anxious generation" of young people is finding it hard to fit into traditional workplaces. Milburn, who was asked by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to look into why almost one million 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK are not in education, employment, or training (a group known as Neets), believes that a rise in mental health problems like anxiety and depression is a main reason for this.

Milburn's report is expected to say that social media has had a big influence on the mental health of young adults, even suggesting that their brains have been "rewired" by smartphones. He told The Times, as reported by The Guardian, that many young people are living in their bedrooms, constantly online. This constant use of social media is changing their sleep patterns and ability to concentrate, which then affects their capacity to work. Milburn stressed that these young people are not lazy but are an "anxious generation" who have grown up in a digital world that has changed how they communicate, build relationships, and handle stress.

More than half of the UK's 946,000 Neets have never had a job, and a quarter are considered unable to work due to long-term sickness or disability. Of this group, 43% say that mental health issues are the main reason they cannot work, a significant increase from 24% in 2011. The UK government noted last year that the number of Neets in the UK is much higher than in many other developed countries, with about twice as many as Japan or Ireland, and three times as many as the Netherlands.

Sydney Grows, a fitness content creator who started posting on TikTok in 2021, shared her experience with BBC Health. While she finds her work a "dream" and tries to create a positive space online, she also knows the negative side. She explained that even after receiving many positive comments, one negative comment can feel very personal and cause hurt. She has learned to block out such comments over four years to build resilience.

Both Michael Plant and Alan Milburn suggest ways to deal with these challenges. Plant believes that since social media is here to stay, individuals need to be realistic and look at their own use. He advises people to recognize if looking at others' lives online makes them feel worse and instead try to talk to people more in real life. His aim is to "put the social back into social media." Milburn's report, according to The Guardian, will argue that businesses need to change by offering more flexibility and mental health support to young workers. He believes that these young people, though different, are not worse or lazier, and could even help British businesses facing a shortage of skilled workers.

Peter Hyman, a former headteacher and adviser, told The Guardian that schools are becoming a "pipeline" to worklessness and called for big changes, including a ban on social media, to help young people. The overall message from experts is clear: while social media offers connection, its excessive use is creating significant mental health and work-related challenges for young people, requiring both personal awareness and broader societal adjustments.